Truman Capote is perhaps best known for his contribution to literature in the form of one of the best true crime books, In Cold Blood. Or perhaps his name is familiar because of his friendship with Harper Lee, whose character Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird was based on.
But his role in Ryan Murphy’s anthology series, Feud, really boggles the mind. As the title suggests, Murphy’s series features famous fights in pop culture over the years. But the second season focuses on one of the most salacious stories you’ve never heard of.
When does Feud: Capote vs. the Swans come out?
It had been seven long years since the freshman series of Feud graced our screens. Murphy unpacked the infamous tension between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Was anyone really clamoring for another season of yet another anthology series?
Perhaps not, but we have one anyway. In the year of our lord 2024, Capote vs. the Swans takes to our screens on January 31. The season will span eight episodes about one of the most divisive figures in literature. Though we may not have asked for it, Murphy will certainly deliver a wild ride when it premieres on FX.
Who is in the Capote vs. the Swans cast?
Though Tom Hollander is utterly unrecognizable as the title character, that is only a testament to his talent. After a subversive appearance in The White Lotus season 2 leading to a tragic death, Hollander leads Feud as Truman Capote. And while having an amazing handle on the real-life Capote’s voice and mannerisms, he is only one side of this equation. A myriad of equally impressive women play the aforementioned Swans.
Naomi Watts leads the Swans as Babe Paley, a real-life socialite. She is joined by a star-studded cast, including Diane Lane as Slim Keith, Chloe Sevigny as C.Z. Guest, and Calista Flockhart as Lee Radziwill. Demi Moore rounds out the group as the tragic Ann Woodward. Supporting roles also go to the late Treat Williams in his last role as Babe’s husband, Bill. Murphy alums Joe Mantello and Russell Tovey also join the cast. There is certainly no lack of talent in the sophomore season of this series.
What is the plot of Capote vs. the Swans?
Capote was known for many things, but his relationships with the New York elite of the time were one of the more obscure. It also happened to be the source of his career’s implosion. The crux of Capote vs. the Swans centers around the famous writer’s collection of high society women of the time.
He called them his Swans because they were beautiful on the surface, but beneath the water, struggled to stay afloat. Already, that shows you just how much he dismissed these women. While this inner circle considered him a friend, he would ultimately go on to betray them.
Following the success of In Cold Blood, Capote struggled to come up with his next big project. He eventually centered on writing a tell-all book about the women he had befriended, albeit with clever pseudonyms. Of course, these pseudonyms did nothing to conceal the truth. Everyone knew what the book was about, and he named it La Côte Basque, the upscale French restaurant where they were known to dine together.
The first to be exposed was Babe Paley, whose husband was a known philanderer who was sleeping with the Governor’s wife. This gossip was a source of humiliation for Babe, who hadn’t shared intimacies with her husband for some time. Unfortunately for everyone, that was just the tip of the iceberg. Capote also exposed Ann Woodward as a murderer. Though never truly confirmed, it was common knowledge that Ann had shot her husband, claiming she thought he was an intruder. Capote’s written words only added fuel to this fire.
Babe and Ann were only two of Capote’s victims. Others included Lee Radziwill, who was First Lady Jackie Kennedy’s sister. C.Z. Guest was an actress of the time and also considered a Swan, though did not feature in the exposé. Capote released an integral chapter of the book in Esquire, which turned out to be his worst mistake — other than deciding to write the book in the first place. His actions were so poorly received that the book was never released in earnest and destroyed his reputation. Not to mention the lives of the women he called friends.
All of this information is public record and the subject of the scandalous second season of Murphy’s show. In typical fashion for the writer, no one can say how much the American Horror Story scribe will invent and how much he will remain faithful to. But if you thought you knew Capote, that will undoubtedly only be the half of it upon the premiere of this series.
