Meet the Newest Player In the Truman Capote's Mad World
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Truman Capote’s life always swirled with an endless array of interesting and elusive figures. No recent reexamination of the writer's legendary career shows this better than FX's Feud: Capote vs. The Swans. This week, the newest player in Capote's mad world is Rick, the former's new lover. Played by Vito Schnabel, Rick reinvigorates Capote at a low point in Feud's sixth episode, “Hats, Gloves, and The Effete Homosexual."
Schnabel is a no stranger to New York City's art world. Born and raised in the city, he was exposed to stories about nearby literary and cultural figures since he was young. "Bob Colacello, who worked with me at my art gallery for about ten years, knew Truman Capote quite well," Schnabel told me earlier this week. "I've heard a lot of firsthand stories from Bob about how Truman was an incredibly intriguing, talented, unique individual."
Following his recent project, The Trainer—a dark comedy that Schnabel wrote and starred in—he found himself pulled into Feud. Ryan Murphy himself approached Schnabel with an offer to play Capote's mysterious new love interest. Immersing himself in the show's recreation of 1970s Manhattan, Schnabel discovered that the experiences he had in the city—and connections he had with other New Yorkers—grounded him while playing Rick. "This one takes place in the city that I was born in and has a special place in my heart," Schnabel says.
Here, he opens up about his favorite scene in episode 6, working with Tom Hollander, and running into his old friend, Chloë Sevigny, on set. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Your day job is in the art world—tell me how you got involved with Feud.
At the time, I was making a film that will come out sometime next year called The Trainer. I was in the gym and I met Ryan Murphy, who told me that he was trying to get a hold of me for a project he was working on. We exchanged numbers. He said he had an idea for a role in this series he was doing on Truman Capote. It sounded exciting and interesting—and it was an amazing coincidence to run into him. We spoke a week later, then I read the script. It was so funny, cunning, and beautifully written. I could hear Capote's voice coming off the page. Then, Murphy asked me if I wanted to play Rick and I said yes.
Were you a fan of Capote's work before you worked on the show?
In Cold Blood is a book that I have read a couple of times and love very much. There's a man named Bob Colacello, who worked with me at my art gallery for about ten years. He knew Truman Capote quite well. He also ran Andy Warhol's Factory for many years and started Interview Magazine. So I've heard a lot of firsthand stories from Bob about how Truman was this incredibly intriguing, talented, unique individual.
You have so many great, intimate scenes with Tom Hollander—tell me what it was like playing opposite him.
He's a genius. He's incredible. And he is very generous as a person and with his time. It felt very comfortable and real. There's a guy named Rene Ricard, who is a great New York poet and painter I've worked with; Truman knew Rene quite well. So Hollander was Truman to me. Rene, who I was so close with and was also a writer, reminded me of Truman—and Truman reminded me of Rene. So I envisioned that I had Rene in front of me. Hollander so fully embodied Capote that he made the experience as easy and fun as it could be. You can feel all the different emotions and thoughts going on within Truman within Tom’s mind as well. It was an incredible experience being able to work with him.
How did you create chemistry between Rick and Capote?
I try to pull things from my own experiences and relationships that I've had. We didn't have a lot of time together before we were actually on set. We did one or two rehearsals. So I came in with my own ideas of things that I wanted to do and how I would play off Tom. I've never known anybody like Rick. There is something fun, but also a little bit sad about him. And there's a real friendship and genuine care that develops between the two of them. At that moment in Truman's life, he was supposed to get sober and write. He might have not gotten sober, but he does meet this person who is very different from the people he's around in New York. They develop this friendship and trust. Rick goes to New York with him. He thinks Truman believes in Rick or thinks that he's special, so he goes along for the ride. It's one of those experiences that he’ll never forget.
I really loved the speech Capote gave Rick when they broke up. Did you have a favorite line or moment from the episode?
There are different moments where things are being communicated or felt—and sometimes you're not actually saying much dialogue. I like when we're in the bathroom and I'm just watching him while he's telling me the story of the Royal Flush. But I also like at the end, when I ask Truman if he wants the watch that he got me back. I thought that was touching. It was Rick expressing, I don't want anything from you. I never did. When he left, it's a sad moment, because Rick really wishes him the best. But at the same time understands he needs to get out of this man's way and keep it moving. But when he's leaving, he feels for Truman and has a lot of love for him.
You’re very involved in the art world in New York City, owning Vito Schnabel Gallery in Manhattan for more than twenty years—and knowing these artists who have known Capote. I imagine you felt some pressure to accurately portray New York's art scene.
I was thinking about the legacy of these people and the caliber of talent that I was working with. I have huge amount of respect for and love for Gus Van Sant, who directed the episode. Going on set and acting is terrifying and exciting. Part of the reason that it's terrifying is because you want to do well. You want to live the character and the scene, breathe it and eat it. And the person across from me was Tom Hollander—and he's just so damn good. I wanted to make it as good for him as he made it for me.
What did it mean for you to be able to do recreate these iconic cultural moments?
Don't we do that a lot—revisit these historical moments as we go on and look back at history? It's amazing the way we can remake things that happened. I love retelling stories. This one takes place in the city that I was born in and has a special place in my heart. I knew different bits and pieces about Truman from the people who had known him and interacted with him. So it was a wonderful experience. And Ryan Murphy is just a master at what he does. The team that Ryan assembled of writers, directors, and the cast were all so great together. It was special to be a part of.
How was it acting with Chloë Sevigny, who plays C.Z. Guest?
It was fun acting with her. She's amazing and so talented. I actually know her quite well from growing up in this city. It was unexpected. I don't think she expected me to be there. She sees me in a very different light. I've had a gallery for 21 years and she comes to my art shows. We have a lot of mutual friends who are artists. So, we had a laugh when we were sitting there doing that scene together in La Côte Basque. It was very cool.
It must have been surreal.
It was. I remember walking through Central Park with Tom—who was playing Capote—and just feeling so in that time, playing that part. It was an amazing experience.
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