Summary

• Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans is the second installment of Ryan Murphy's anthology series exploring Hollywood rivalries.
• The season is based on Truman Capote's relationships with a group of high-society women known as his "swans."
• The cast of the series features six accomplished actresses in leading roles, including Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, and Demi Moore.

what really happened between Truman Capote and his “swans,” a group of six high-society women he exposed in his writings.

Through his successful career as a television writer, producer, and showrunner, Ryan Murphy has gained a loyal group of actors that follow him from project to project, including Glee, Scream Queens, American Horror Story, American Crime Story, and more. The cast of Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans are just as star-studded as Murphy's past series, with six accomplished actresses taking on the roles of the swans. Almost seven years after Feud season 1, Capote Vs. The Swans will be released on January 31.

Naomi Watts As Babe Paley

Actor: British actress Naomi Watts, 55, had her breakthrough role in David Lynch’s 2001 psychological thriller Mulholland Drive and has taken on several roles in film and television since. Watts was born in England but moved to Australia as a teenager, where she met and befriended Australian actress Nicole Kidman. Watts has received two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress, in 2004 for 21 Grams and again in 2013 for The Impossible. In 2023, she married fellow actor Billy Crudup.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: Mulholland Drive (2001), The Ring (2002), 21 Grams (2003), King Kong (2005), The International (2009), The Impossible (2012), Birdman (2014), Twin Peaks (2017), The Watcher (2022).

Character: In Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, Watts plays Babe Paley, an American magazine editor and socialite. She was an icon of style and fashion during her time, and Truman Capote described her as “perfect.” Her second husband, William Paley, was a serial cheater, which caused her great emotional distress. His affairs were later exposed in Capote’s novel.

Diane Lane As Slim Keith

Actor: Actress Diane Lane, 59, made her film debut at the young age of 14 in 1979’s A Little Romance. She later took a break from acting and had her breakthrough performance 10 years after her debut in the western miniseries Lonesome Dove, which earned her an Emmy Award nomination. She went on to receive critical acclaim for films like A Walk on the Moon and Unfaithful, the latter of which earned her an Oscar nomination. In the 2000s, she starred in a series of romantic comedies, starting with 2003’s Under the Tuscan Sun.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: The Outsiders (1983) Streets of Fire (1984), Lonesome Dove (1989), A Walk on the Moon (1999), Unfaithful (2002), Under the Tuscan Sun (2003), Untraceable (2008), Man of Steel (2013), House of Cards (2018).

Character: Diane Lane plays Nancy "Slim" Keith, another socialite and fashion icon in Feud: Capote vs. The Swans. She was close friends with Babe and has been portrayed onscreen before in the film Infamous. Slim was married three times, and her third marriage to Kenneth Keith, Baron Keith of Castleacre earned her the honorific The Lady Keith of Castleacre.

Chloë Sevigny as C. Z. Guest

Actor: American actress, model, and fashion designer Chloë Sevigny, 49, is best known for her work in independent films that have earned her numerous awards and nominations. Sevigny made her film debut in 1995 in Kids and had her breakthrough role in Boys Don’t Cry, for which she was nominated for an Oscar. She went on to win a Golden Globe Award for the HBO series Big Love in 2010. Sevigny previously worked with Feud creator Ryan Murphy on two seasons of American Horror Story.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: Kids (1995), Boys Don’t Cry (1999), American Psycho (2000), Dogville (2003), Big Love (2006-11), Zodiac (2007), American Horror Story: Asylum (2012), Portlandia (2013), American Horror Story: Hotel (2015), Lizzie (2018).

Character: Chloë Sevigny plays C. Z. Guest, a woman of many titles, in Feud: Capote vs. The Swans. Like the other swans, she was a socialite, but she was also an actress, author, columnist, horsewoman, and designer. In 1959, Guest was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame.

Calista Flockhart as Lee Radziwill

Actor: Calista Flockhart, 59, is best known for her performance as the titular character in the series Ally McBeal, which earned her a Golden Globe. Flockhart has found most of her success in television, though she’s appeared in movies like The Birdcage and The Last Shot and in many stage productions. Since 2010, Flockhart has been married to Harrison Ford, with whom she adopted a son.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: Ally McBeal (1997-2002), The Birdcage (1999), A Midsummer’s Night Dream (1999), Things You Can Tell Just By Looking at Her (2000), Brothers & Sisters (2006-11), Supergirl (2015-21).

Character: Calista Flockhart plays Jackie Kennedy’s famous younger sister, Lee Radziwill, in Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans. Radziwill was married three times, taking her surname from her second husband, Polish aristocrat Prince Stanisław Albrecht Radziwiłł. As a socialite, public relations executive, and interior decorator, she became a recognizable figure outside of her relation to the Kennedys.

