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How the Cast of ‘Assassination of Gianni Versace’ Followed a Killer’s Spiral Into Madness

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Most scientists estimate that the giant molten ball in our sky has another 5 billion years left to power life on earth. But for a coterie of fashion fans and one spree killer, it was vanquished on a July morning in 1997, when Gianni Versace was found dead, splayed on a South Beach sidewalk.

“He was the sun in an entire universe. When he disappeared, a void was created and everything collapsed,” Édgar Ramírez said of the celebrated fashion designer. Ramírez plays the loud visionary in FX’s limited series “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,” a meditation on homophobia and shame, and producer Ryan Murphy’s second installment in a franchise kicked off by the Emmy-winning “The People v. O.J. Simpson.”

Based on Maureen Orth’s true-crime tale “Vulgar Favors,” the series seemed like typical Murphy fare at first glance: an Oscar winner in a campy role (Penélope Cruz as Donatella Versace), the flashy backdrop of high fashion and plenty of male flesh parading on screen as the series looked at the tense politics of sexuality in America.

But by the end of its nine episodes, viewers got an unexpected education in killer Andrew Cunanan and the factors that led him to slay five people while evading a three-month manhunt. Instead of runway shows and Naomi Campbell cameos, writer Tom Rob Smith (BBC’s “London Spy”) introduced us to the unfortunate men drawn to Cunanan. And he did so in reverse, opening with his most famous victim and backing us through the previous crimes.

We meet sugar daddies, repressed soldiers, closeted gay men shut out by immediate family — all of them entwined with a pathological liar who morphed into a new version of Andrew (or any of his numerous aliases) by the minute.

“Maureen does an excellent job talking about this in her book, how everything that happened was a perfect storm of so many unfortunate things,” said Darren Criss, who plays Cunanan.

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How the Cast of ‘Assassination of Gianni Versace’ Followed a Killer’s Spiral Into Madness

Emmys 2018: Outstanding Limited Series — Our 5 Dream Nominees!

Last year, Emmy’s Outstanding Limited Series contest was about as suspenseful as any kudos race featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Basically, HBO’s soapy phenom Big Little Lies had the win in the bag. But this year? The statue is completely up for grabs.

Our Dream Emmy lineup, meanwhile, boasts a mix of high-profile minis and a few under-the-radar gems. All five contenders have one thing in common: They polarized audiences — Team TVLine included.

For the record, 2018 Emmy nominations will be voted on from June 11-25, and unveiled on July 12. The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, hosted by Colin Jost and Michael Che, is scheduled to air Monday, Sept. 17, on NBC.

THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY

WHY IT DESERVES A NOD: Anchored by Darren Criss in a star-making turn as serial killer Andrew Cunanan, the nine-part second installment in FX’s American Crime Story franchise spun a captivating tale of desperation and despair against stunning, sumptuous backdrops — making it as difficult to watch as it was impossible to look away from. Throw in unforgettable performances from the likes of Judith Light, Penelope Cruz and Max Greenfield, and you’ve got yourself a miniseries to die for.

Emmys 2018: Outstanding Limited Series — Our 5 Dream Nominees!

Ricky Martin On Life After Gianni Versace’s Death: “We Still Deal With Homophobia”

I think it’s not how he died, it’s why we allowed it to happen,“ Martin tells THR on Versace’s death.

“At this point in my life, I need to tell stories that make a difference,” Ricky Martin told The Hollywood Reporter In Studio on portraying Antonio D’Amico, the partner of the late Gianni Versace’s in FX’s American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace.

The star made his return to acting with the Ryan Murphy drama and developed a connection with the real D’Amico. “He was very generous and he would tell me everything that he was feeling.”

“I was working with Ryan [Murphy], incredible directors, great writers and, of course, an incredible group of actors that were there with me at all times, so all I wanted was to talk on behalf of those that aren’t being heard,” he said. “Unfortunately, nowadays, we still deal with homophobia and I think it’s not how he died, it’s why we allowed it to happen.”

