NAMES IN THE NEWS : Dunaway Admits ‘Mommie’ Goof

Faye Dunaway says her memorable portrayal of Joan Crawford in the 1981 film “Mommie Dearest” was one of the big mistakes of her career.

“I shouldn’t have done the Crawford role,” Dunaway said in the April issue of Fame. “My actor friends feel it was a real performance. But in fact, it was carried too far and it got too camp.”

Her latest role is that of the wealthy but sterile wife of a military leader in “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

She recently moved to Los Angeles from New York with her 9-year-old son and plans to begin producing her own projects for film and television.

“When older men star in movies, they have love affairs with much younger women,” said the 49-year-old actress. “Look at Paul Newman in his movies. I don’t think it’s fair.

“It’s in the eyes of the people who are making the movies, and it’s in society, too, which equates desirability with youth. The only answer is to produce the movies yourself, believe in the roles and fight for them.”