← All Of It with Alison Stewart
All Of It with Alison Stewart
Molly Ringwald Plays a Capote Swan in 'Feud'
00:14:46
"Feud: Capote vs. The Swans," has been nominated in 10 Emmy categories.
Loading summary
Transcript43 lines
- [00:02]
State Farm Advertiser
If your small business is booming, you might say cha Ching, but you should say, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there and we'll help your growing business. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
- [00:26]
Alison Stewart
This is all of it. I'm Alison Stewart. This year's season of the anthology series Feud takes us back to New York of yesteryear through the story of the city's most fabulous socialites like Babe Paley and Slim Keith and their confidant turned frenemy, Ryder and bon vivant Truman Capote. This season of Feud was nominated in 10 Emmy categories with recognition for its period costumes, hairstyling and makeup, not to mention outstanding direction for a limited or anthology series or movie. Coming off the wild success of In Cold Blood and the film adaptation of Breakfast at Tiffany's, Capote was a sought after companion for some of New York's wealthiest women until he published a tell all story in 1975 about their not so perfect lives. The peace shook up high society and these powerful ladies that lunch, Capote called them the Swans. Well, they froze him out of every party event and their private lives. Alone and an addict, he spiraled out of control. Molly Ringwald plays the one woman who stuck by him through it all, Joanne Carson, ex wife of Johnny Carson, who invites Truman to come stay with her on the West Coast. He will end up spending his final days there, joining Molly Ringwald in Feud. Capote versus the Swans are Emmy nominee Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Chloe Sevigne, Calista Flockhart and Demi Moore and Tom Hollander, who, who is a go for broke, Truman Capote. When Molly Ringwald appeared on all of It, I started by asking her how she worked with director Gus Van Zant to capture the uniquely California qualities of her character.
- [02:04]
Molly Ringwald
Well, you know, I'm originally from California, so no matter what, I feel like it's in my blood. I only have to be around somebody from California for all of 30 seconds to get my Valley speak back. So, you know, as much as I love New York and consider myself a New Yorker, there's definitely Californian in there from, you know, too many generations. They really talked to me about wanting to have a difference between the Swans who, you know, all of those, you know, Babe Paley sees a guest, Slim Keith, these very sort of buttoned up, very, you know, kind of private women and really sort of have this contrast between those women and my character who really was more of a friend to them, to Truman specifically. And they were also kind of, I think in a way, they were sort of outcasts together because Joanne was married to one of the most powerful men in Hollywood. I mean, for a time, for a long time. Johnny Carson was it. And had incredible access, insider access. And so she had that as well because of being married to him. And. And then when they divorced, I think she really was kind of on the outs a bit. She didn't have everybody's name on, you know, speed dial like before. So I think she and Truman kind of bonded together and were kind of a little bit outcast together. I also believe that. That Joanne really absolutely adored him unconditionally and may have been one of the only people in his life who did.
- [03:43]
Alison Stewart
So when you think unconditionally, meaning that she really didn't. She didn't want anything from him but friendship.
- [03:49]
Molly Ringwald
Yeah, I don't really think that she wanted that much from him. You know, at that. At that point, there really wasn't. There really wasn't that much that she could get from him or needed from him. I mean, I think she had enough money from, you know, the divorce, the alimony. He lived in her house. I mean, she really just kind of wanted to facilitate his literary genius, because I really do believe that she had an incredible amount of respect for his writing more than anybody else. I think the other women, I think, sort of treated him a bit as a court jester, and he was sort of happy to play that role for a while, But I think maybe there might have been some unexpressed anger. There's some subconscious anger of being sort of treated like this little dance monkey, dance. It's a little bit like being a part of a world, but always being a little bit on the outside of it as well. And I don't think that he felt that with Joanne. I think that she really just loved him and wanted to help keep him sober and buy his special pencils and erasers and really kind of facilitate that genius, because I think that she really believed in him, and she was right. He was a literary genius.
- [05:14]
Alison Stewart
So let's play a clip.
- [05:14]
Interviewer
And Tom Hollander, he really goes for it in this performance. In terms of his voice and the way and his movements, we can get a sense of the relationship here. This is you as Joanne welcoming Truman Capote to her Thanksgiving dinner. And he's brought his abusive boyfriend John, who is sitting in the car. This is from Feud. Truman Capote versus the Swans.
