Naomi Watts is paying tribute to late co-star Treat Williams ahead of his final television role.
The actress starred as Williams’ on-screen wife in the upcoming second installment of Ryan Murphy’s Feud anthology series. In Capote vs. The Swans, Watts plays magazine editor and socialite Barbara “Babe” Paley, while Williams stars as her husband, CBS executive William Paley.
Unfortunately, Williams tragically died on June 12, 2023, following a motorcycle accident in Vermont, after filming what would become his final role.
“It’s truly heartbreaking, because he had such gratitude for this role at this point in his life,” Watts told ET’s Rachel Smith at the series’ premiere event in New York City on Tuesday. “I mean, we all did because the writing is so delicious… but Treat was just– He couldn’t believe it. Everyday he was like, ‘Oh my god, these words!'”
“In between the scenes that we were making, he just talked endlessly about how happy he was and about his beautiful family and his dogs and living in Vermont,” she shared. “It’s really horrible that he won’t get to see this and see us all celebrate his work.”
Treat Williams – Hallmark
Williams was Watts’ scene partner for much of the new Feud series, however, the central conflict of the latest anthology installment centers on Paley’s friendship with writer Truman Capote, played by Tom Hollander. Capote Vs. The Swans centers on the tension that arises between the famous author and a group of New York City socialites after he writes a thinly-disguised retelling of their sordid dramas in his posthumous 1986 novel Answered Prayers.
Naomi Watts as Barbara "Babe" Paley in 'Feud.' – Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Paley was renowned for her sense of style, was a fashion editor at Vogue and was often featured on Best Dressed lists of her time. As a lifelong admirer, Capote was known to have said, “[Babe Paley] had only one fault. She was perfect. Otherwise, she was perfect.”
“It’s fun,” Watts said of transforming into her character. “I really only had pictures to go from — there was no videos or audio recordings, so I really studied these pictures and looked at the way she moved. Where her hands were placed, how she did her hair, and they told a lot of story.”
“Her focus and passion for fashion was always there,” she added. “It’s a lot of pressure though to have to look that good and that pristine all the time.”
Watts looked pretty pristine on Monday night when she stepped out for the show’s premiere at the MOMA, wearing a Givenchy gown, Tiffany & Co. jewelry and a swan handbag.
Gotham/GC ImagesDiane Lane, Chloe Sevigny, Naomi Watts, Tom Hollander, Molly Ringwald, Demi Moore and Calista Flockhart all color coordinate in stunning black-and-white outfits for FX's 'Feud: Capote Vs. Swans' premiere at MOMA on Jan. 23 in New York City. – Udo Salters/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Feud: Capote vs. The Swans — also starring Diane Lane, Chloe Sevigny, Molly Ringwald, Demi Moore and Calista Flockhart — premieres Jan. 31 on FX, with episodes streaming next day on Hulu.
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