How to Audition for the Emmy-Nominated CDs of ‘American Crime Story’

On July 12, “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace” racked up six Emmy nominations in acting alone, plus one for casting directors Courtney Bright and Nicole Daniels. It’s no surprise to see these big names in the context of Emmy nods, but casting known actors to portray the scandalous story wasn’t always a given at the outset. We spoke to the duo about the ups and downs of casting the FX series.

“We did a deep dive on Gianni and Donatella Versace, Antonio [D’Amico], and Andrew [Cunanan]. We had photos all over our walls and watched any clips we were able to find,” Bright told Backstage. “We wanted to make sure that we got both a physical and personal sense of who these people were.”

When it came to the casting process, the two began their search using actors’ physical likenesses to the actual people as a guiding light, “and then once you see the performance, we can quickly start narrowing down contenders,” said Daniels. “The emotional vulnerability of the acting prompts the physicality.”

Although getting names like Penélope Cruz, Ricky Martin, Darren Criss, and Édgar Ramírez was no small feat, Bright and Daniels noted that one major challenge was the sheer number of roles they needed to fill. Once the principal cast was in place, they had to immediately shift focus onto who could hold court opposite the all-star leads. “There are so many good actors out there who have been around for a while and maybe never got the chance to be in a project like this. We search first for those types of actors,” said Bright, speaking on actors she’d seen for years without being given the chance to book them for a part.

So how can actors get the chance to get in front of Bright and Daniels more than once and land a role when the time is right? “Be prepared,” Daniels advised. “Think of it as a job interview. Do your homework and research, show up on time, study the scenes, and know the lines. Take it seriously.”

“We have no problem if someone messes up and needs to start again, but if you come in, haven’t even looked at the material, and haven’t prepared, you can’t expect much patience,” said Bright. “We want actors to feel good about what they’ve done, but they have to put in work.”

Doing the work will likely get you asked back. “Just because someone isn’t right for the role doesn’t mean they’re not a great actor. We’ll remember someone we know is a strong actor and who we also like personally,” said Bright. “If you have a good vibe, are personable and easygoing, and we can tell you would be good on set, we’ll try you for the next project.” Daniels noted: “We’re always keeping a running tab on the people that we’ve liked.” So don’t get discouraged: the next time could be your moment.

Emmy Predictions 2018: Outstanding Limited Series

Last Year’s Winner: “Big Little Lies”
Still Eligible: No.
Hot Streak: Over the past five years, HBO and FX have alternated wins in this category. Since HBO’s “Big Little Lies” won in 2017, it’s FX’s “turn” in 2018.
Fun Fact: The “American Horror Story” franchise has been nominated five times in this category, one short of the record held by “Prime Suspect” — except the PBS series had won three times by this point, and “American Horror Story” has never won.

“Twin Peaks” and “The Looming Tower” are out, “The Alienist” and “Genius: Picasso” are in; that was the surprising revelation on Emmy nominations’ morning, as two of the presumed limited series frontrunners couldn’t even make the initial cut. How does that change the race to the finish line? Quite a bit.

Two series in particular should be breathing a bit more easily right now. “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” has the “American Crime Story” brand backing it, not to mention the full power of Ryan Murphy, so FX must be liking its chances now that the critics’ darling and historical Hulu threat are out of the running. Netflix, though, is likely itching even more for its first win in the category, and “Godless” could get them there. Jeff Daniels and Michelle Dockery’s western sports a cast of TV Academy favorites, earned solid reviews, and appears to be widely seen.

Then there’s the dark horse: While Showtime thought it had a good shot at two slots here, “Patrick Melrose” is now a sneaky pick to win. Benedict Cumberbatch has never been better, he’s beloved by Emmy voters, and the relatively short limited series (five episodes) should be an easy binge for anyone who hasn’t caught up yet. Moreover, it’s got weighty subject matter, confidant style, and is less divisive than the hit-or-miss “Versace” and “Godless.” (“Versace” earned less raves than its “ACS” predecessor, while westerns in general can be a turn-off to some viewers.)

