Warren Beatty of the film, he credited Hackman with giving the "most authentic performance in the movie, so textured and so moving," recalls Dunaway. He was impressed with Gene Wilder after seeing him in a play and didn't even need him to audition, in what became Wilder's screen debut. And Beatty had already known Pollard: "Michael J. Pollard was one of my oldest friends," Beatty said. "I'd known him forever; I met him the day I got my first television show. We did a play together on Broadway." "Bonnie and Clyde" went on to be a critical and commercial success, despite the
Academy Awards and civil rights activist Sacheen Littlefeather to read a 15-page speech detailing his criticisms. At the 2017 awards ceremony, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway mistakenly announced that "La La Land" was the Best Picture award recipient, instead of "Moonlight", the actual winner. Beatty had been given the wrong envelope and after hesitating during the announcement, handed the envelope to Dunaway, which listed Emma Stone as Best Actress for "La La Land" and led to the confusion. The proper winner was announced after the acceptance speeches by "La La Land" producers Jordan Horowitz, Marc Platt and Fred Berger. The following year,