Feud: Capote vs the Swans cast – Meet the actors and their counterparts
The writer's high-profile friendships and epic downfall are chronicled in the drama.
After airing in the US on FX and Hulu back in January, Feud: Capote Vs The Swans has finally landed in the UK on Disney Plus.
Capote Vs The Swans is the latest iteration of Ryan Murphy's popular Feud series, which debuted in 2017 with Feud: Bette and Joan and examines dramatic showbiz fallouts.
Tom Hollander (The White Lotus) leads the cast as prolific author Truman Capote, who sealed his own disastrous fate when he used the private stories of various glamorous socialites in a chapter of his novel, Answered Prayers.
Alongside Hollander, Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Chloë Sevigny, Calista Flockhart, Demi Moore and Molly Ringwald star as the 'Swans', the group of high-society women whose trust Capote violates.
But who do they all play? Read on for everything you need to know about the cast.
Feud: Capote Vs The Swans cast
Here is the main cast for Feud: Capote Vs The Swans - with more information on each character and actor down below.
- Tom Hollander plays Truman Capote
- Naomi Watts plays Babe Paley
- Diane Lane plays Slim Keith
- Chloë Sevigny plays CZ Guest
- Calista Flockhart plays Lee Radziwill
- Demi Moore plays Ann Woodward
- Molly Ringwald plays Joanne Carson (née Copeland)
- Treat Williams plays Bill Paley
- Russell Tovey plays John O'Shea
Tom Hollander plays Truman Capote
Who is Truman Capote? Truman is a writer and novelist, who at one point was celebrated as one of the greatest in his field. However, his fortunes began to decline after a perceived betrayal of the high-society women who considered him a friend. He wrote about their scandalous private business in a fateful chapter of fiction titled La Côte Basque 1965, which was published in Esquire magazine.
The identities of the women were thinly disguised – or not at all – causing him to be shunned and sending him down a path of self-destruction.
What else has Tom Hollander been in? The British actor achieved international recognition in 2022, following his surprising performance in The White Lotus season 2. Previously, he was best known for BBC sitcom Rev, and dramas The Night Manager and Baptiste. On the big screen, he has appeared in the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and Armando Iannucci's In the Loop.
Naomi Watts plays Babe Paley
Who is Babe Paley? Babe is a former magazine editor and socialite, who at one point considered Truman Capote one of her closest friends. She was devastated by his disclosing of her private life in his writing and found it difficult to cut him out of her life.
Things are made even more complicated when she is diagnosed with an advanced cancer, giving her precious little time to decide whether to reconcile.
What else has Naomi Watts been in? Watts recently collaborated with producer Ryan Murphy on the Netflix thriller The Watcher. She has twice been nominated for Academy Awards – for dramas 21 Grams and The Impossible – with other notable credits including Mulholland Drive, The Ring, King Kong and Birdman.
Diane Lane plays Slim Keith
Who is Nancy 'Slim' Keith? Slim is a socialite and another of the so-called Swans that Truman Capote surrounded himself with at the height of his success. She was particularly firm about cutting him out of her life, strongly advising her friends to do the same. She became a Lady in 1962, following her marriage to British aristocrat Baron Keith of Castleacre.
What else has Diane Lane been in? Lane's recent work includes DC Comics blockbusters Man of Steel, Batman v Superman and Justice League, where she played Martha Kent (the adoptive mother of Superman). However, her career dates back to the 1970s, with other notable credits being The Perfect Storm, Unfaithful, Cinema Verite and Trumbo.
Chloë Sevigny plays CZ Guest
Who is CZ Guest? Guest was another socialite, who worked as an actor, writer and fashion designer, among other projects. Another friend to Truman, she showed him more sympathy than other so-called "Swans" after the feud kicked off.
What else has Chloë Sevigny been in? Recently, Sevigny starred in both seasons of the mind-bending Netflix comedy-drama Russian Doll, and later reunited with star Natasha Lyonne for a guest appearance on Poker Face.
She has previously worked with Ryan Murphy on American Horror Story, with roles in both Asylum and Hotel. Sevigny is also known for HBO drama Big Love and hard-hitting 1999 film Boys Don't Cry, which earned her an Academy Award nomination.
Calista Flockhart plays Lee Radziwill
Who is Lee Radziwill? Lee is another of Capote's high-society friends and the sister of former first lady of the United States Jackie Kennedy. Besides being a socialite, she was known for her expertise in public relations and interior design.
What else has Calista Flockhart been in? Flockhart is probably best known for playing the title role in legal comedy-drama Ally McBeal. She went on to land a supporting character in US family drama Brothers & Sisters, which was created by Jon Robin Baitz (the writer of Feud: Capote Vs The Swans). She is also known for playing Cat Grant on DC Comics drama Supergirl.
Russell Tovey plays John O'Shea
Who is John O'Shea? John is in an abusive relationship with Truman Capote. He is married to a woman, with whom he has three children, and thus does not consider himself to be homosexual or bisexual.
What else has Russell Tovey been in? Tovey rose to fame in British comedies including Gavin & Stacey and Him & Her, as well as Being Human and Looking. His more recent work includes Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story: NYC and Mawaan Rizwan's Juice.
Demi Moore plays Ann Woodward
Who is Ann Woodward? Ann Woodward is a socialite. She became a figure of infamy when she was suspected of killing her husband, an accusation which was never proven - with a jury deeming the death an accident - but which left her reputation in tatters nonetheless.
Truman Capote was particularly vocal about this theory, including it in his unfinished novel Answered Prayers.
What else has Demi Moore been in? Moore is best known for a number of iconic films released in the 1990s, including Ghost, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal and Disclosure. More recently, she has starred in American Horror Story: Delicate and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
Molly Ringwald plays Joanne Carson (née Copeland)
Who is Joanne Carson? Joanne is the wife of popular television presenter Johnny Carson between 1963 and 1972. She was not in with the clique that comprised most of Capote's female friends – the so-called Swans – but was nevertheless a close confidante. She stuck by him after his banishment from high society.
What else has Molly Ringwald been in? Ringwald broke out in the 1980s with roles in John Hughes coming-of-age films Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink. Recently, she has experienced something of a career resurgence, with roles in The CW's Riverdale, Netflix's Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and popular young adult film trilogy The Kissing Booth.
Treat Williams plays Bill Paley
Who is Bill Paley? Bill Paley is a powerful businessman, who served as the president and chairman of CBS across five decades. The period saw its establishment as one of the USA's leading national broadcasters. Truman Capote's scandalous writing claimed that Bill was unfaithful to his wife, Babe.
What else has Treat Williams been in? Williams is known for his roles in Everwood, White Collar, Chicago Fire and Chesapeake Shores.
Feud: Capote Vs The Swans is available to watch on Disney Plus UK. Sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 for a year.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