So what about those surprise nominees? “The Alienist” scored six nominations overall, but none in the acting categories; it looks like it’ll need another shocking turn of events to walk away with the gold. As for “Genius: Picasso,” it nabbed a critical nod for Antonio Banderas, but has less total nominations than the “Einstein” edition, which won zero in 2017. It, too, looks like a longshot.

Below are IndieWire TV Critic Ben Travers’ predictions for Outstanding Limited Series (listed in alphabetical order), which will be updated throughout the season. Make sure to keep checking IndieWire for all the latest buzz and highlights from the 2018 race, and read predictions for the rest of the categories, as well.

The Nominees:

“The Alienist”

“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”

“Genius: Picasso”

“Godless”

“Patrick Melrose”

Will Win: “Godless”
Could Win: “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”
Should Win: “Twin Peaks” (How was this left out?)

Emmy Predictions 2018: Outstanding Limited Series

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Screen Talk Emmy Edition 2018: Black Mirror, Versace Lead Longform Races (Episode 9)

IndieWire’s Screen Talk podcast brings back its bonus Emmy edition as this year’s race heats up. This week, IndieWire editor-at-large Anne Thompson and executive editor Michael Schneider look at the key limited series and TV movie categories. | 1 August 2018

Which of Ryan Murphy’s Emmy-nominated actors is most likely to win? [POLL]

Since 2012, no one has dominated the limited series/TV movie acting categories at the Emmys like Ryan Murphy — not Murphy himself, but his actors. Thanks to his various anthology series “American Horror Story,” “American Crime Story,” Feud: Bette and Joan” and the HBO film “The Normal Heart,” Murphy has netted 47 nominations for his stars, producing seven victories. This year he has eight actors nominated — his highest tally since 2014, when he got nominations for 11 stars — but who is the most likely of them to win?

Murphy’s actors’ nominations are spread between two shows: “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” and “American Horror Story: Cult,” with the former getting four and the latter scoring two. “Versace” leading man Darren Criss has been sitting atop our predictions since the nomination phase for his chilling turn as serial killer Andrew Cunanan and currently holds an 8/15-odd edge over his next closest rival, “Patrick Melrose” star Benedict Cumberbatch, who won in 2014 for “Sherlock: His Last Vow.” At 31, Criss would have to overcome age bias to become the second youngest winner in the category.

After getting boxed out last year thanks to the “Big Little Lies” and “Feud” ladies, Sarah Paulson is back in the lead actress race for “American Horror Story: Cult.” This is her fifth nomination for an “AHS” season, but the 2016 champ, for “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” will likely have to wait for her first “AHS” win: She’s in fifth place in our predictions, which have Laura Dern (“The Tale”) at No. 1.

Murphy reaped three slots in supporting actor, just one shy of the four he nabbed in 2014 for his stars from “The Normal Heart” and the same amount “O.J.” got in 2016. Sterling K. Brown defeated his “O.J.” co-stars David Schwimmer and John Travolta that year, but our odds are forecasting triple losses for “Versace” players Ricky Martin, Edgar Ramirez and Finn Wittrock to Jeff Daniels(“Godless”), who is also nominated in lead for “The Looming Tower.” Of the three, Ramirez has the advantage of playing the title character, even if the show was ultimately not about the slain fashion designer, and the most screen time. But unlike Brown, who was an undeniable breakout on “O.J.,” the praise for Ramirez — and “Versace” in general — is comparably muted.

Supporting actress is the only category in which both of Murphy’s shows collide; “Versace” stars Penelope Cruz and Judith Light, and “AHS” star Adina Porter are up. Porter, who’s in seventh place in our odds, feels like one of those “happy to be here” bids, while our pundits are split between Cruz and Light. Cruz, who nailed Donatella Versace’s accent, has the benefit of being an Oscar-winning movie star, but Light has the more acclaimed performance, breaking our hearts as the Marilyn Miglin, the widow of one of Cunanan’s victims, Lee Miglin. She’s also more “due” when it comes to the Emmys, having lost her previous three nominations; Cruz is on her first nomination.

Which of Ryan Murphy’s Emmy-nominated actors is most likely to win? [POLL]

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 31: Actor Ricky Martin attends SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations screening of ‘The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ at SAG-AFTRA Foundation Screening Room on July 31, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Vincent Sandoval/Getty Images)

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