This Is What The Cast Of Feud Looked Like In Real Life

So, you've watched Feud and are about to tumble down the black hole of Old Hollywood internet fact-checking. It's cool, I get it. How could you not get sucked into this web of deceit, sneaky snubs, and 1960s smoky glamour?

As with any historically based work, it's hard to tell what's real and what's not. Some characters, like say, Jackie Hoffman's Mamacita, seem too good to be true (believe it or not, she is based on a real person!), and some moments too contrived to really be possible. The beauty of Feud: Bette and Joan is that the juiciest moments all actually happened. The two screen legends really were that petty. They actually did leak gossip about each other to the tabloids. And yes, Joan Crawford really accepted the Oscar for Best Actress when Ann Bancroft beat Bette Davis at the 1963 Academy Awards. (You can find the clip on YouTube, but I suggest waiting until the fifth episode to roll around before you Google. The payoff is worth it.)

But what's even more impressive is how well-cast everyone is. To prove it, I've lined up images of all the relevant players in this feud for the ages, and compared them with their real-life counterpart. And since you could fill novels — not to mention movies, and an entire TV show — about these women's lives, I've chosen some of the juiciest biographical tidbits for you to trot out over your next brunch. File under "How To Impress Your Friends With Your Extensive Arcane Old Hollywood Knowledge."

So let's all don our very best cat-eyed shades, and explore the very real world of Hollywood's most iconic feud. They don't make 'em like this anymore.

Feud: Bette and Joan Premiere Recap