Picture this: Faye Dunaway arriving at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, not as the glamorous star she was, but in disguise. Sometimes she wore a brunette wig and oversized sunglasses; other times, she hid under a coat and an enormous hat. "I was doing the very thing I despised, but for a man I adored," she revealed about her two-year secret romance with Italian heartthrob Marcello Mastroianni. "We were like secret agents in love, always dodging the paparazzi."
A Whirlwind Romance That Swept Her Off Her Feet
Faye Dunaway, who skyrocketed to fame in the iconic 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde, spoke candidly about her whirlwind, globe-trotting romance with Marcello. This wasn't just a fleeting fling; it was a deeply passionate love affair. "I was head over heels for him," she confessed. Faye dreamt of a future filled with marriage and children with her older, continental lover. "He was unlike anyone I'd ever met. He made me feel incredibly safe," she reminisced.
Where It All Began: A Place for Lovers
Their love story began on the Venetian set of the emotional drama A Place for Lovers, released in 1968. In the film, Faye plays a terminally ill fashion designer embarking on a passionate affair with an Italian race car driver, grappling with the decision to reveal her limited time left. "When I first met him, I was utterly starstruck," Faye admitted. "He was breathtakingly handsome."
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Breaking Her Own Rules for Love
Marcello was married to Flora Carabella, mother to his daughter Barbara, and Faye had a firm rule against getting involved with her leading men. Despite sharing the screen with legendary actors like Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, and Paul Newman, she kept their relationships strictly platonic. "I knew mixing business with pleasure would ruin the performance and the movie, so I always drew the line," she explained. But Marcello was different. He broke down her walls and ignited a fire within her that she couldn't ignore.
Their chemistry was undeniable. On the set of A Place for Lovers, their bedroom scenes became so intense that director Vittorio De Sica had to throw water at them to cool things down. After filming wrapped, Faye followed Marcello to Rome, ready to take their relationship to the next level.
The Bittersweet End of a Beautiful Affair
"There are moments when I look back on my years with Marcello, and I feel a pang of genuine regret," Faye confessed. For two years, she hoped Marcello would leave his wife, but his plans were different. "He envisioned us being like Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, a love kept hidden for eternity, belonging solely to us," she explained.
Reality hit hard when Faye saw Marcello and his wife sharing affection at a Christmas party in 1969. She realized then that he would never leave his wife. She ended the affair shortly after.
Finding Strength in Vulnerability
"All my life, I've been someone who can break easily. I've never been able to endure being hurt, so rather than feel any emotional pain, I've usually cut ties with that kind of relationship," Faye admitted. Marcello, who remained married to Flora, went on to have other affairs, including a daughter with actress Catherine Deneuve, but he never forgot about Faye. "She was the woman I loved the most. I will always regret losing her," he confessed.
Marcello admitted that being left by Faye and later Catherine was humbling. "They claimed I was playing a singles game, making my own rules," Marcello said. "I never adjusted my life to fit theirs. I guess that was mostly true."
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A Lasting Legacy of Love
Today, Faye is a proud mother to her grown son, Liam, who remains the most important man in her life. She still considers Marcello her greatest romantic love. "There's a part of me that thinks if we had married, maybe we would still be together," she reflected before Marcello's passing in 1996. "It was one of our fantasies that we'd grow old together."