Demi Moore as Ann Woodward

Actor: As a member of the Brat Pack, American actress Demi Moore, 61, found success early in her career in films like Blame It on Rio, St. Elmo’s Fire, and About Last Night… Her role in Ghost established her as a star, earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination, and made her a fixture on screens in the 1990s. In addition to her screen work, Moore has also received attention for her personal life, having been previously married to Bruce Willis, whom she shares three daughters with, and Ashton Kutcher.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: Blame It on Rio (1984), St. Elmo’s Fire (1985), About Last Night (1986), Ghost (1990), A Few Good Men (1992), Indecent Proposal (1993), Disclosure (1994), If These Walls Could Talk (1996) G.I. Jane (1997), Charle’s Angel: Full Throttle (2003), Mr. Brooks (2007), Margin Call (2011), Brave New World (2020).

Character: In Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans, Moore takes on the role of Ann Woodward, voted “The Most Beautiful Girl in Radio” in 1940. Three years later, she controversially married William Woodward Jr. In 1955, she shot her husband to death, claiming she believed he was a burglar. She was exonerated, but “The Shooting of the Century” meant Woodward was shunned by high society until her suicide in 1975.

Molly Ringwald as Joanne Carson

Actor: American actress Molly Ringwald, 55, started her career as a child actress in sitcoms like Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life before reaching teen idol status through her roles in John Hughes’ films. Like Moore, this made her a member of the “Brat Pack.” Ringwald, being fluent in French, moved to Paris in the 1990s and starred in several French movies. More recently, she’s returned to television in shows like The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Riverdale, and Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.

Notable Movies & TV Shows The Facts of Life (1979-80), Tempest (1982), Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), Pretty in Pink (1986), King Lear (1987), Betsy’s Wedding (1990) The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2008-2013), Riverdale (2017-2023), and Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022).

Character: Molly Ringwald plays Joanne Carson in Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans, Johnny Carson’s second wife. She was a close friend and confidant of Capote’s. Her marriage to Carson lasted only nine years and following their divorce, Joanne returned to California to host a talk show of her own.

Tom Hollander as Truman Capote

Actor: British actor Tom Hollander, 56, first got his start as a student at the National Youth Theatre. From the stage, he moved to film and television in projects like Pride & Prejudice, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, The Night Manager, and The White Lotus. In addition to his screen work, Hollander has voiced many characters for BBC Radio. In 2020, with his siblings and their father, Hollander presented a BBC Radio 3 documentary that explored how his father and grandparents escaped the imminent Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1938.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: Gosford Park (2001), Pride & Prejudice (2005), Pirates of the Caribbean (2006), In the Loop (2009), Rev (2010-14), Hanna (2011), About Time (2013), Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), The Night Manager (2016) Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), The White Lotus (2022).

Character: Tom Hollander plays the final titular character in Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans. The famed American novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor made enemies of his “swans” when he intended to publish a book with unflattering characters inspired by them and their lives. Hollander is far from the first actor who will be taking on the role of Capote, with Philip Seymour Hoffman having won an Oscar for Capote (2005).

Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans ing Cast & Characters

Treat Williams - American actor Treat Williams was best known for the films Hair and 1941 and the television series Everword. Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans is Williams’ final role, as he ed away in June 2023. He plays Bill Paley, Babe’s second husband.

Joe Mantello - Joe Mantello, 61, is an actor and director who is mostly known for his stage performances. He previously worked with Ryan Murphy in The Normal Heart, Hollywood, and American Horror Story: NYC. Mantello plays Jack Dunphy in Feud, Capote’s partner.

Russell Tovey English actor Russell Tovey, 42, is known for Being Human, Looking, and American Horror Story. He takes on the role of John O’Shea, another one of Capote’s lovers who was notoriously abusive.

Chris Chalk - Chris Chalk, 46, is most famous for the series Gotham and Perry Mason. The acclaimed American writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin is played by Chalk in Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.

Jessica Lange - Jessica Lange, 74, is one of the most accomplished American actresses of her age. Among her notable roles are King Kong, Tootsie, Cape Fear, Grey Gardens, and American Horror Story. After starring as Joan Crawford in Feud season 1, Lange takes on the role of Lillie Mae Faulk, Capote’s mother, in season 2.

Pawel Szajda - American screen and stage actor Pawel Szajda, 42, is known for Under the Tuscan Sun, Generation Kill, Tatarak, and For All Mankind. He plays Albert Maysles, who directed a short film of Capote at the height of his career.

Yuval David - Yuval David is an American actor, filmmaker, and activist. He has previously appeared in Madam Secretary and on What Would You Do? As a filmmaker, his work includes man-on-the-street performances. David plays David Maysles, Albert’s brother and co-director in Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans.