Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · June 9, 2025 · Entertainment

Mia Farrow Reveals: The Hollywood Icon Who Was 'Scary in Person'

Mia Farrow, 80 met some of Hollywood's greatest stars as she was growing up, including Vivian Leigh and Katharine Hepburn, but says she found one leading lady to be 'scary';  Pictured Sunday in New York City

The Wild Child of Hollywood: Mia Farrow Spills Tea on Joan Crawford and More

In a jaw-dropping interview with Tony nominee Cole Escola, 38, for TheScholarlyNote.com, actress Mia Farrow dished about her life growing up in the cutthroat world of old Hollywood. At 80 years young, Farrow still has it all: talent, beauty, and a healthy dose of sass.

As she sat down with Escola to reminisce about her storied existence, Farrow opened up about what it was like to grow up among Hollywood legends. Her parents, actress Maureen O'Sullivan and director John Farrow, were the epitome of Tinseltown glamour. And Mia was right in the midst of it all.

Farrow was working on the series Peyton Place, with Ryan O'Neal, when she ran into one of the grand dames of the silver screen on the Fox lot

"I used to run into Vivien Leigh, Katharine Hepburn, and George Cukor all the time," Farrow revealed with a mischievous grin. "They'd come over for dinner, or we'd have them over for lunch. It was just so...normal."

But not every starlet was as friendly as these legends. Farrow's encounter with Joan Crawford is still etched in her memory like a bad scar. The two met on the Fox lot when Farrow was just a young actress, and she couldn't help but notice Crawford's icy demeanor.

"I forget what movie they were shooting at the time," Farrow said with a chuckle, "but I'm pretty sure it was 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?' And for whatever reason, Joan started sending me a whole fridge full of Pepsi Cola for my trailer. Like, every day."

Farrow said she met Joan Crawford, who was 'probably' shooting Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? at the time

Crawford's husband at the time, Alfred Steele, just happened to be the president of Pepsi-Cola. Talk about a convenient connection! Farrow politely accepted the gifts but made it clear she wasn't exactly thrilled with the gesture.

"To this day, I'm not a fan of Pepsi Cola," she confessed. "But I guess Joan wanted me to know that she was watching me."

Things only got stranger when Crawford visited Farrow's mother in New York City. It seemed like an innocent enough encounter, but Farrow sensed something off from the get-go.

The actress was married to the president of Pepsi Cola at the time and Farrow said she began sending soda to her trailer; circa 1950

"I hung up her coat and out fell a flask of booze," Farrow recalled with a shiver. "And then she invited me to her apartment for a 'party.' But when I got there, it was just us two. No one else in sight."

Farrow, just 17 at the time, felt uneasy and quickly came up with an excuse to leave.

"I made something up about not feeling well," she admitted. "I told her I didn't want to give her any 'diseases'...and that was it. I got out of there as fast as I could."

Farrow said Crawford once invited her to her apartment in NYC. 'I thought it was a party, but I arrived, and I was the only one there,' adding she quickly made up an excuse to leave, telling Crawford she didn't feel well; circa 1950

It's clear that Farrow still has a few nerves when it comes to Crawford, but the actress has no hard feelings towards the Oscar winner.

"I think we all have our own demons," she said kindly. "And Joan certainly had hers."

Farrow also shared some juicy behind-the-scenes gossip about her most iconic role: Rosemary's Baby. It turns out that Jane Fonda and other big-name actresses had turned down the part before Farrow took it on.

I was scared of Ms. Crawford,' she said; Pictured in January 1970

"Roman Polanski wasn't exactly A-list material at the time," she explained with a laugh. "But I'm so grateful I took that chance. It really put me on the map, and people still watch it to this day...especially around Halloween."

As our conversation drew to a close, Farrow reflected on her life in Hollywood. From growing up among legends to becoming one herself, she's lived a true rags-to-riches story.

"It wasn't always easy," she said with a hint of mischief in her voice. "But I wouldn't change a thing. After all, as they say: the show must go on."