- [05:39]
Molly Ringwald
Hi, honey.
- [05:40]
Actor (Tom Hollander as Truman Capote)
Oh, hi. I come bearing gifts.
- [05:44]
Molly Ringwald
Gracias. Thank you. Thank you.
- [05:47]
Actor (Tom Hollander as Truman Capote)
Happy Thanksgiving.
- [05:50]
Molly Ringwald
Why is your friend sitting in the car?
- [05:53]
Actor (Tom Hollander as Truman Capote)
John wants me to buy him a house in Malibu. Little Prince Papa is pouting. Once he realizes there's a Manhattan waiting for him, he'll come in. When's dinner?
- [06:06]
Molly Ringwald
In an hour. But there's lots of snacky drinky things. I hope you like nachos and tamales. Do you know what that is?
- [06:17]
Interviewer
What impressed you about his performance?
- [06:20]
Molly Ringwald
Oh, everything. I mean, I really didn't know what it was going to be like until I saw him on set. You know, we didn't have any rehearsal time at all. So I knew he. Tom Hollander was a fine actor, but I had no idea how transformative that performance would be. And I got along with him immediately. I found Tom really charming and generous and, you know, absolutely lovely. He would go back and forth between Tom and Truman, and usually right before we would start a scene, he would be listening to something that he had on his. On his, you know, device just to kind of get that voice in his head. But it wasn't just the voice. It was the mannerisms. It was the way that he walked. And, you know, I remember seeing Truman Capote when I was a little girl, you know, on all those shows that my parents watched, you know, the Tonight Show, Dick Cavett and, you know, and half the time he was drunk or, you know, he was very. He was very entertaining. He always seemed like a little bit like a train wreck, but he had this very specific way of moving. And Tom just completely nailed it, you know, and I. And I liked him and I enjoyed working with him, which was so important for my character because, like I said, my character really this unconditional love for him. So he made that very easy.
- [07:42]
Alison Stewart
So listening to you, and I think you answered this, but I want to ask it anyway. How often was he. Was he always in character?
- [07:48]
Interviewer
Did he come in and out?
- [07:50]
Molly Ringwald
No, he. He definitely came in and out, which I think is more common for actors, at least in my experience in England, they don't do the method sort of, you know, in character all of the time. So it was nice. I got to know. I got to know Thomas, Tom. Then I also got to know him as Thomas Truman.
- [08:10]
Interviewer
Tell us a little bit about your wardrobe, because Joanne has a look.
- [08:16]
Molly Ringwald
Yeah, yeah. Well, they really definitely wanted a contrast between these buttoned up, pillbox wearing hats, females in New York. They really wanted Joanne to seem like a lot more free and bohemian. So I'm in colorful caftans and, you know, I really sort of embody that quintessential California ease, you know, which I was happy to do.
- [08:49]
Interviewer
When you think about Joanne, the relationship between Joanne and Truman Capote, you know, I went down a little bit of a rabbit hole and read her obituary in the New York Times. And she's buried next to him.
- [09:00]
Molly Ringwald
Yeah, they were that close. They were that close. Yeah. Yeah. I think I remember reading something about how when she got the ashes, she kept half of them and then gave half of them to his other long, long term lover, played by Joe Mantello. Yeah, there was a little bit of a thing about that. But yes, she. She apparently kept him pretty close and talk to him and, you know, like, it was just one of those relationships for whatever reason that. That was really, really important to her.
- [09:38]
Alison Stewart
What is it that she understood about Truman that the New York Swans didn't?
- [09:46]
Molly Ringwald
Well, I really think that she had a respect for his writing, perhaps more than they did. I think that they really valued him as a character and as a storyteller. I don't know that they respected him as much as a writer. And I think Joanne did. I think it's something that she. She was really impressed by. And, you know, perhaps that's from, you know, being married to Johnny Carson and being around, you know, writers and, you know, I don't know exactly where that came from, but she really, really did think that he was one of the great American writers. And, you know, I would be inclined to agree with her. I think. I think he didn't. I think he lost the plot a little bit in terms of his life. I think he got a little bit carried away with these, with the social life and the drinking and the drugging and all of that. But I think that he really was, you know, sentence for sentence, you know, one of the. One of the greats.
