Feud: Capote vs. The Swans Takes Dark Dive into Truman Capote’s Life
The FX series, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, wastes no time delving into the dark underbelly of Truman Capote’s life. The show tells the story of Capote’s rift with his socialite friends after he published a thinly veiled account of their personal lives. Instead of taking a slow burn approach, the series weaves the narrative through several timelines, one of which showcases Capote’s downward spiral as he deals with the fallout from these high-society women turning against him.
By the second episode, Tom Hollander’s portrayal of Capote spirals into a drunken breakdown, lashing out at the few people still willing to be around him after his betrayal. This includes his partner, John O’Shea, played by Russell Tovey. The episode features two scenes where O’Shea assaults Capote after he says something particularly nasty. One takes place in their home, while the other occurs at the Thanksgiving dinner table, with an audience that includes Capote’s longtime friend Joanne Carson.
Hollander describes these scenes as “horrifying” and commends Tovey for his “really brilliant, visceral, terrifying performance.” He admits that playing someone being beaten up by their partner was a new experience for him and found it both upsetting and strangely funny. Hollander recalls shooting the scenes months apart from each other since all the Los Angeles scenes were filmed at the end of production. This created an eight-month gap between the apartment scene and the Thanksgiving dinner scene, even though they happen within minutes of each other in the episode.
The actor wonders if these scenes are hard to watch because they felt that way during filming. Hollander also shares that Feud takes a more liberal approach to this part of Capote’s life, which influenced his preparation for the role. He started by watching Philip Seymour Hoffman’s portrayal of Capote in the 2005 film and hoped to find new territory to explore. Hollander wanted to bring his own interpretation to the character rather than doing a perfect impression.
Feud: Capote vs. The Swans is tonally different from the 2005 film, giving Hollander the freedom to embody Capote’s spirit and energy. The series moves dramatically from one episode to the next, making Capote almost a mythical figure within the story. Hollander expresses his excitement about this fresh take on Capote’s life and the opportunity to do something different.
The first two episodes of Feud: Capote vs. The Swans are currently streaming on Hulu, with new episodes airing on FX on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Don’t miss out on this captivating exploration of Truman Capote’s life and the feuds that shaped it.