'Feud's Joan Crawford Proves Age Is Just A Number

Ryan Murphy has created another show that will surely be a hit. His new anthology series, Feud, begins with the rivalry between Hollywood stars Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon) and Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) on the set of their film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? The show, which gives a nice glimpse into old Hollywood and glamour, is also being viewed as a commentary on what happens to women in Hollywood as they age. So it's not surprising that some people are wondering how old is Joan Crawford in Feud?

According to Entertainment Weekly, the eight-episode season begins in the early 1960s when Crawford was roughly 57 years old (give or take a year or two since the exact year of her birth is unknown) and looking for a new role. She was widowed, had no money, and wanted to recapture her fame in the spotlight. In fact, it was her idea to make the low-budget film, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, and she enlisted the help of director Robert Aldrich (Alfred Molina) to make it happen. The film was about a former child star (played by Davis), and her paraplegic sister (played by Crawford herself), and was based on a novel of the same name.

Davis, who was 54 years old at the time, and Crawford were long time professional rivals and Crawford believed their rivalry would be great publicity for the film, which of course it was — something the studio chief Jack Warner (Stanley Tucci) played up and took full advantage of.

The two actresses were often pitted against each other, but sometimes came together if they had a common enemy or goal. Based on the trailers alone, it's clear both Sarandon and Lange shine in their respective portrayals and while they may not have a feud going on between them, their characters' rift definitely looks entertaining.

The cast, which also includes Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kathy Bates, and Judy Davis, is obviously star-studded, just like most of Murphy's productions are these days. The season will be ripe with drama and not only follows the making of the classic film, but also shows what happens afterward and how Crawford and Davis' feud even flows over into the Oscars (Davis was nominated, but Crawford was not).

So whether you're familiar with the Hollywood icons, their feud, the film, or none of the above, Feud: Bette and Joan should be fun to watch regardless. Plus, who doesn't love all that glitz and glamour from the good old days of Hollywood?

You can check out the feud yourself when the series premieres on Sunday, March 5 at 10 p.m. ET on FX.