Through his career, Martin hid his sexuality from the public in fear that it would destroy his career, but he shared the special lesson he learned from Versace himself.

“He was being brave enough to come out of the closet and to introduce his partner in public. I tell you this and my heart sped up because I went through the same thing as a closeted gay man,” he explained. “Do you know how many lovers I had that I hid from the public that I did not allow anyone to see because I was afraid?”

He continued, “Gianni Versace went through the same thing as well and for me, that was a lesson. You have to be strong, you have to be brave, you have to be yourself and you have to be proud of who you are and not be afraid.”

Watch the interview above to also hear Martin rave about working with Penelope Cruz and his fear of living in Miami Beach at the time of Versace’s death. | 15 June 2018

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Parity Takes Center Stage at Variety’s ‘A Night in the Writers’ Room’ Drama Panel

Write-producer of “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” Maggie Cohn was glad her experience on the FX anthology series “gave me the opportunity to work on a show I think normally would have been staffed predominantly by men. I had the opportunity to work on a show with male characters and a male point of view and have my femaleness not be a problem, which I think is important moving forward, that women are not relegated to working on shows just about women, female problems, and mothers.”

Parity Takes Center Stage at Variety’s ‘A Night in the Writers’ Room’ Drama Panel

6 of the Year’s TV Drama Casts Worthy of Emmy Attention

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“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” (FX)

Both a character study of killer Andrew Cunanan and a time capsule of 1990s queer culture, the second season of Ryan Murphy’s “American Crime Story” also trumpets the true arrival of Darren Criss. While it’s never been a secret that the “Glee” and “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” star is a certified song-and-dance man, here he plumbed the depths of a sociopath’s psyche, turning his naturally cheery demeanor dark, desperate, and introspective. The power of Criss’ about-face is enough to put him on any awards shortlist, but it helps that he’s surrounded by an ensemble that meets him mark for mark: Ricky Martin, Judith Light, and Édgar Ramírez and Penélope Cruz as the Versaces. —Benjamin Lindsay

6 of the Year’s TV Drama Casts Worthy of Emmy Attention

Emmy voters, I’m here to help – The Boston Globe

SOME OF THE BEST TV IS LIMITED: I mean limited series, a category filled with some of the year’s best goodies. Do not, I repeat, do not ignore “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,” one of the year’s most riveting TV stories, and take special notice of its performances. And do not, I repeat, do not go gaga for “Twin Peaks,” which — and I know this is controversial — was significant simply for being so stubbornly self-referential and inscrutable. Be sure to check out the other Margaret Atwood adaptation, “Alias Grace,” which took on memory, storytelling, and the history of sexism. And don’t forget about “Howards End.” Yeah, yeah, I know those British costume dramas seem like they’re a dime a dozen, but the good ones, like “Howards End,” definitely are not.

Emmy voters, I’m here to help – The Boston Globe

Emmys 2018: Paste’s (Unofficial) Nominations Ballot

As any TV critic who moonlights as an Emmy observer will tell you, the Television Academy’s choices can be… frustrating. The tendency to nominate the same series and performances year in, year out; the reluctance to acknowledge certain challenging titles; the labyrinthine rules: The Emmys are often easy to predict, yet difficult to understand.

With that in mind, my annual mock Emmy nominations ballot is a plea for voters’ consideration, a paean to the medium’s finest and an attempt to highlight those still flying under the radar as voting gets underway. It’s full of tough decisions and merciless cuts—including a few that may have you scratching your head. It’s not predictive, but aspirational. And it’s written in the hope that it might get even a single voter to give a deserving series or performer another look.