- [10:50]
Alison Stewart
My guest is Molly Ringwald. You can see her in feud. Truman Capote vs. The Swans premieres on FX and Hulu on Wednesday. So after that clip that we played.
- [11:02]
Interviewer
There'S a scene that gets.
- [11:04]
Alison Stewart
It's really upsetting. It gets very violent. This lover of his who has been violent with him in the past, played.
- [11:11]
Molly Ringwald
By Russell Tovey, by the way, a wonderful English actor.
- [11:16]
Alison Stewart
And it's a pretty terrifying altercation at the table. Two things for you as an actor. And there's another scene where you have to basically save Truman's life. You pull him out of a pool. When you're in a scene where there is that kind of violence, what is that like for you as an actor? I mean, I know as a viewer, it's hard to watch, I imagine. I mean, I know it's your job and all, but I'm very curious as A human.
- [11:43]
Molly Ringwald
What that's like as a human. I mean, they had already rehearsed it, so, you know, they knew exactly what they were doing. But for me, it was the first time I had seen it, and it was incredibly well done. I mean, it really looked like he was having, you know, just, you know, everything just beaten out of him, you know, and. And even though I knew that it was made up, I couldn't help but, like, raise my. Raise the cortisol in my, you know, that sort of, you know, fight or flight. Yeah, it really, you know, it was. It made me. It made me gasp.
- [12:25]
Alison Stewart
You've worked with Ryan Murphy before.
- [12:29]
Interviewer
What is it that he does that's unique? What does he bring to the creative process that's unique?
- [12:36]
Molly Ringwald
You know, I think that one of Ryan's geniuses is to, you know, him, he's definitely in the zeitgeist. He kind of knows what people want to see, but he also takes chances. And, you know, especially in terms of, you know, hiring all of these women that are, you know, not 22 years old. You know, I'm incredibly grateful for that because I feel like I have some of my most interesting work coming up. But it really requires somebody in Ryan's position to. To make that call and, you know, somebody in that position of power. And he really does, you know, he's really interested in giving in giving voices and giving power to people who might not have that opportunity. And that's whether it's women of a certain age or. Or people of a certain color or an ethnicity. You know, that's something that he has really focused on a lot, which makes him very interesting as a filmmaker. And, you know, of course, very interesting for me, you know, to work with. I would say yes to anything of Ryan's, you know, if he wants me to come read the phone book, I'm there.
- [13:51]
Interviewer
Before we let you go, you have a great singing voice. I don't know if people know that about you. You've done shows at 54 below, and do you have any more plans to sing and do any more shows?
- [14:02]
Molly Ringwald
You know, eventually I do, but right now I'm very focused on the acting and also writing because I'm also a writer as well, and that takes a little time and a little, you know, focus. And, you know, so right now, I think at least for, like, the next year or so, it's going to be acting and writing, and then maybe I'll come back. I'm hoping that one day I get to do everything I want to do, all on the same project. So maybe like directing, writing, acting, singing, everything else. Maybe a little French in there. Who knows?
- [14:36]
Alison Stewart
That was my conversation with Molly RINGWALD about the 10 time Emmy nominated series Capote versus the Swans. Coming up, Mike Birbiglia was nominated for the writing in his one man comedy special the Old man in the Pool which began on Broadway. Coming up, he'll talk about aging, mortality, NP in pools. This is all of it.
- [15:04]
State Farm Advertiser
If your small business has a problem.
- [15:06]
Alison Stewart
You could say, ugh, just my luck.
- [15:09]
State Farm Advertiser
But you should say, like a good.
- [15:10]
Alison Stewart
Neighbor, State Farm is there.
- [15:12]
State Farm Advertiser
And we'll help get you back in business. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
- [15:18]
Tide Advertiser
Did you know Tide has been upgraded to provide an even better clean in cold water? Tide is specifically designed to fight any stain you throw at it. Even in cold butter. Yep. Chocolate ice cream. Sure thing. Barbecue sauce. Tide's got you covered. You don't need to use warm water. Additionally, Tide pods let you confidently fight tough stains with new coldzyme technology. Just remember, if it's gotta be clean, it's gotta be Tide.