Another complicated character that Cruz recently had the chance to play was Donatella Versace, as part of true crime series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Though the TV show has been surrounded in controversy, due to objections from members of the Versace family, it has also been critically acclaimed, receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews.
Cruz had reportedly asked Donatella for permission to portray her on screen, and proceeded with her blessing.
“I loved playing her. I did it with all my love and respect,” said Cruz. “Donatella is such a unique personality, so for me, it was one of the most difficult and challenging parts. I had a lot of months of preparation for that; I didn’t want to do an imitation, but I wanted to capture an essence in the way she talks, the way she moves. It’s so particular, so unique. But I’m very happy that I did it,” admitted Cruz.
Fans of true crime drama series The Assassination of Gianni Versace – American Crime Story have made the show BBC iPlayer’s most popular programme in March.
The first episode of the hit US drama, starring Penelope Cruz, Ricky Martin and Darren Criss, saw 1.6 million requests to take the top spot in March, in a month that proved a big one for drama.
[…] BBC iPlayer’s most popular episodes in March are:
Dan McGolpin, controller of programming and daytime for the BBC, says: “Drama continues to have an extraordinary year on BBC iPlayer. Building on a brilliant January and February, this month drama fans were treated to captivating US drama like The Assassination of Gianni Versace as well as world-class British programmes like Collateral, Strike and the ever-brilliant Call the Midwife. And after the short month in Feb the stats are back to the great performance we saw over Christmas and New Year, with our best March ever and our third best month on record, making for our strongest first quarter ever.”
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Wednesday, RTÉ2, 9.30pm
In case you missed it on the BBC earlier this year, here’s the second in the acclaimed true-crime docudrama series, this one focusing on Andrew Cunanan, the charming but ruthless drifter who embarked on a killing spree across America in 1997, culminating in the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace in Miami.
The first series, The People Vs OJ Simpson, is a hard act to follow but it does a fine job of recreating the heady glamour of the fashion world, and re-enacting Cunanan’s horrific murders. Darren Criss stars as Cunanan, with Ricky Martin as Versace’s boyfriend and Penelope Cruz as Donatella Versace.
I’m very interested in storytelling and anything that plays with structure. Rather than building up to it, we actually get the killing of Versace in episode one and then you go back in time. I feel very drawn in by the character of Andrew Cunanan, played by Darren Criss in a real breakthrough performance. You get an insight into the mind of this serial killer and it’s interesting that, even though he goes around killing people, you have a certain sense of sympathy towards him. It’s really well produced and very glamorous. [Executive producer] Ryan Murphy is the king of television at the moment.
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