Outstanding Limited Series

Alias Grace (Netflix)
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Howards End (Starz)
The Looming Tower (Hulu)
Twin Peaks: The Return (Showtime)

It’s been a strong year for limited series. As I’ve written for the site more than once, The Assassination of Gianni Versace is a remarkably radical treatment of queer themes, unspooling in reverse chronological order across multiple genres and painted in Miami pastels. Alias Grace is equally ambitious, in terms of both structure (toggling between two timelines) and perspective (that of an accused murderer); Twin Peaks, meanwhile, is so wildly imagistic, and yet so primal, that the eminences at Sight & Sound and Cahiers du Cinéma decided its excellence made it a film. (It’s a TV series. Always has been.) Even the category’s less groundbreaking entries, Howards End and The Looming Tower, are formidable iterations of familiar stories—an embarrassment of riches, indeed.

Outstanding Lead Actor (Limited Series/TV Movie)

Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Jared Harris, The Terror (AMC)
Michael B. Jordan, Fahrenheit 451 (HBO)
Matthew Macfadyen, Howards End (Starz)
Kyle MacLachlan, Twin Peaks: The Return (Showtime)
Jimmy Tatro, American Vandal (Netflix)

So, here is where I come across a familiar Emmy dilemma. Criss does career-making work in The Assassination of Gianni Versace, transforming spree killer Andrew Cunanan into a gruesomely magnetic villain/protagonist, and in any other year I’d say you were out of your gourd not to give him the trophy. But MacLachlan does career-defining work as Twin Peaks’ Dale Cooper, earning Emmy nominations for the series’ first two seasons in 1990-1991, to which he adds both Coop’s doppelganger and Dougie Jones in last year’s revival. Criss will have more bites at the apple. I say give MacLachlan the award he’s deserved for almost three decades.

Outstanding Supporting Actor (Limited Series/TV Movie)

Miguel Ferrer, Twin Peaks: The Return (Showtime)
Ciarán Hinds, The Terror (AMC)
Alex Lawther, Howards End (Starz)
Tahar Rahim, The Looming Tower (Hulu)
Edgar Ramirez, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Hugo Weaving, Patrick Melrose (Showtime)

In the interest of spreading the love, I left out two performances of note: Cody Fern and Finn Witrock, as murder victims—and, crucially, men in full—David Madson and Jeff Trail, in The Assassination of Gianni Versace. If you’ll forgive me that, then please consider Alex Lawther, an exquisitely funny, never ridiculous revelation as Tibby Schlegel, breathing life into a character that not even E.M. Forster could.

Outstanding Supporting Actress (Limited Series/TV Movie)

Penelope Cruz, The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Laura Dern, Twin Peaks: The Return (Showtime)
Angela Lansbury, Little Women (PBS)
Judith Light, The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Anna Paquin, Alias Grace (Netflix)
Tracey Ullmann, Howards End (Starz)

If you expected me to pick anyone but 92-year-old Angela Lansbury as Little Women’s Aunt March, you had another thing coming.

Emmys 2018: Paste’s (Unofficial) Nominations Ballot

Daniel Minahan Reflects On “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”

LOS ANGELES – Daniel Minahan has known Ryan Murphy since the mid-1990s. Both were journalists in L.A. at the time and were starting to pen prospective narratives for TV and film. Murphy went on to be a prolific and lauded TV series creator (Nip/Tuck, Glee, American Horror Story, Feud), winning four Emmys and nominated for assorted others while Minahan established himself as a producer and director, becoming an Emmy nominee in the former capacity for Outstanding Drama Series on the strength of House of Cards (season 5). Minahan’s other credits include serving as EP and showrunner of Marco Polo and directing episodes of such series as True Blood, Six Feet Under, Homeland and Game Of Thrones.

Yet as their careers progressed, Murphy and Minahan’s professional paths hadn’t formally crossed–until the true crime anthology TV series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX) brought them together, as EPs/directors. Minahan directed three episodes, including the finale and “House by the Lake,” an installment submitted for Emmy consideration in directorial achievement.

When first presented with The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Minahan said he felt “very connected” to the material. “I thought it was brilliant and it was in a time period I know something about. I grew up during that time. It was a story I felt that I could really bring something to. and there was the additional attraction of working with (EP) Brad Simpson again. He worked on one of my first features.”

Minahan had the advantage of getting to work on The Assassination of Gianni Versace from the very outset. “I was there while Ryan was shooting the first hour. I picked up the atmospheric stuff in Miami, got to know the crew and saw the style of what Ryan was establishing. What I found as I began directing was that the work took on a life of its own. Each episode is almost a standalone piece, with the show spanning different genres.”

“House by the Lake”
Minahan described “House by the Lake” (episode 4) as “a psychological thriller” in which Minneapolis architect David Madson (portrayed by Cody Fern) is forced to go on the run with Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss), the man who murdered at least five people, including fashion designer Versace, Madson, and Chicago tycoon Lee Miglin. “This episode had a really intense emotional through line,” assessed Minahan. “To me, it’s sort of where the show begins to explore deeper themes of hate and homophobia. We get into the core of the series through the eyes of David and Andrew.”

The inherent challenge throughout the show, continued Minahan, was “depicting real people’s lives, particularly the victims.” This necessitated Minahan having to maintain a delicate balancing act between his role as a dramatist while still honoring these real-life characters. “It was important to me that the show be compelling and that people would want to follow our story, but at the same time we had to be respectful of the victims as individuals as well as their families. I feel we told the story in a way true to the lives of these people.”

There was also painstaking research to accurately depict the events. For example, Cunanan’s first murder victim was Jeffrey Trail (Finn Wittrock) with Minahan and his compatriots turning to forensic photography and police reports “to imagine the blocking of the crime and where it took place.”

Perhaps the biggest creative and logistical challenge of the show, though, was its casting which extended far beyond the principal performers. There were more than 200 speaking roles. Minahan related, “It took a lot of energy to find the right actors. Our casting people were spectacular and tireless. A lot had to be done on tape, with my trying to meet in person those considered for the more important roles. One of the hardest to cast was Andrew’s mother, Mary Ann.” Ultimately Minahan gravitated towards Joanna Adler, a well-respected New York theater actor, for that challenging role.

As for the biggest takeaway or lesson learned from his experience on The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Minahan observed, “I’ve been working closely, shoulder to shoulder with the crew, executives, creatives and showrunners on the last five shows I’ve done. The major takeaway for me moving forward is I want to create a family like the family that Ryan has created at Ryan Murphy Productions. When you reach a certain level, there’s the expectation that everyone brings their most excellent work to the show. But beyond this, Ryan’s company has a respect and familial quality for its people. You feel safe, protected. There’s loyalty. You have the feeling you are doing something important. It’s still a series. It’s still entertainment but there’s a greater sense of purpose and significance to the stories you tell.”

Daniel Minahan Reflects On “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”

BMI Composers Talk Scoring Hit Series at SCL Panel Discussion

The music of award-winning BMI composers Mac Quayle, Siddhartha Khosla, Nathan Barr and Fil Eisler was front and center during a recent panel discussion hosted by the Society of Composers & Lyricists in LA. Moderated by Katie Aselton, the presentation also included clips from their respective shows: American Horror Story, This Is Us, The Americans, and Empire, and offered the eager audience an inside perspective on scoring and what’s needed to help propel an ongoing series.

In addition to this discussion’s featured series, each of the composers are renowned for their work in several other projects. Quayle’s credits also include Mr. Robot, for which he won an Emmy, FX’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, and the Emmy-winning The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. Khosla’s credits include Marvel’s Runaways, and E!’s first scripted drama series, The Royals. Among Barr’s many credits are the Emmy-nominated main title theme of Netflix’s Hemlock Grove, as wells as Flatliners, while Eisler’s resume is also impressive with music for Shameless, Revenge, To The Bone and CHIPS. | 14 June 2018