Pick of the day: Versace: American Crime Story, 8.30pm, Showcase.
It’s not hard to guess why, but Versace: American Crime Story arguably is mistitled to the degree it focuses not on Italian designer Gianni Versace but on the man who gunned him down at his Miami Beach mansion in 1997, Andrew Cunanan.
But by the end of this nine-episode series, Darren Criss’s depiction of the twisted fantasist and killer — his performance is being spoken of as an award contender — will sear into the memory.
Criss — best known for his role in Glee, created by Ryan Murphy, who also executive produces on Versace — tells The Australian his character begins the series mired in the lies he tells about himself.
“Cunanan exists in a larger-than-life headspace,” he says. “He is a classic narcissist in that he is somebody who can say something and ipso facto believe it is true.” Making him relatable, rather than alienating or appalling, was Criss’s focus.
“I latch on to the common denominators we can all relate to, and Cunanan’s flamboyant dishonesty comes from a sadly endearing place of wanting to impress people,” he says. “It’s less about lying; he’s a storyteller, this is how he survives.”
A key scene occurs in the first episode where Cunanan tells Versace (Edgar Ramirez) his largely fabricated life story.
“Edgar and I barely have any scenes together, but that is a key one in setting up the parallel between destroyer and creator, two very different but brilliant minds,” Criss says.
He says it was a “twisted providence” that Cunanan committed terrible crimes, which nonetheless has given the actor a career-defining role in a series he clearly is proud of.
“I’d like to think that if I’d done Cunanan first, I would have gone on to do something like Glee — I like taking as many twists in my career as possible,” he says. “We are all a million different people; I don’t want audiences to feel like they 100 per cent understand what my deal is.”
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EXCLUSIVE: Darren Criss opens up about his killer new role!
He won our hearts as Glee’s Blaine Anderson, and now Darren Criss has returned to the small screen, joining Penelope Cruz, as Gianni Versace’s killer Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.
And the role officially has us scared out of our skin.
“He is terrifying,” the 31-year-old, who recently got engaged to his producer partner Mia Swier tells OK!.
“But he’s a complex character. It’s a killer role – in every sense.”
Here, we chat to the TV star about all things Versace!
How did you land the job?
Well, it kind of came to me on a plate.
[Director and screenwriter] Ryan Murphy and I talked about doing this four years ago [the pair first worked together on Glee] and because I share a close likeness to Andrew Cunanan – plus we’re both half Filipino and we were both around the same age – we’d talked about me playing the part. I said, “When you’re ready to go, I’m in.”
I’m forever indebted to Ryan for having faith in me to do this role.
Was it intimidating to take on a character who’s a real person?
Yes, kind of.I was really keen not to do an Andrew Cunanan imitation act, even though nobody really knows much about him.
The other actors like Penélope Cruz and Edgar [Ramirez, who plays Gianni] had to tread that line more carefully than I did because their characters are so well known.
What was it like working with Ricky Martin?
He’s awesome. He’s such a great actor, too, and I think that’s because as a performer, he knows how to connect. He has a fast lane to the human heart.
Did you meet him on the set of Glee?
No, but I knew he was a great actor and he did not surprise me on Versace either – he did such a wonderful job.
And what about Penélope?
We never got to do any scenes together, but it was incredible to be around her and watch her work. It was a real compliment she chose a Ryan Murphy show to be her first TV work – and I’m pinching myself that I got to share it with her. To be around people you truly admire and find they live beyond your expectations, it’s the dream.
For more about The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, pick up a copy of OK! Magazine, on sale now!
Will ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace’ be the latest Ryan Murphy production to dominate Best Supporting Actor at the Emmys?
The television academy’s acting branch has a love affair with Ryan Murphy productions, which earn multiple Emmy nominations for their performances year after year. “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” the second installment of Murphy’s “American Crime Story” anthology series, now enters the Emmy race and could dominate the Best Movie/Mini Supporting Actor category just like “The Normal Heart” and “The People v. O.J. Simpson” did.
Having multiple nominees from the same series or movie can yield mixed results. Before Murphy began his anthology empire Mike Nichols‘s “Angels In America” scored four out of the five available slots for Best Movie/Mini Supporting Actor in 2004: Justin Kirk, Ben Shenkman, Patrick Wilson and Jeffrey Wright were joined by William H. Macy (“Stealing Sinatra”). Macy was unable to stop the “Angels In America” juggernaut, so Wright took home the Emmy for playing Belize and Mr. Lies, the same role that won him a Tony Award in 1994 for the original Broadway production of “Angels.”
But Murphy’s productions have been hit-and-miss when they have dominated the category. His passion project “The Normal Heart” earned four of the six available nominations in the category in 2014: Matt Bomer, Joe Mantello, Alfred Molina and Jim Parsons. Bomer was the presumed favorite for playing dying reporter Felix Turner, but Martin Freeman pulled off a shocking upset for “Sherlock: His Last Vow.” Freeman probably benefited from Colin Hanks rounding out the six nominees for his role in “Fargo.” Freeman also co-starred in “Fargo,” which allowed voters to see him in two drastically different roles.
Two years later “The People v. O.J. Simpson” scored three out of the six nominations for Best Movie/Mini Supporting Actor: Sterling K. Brown, David Schwimmer and John Travolta. Even though Schwimmer and Travolta were better known at the time, Brown’s breakthrough performance as prosecutor Christopher Darden brought him the Emmy.
Will “Versace” do just as well in the nominations? And if so, will one of its supporting actors win? Let’s take a look at the top five actors from the limited series trying to make the Emmy lineup and their current odds according to the combined predictions of Gold Derby users.
Edgar Ramirez: 1st place with odds of 7/2
Ramirez is a past Emmy nominee for “Carlos” (Best Movie/Mini Actor, 2011). Despite playing the titular character in “Versace,” he’s not the central focus of the series, but he does have an Emmy I.O.U. to cash in after his surprise loss to Barry Pepper (“The Kennedys”) seven years ago.
Ricky Martin: 7th place with odds of 25/1
Martin plays Antonio D’Amico, Versace’s long-time partner. He’s right on the bubble to score his first Emmy nomination, though like Ramirez his character does not have a singular showcase episode. But if the Grammy winning musician does take home the Emmy it will put him at the halfway point to a career EGOT.
Jon Jon Briones: 15th place with odds of 100/1
Briones appears as the controlling and manipulative Modesto Cunanan, the father of spree killer Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss). Briones is best known for his work on stage as The Engineer in the musical “Miss Saigon.” The Philippines native has a stellar acting showcase in the episode “Creator/Destroyer,” where he abuses his wife and son and commits financial fraud. Criss only appears towards the end of the episode, so it rests almost solely on Briones shoulders, giving him the opportunity to truly carry a storyline.
Cody Fern: 19th place with odds of 100/1
Fern plays Cunanan’s second victim and one-time friend David Madson. The Australian actor only had seven credits to his name before giving his breakthrough performance in the fourth episode of “Versace,” “House by the Lake,” in which his character is taken hostage and forced to go on the road with Cunanan. While Fern doesn’t have the name-recognition of his rivals, that didn’t stop Sterling K. Brown two years ago.
Finn Wittrock: 20th place with odds of 100/1
Wittrock is a previous Emmy nominee for his breakthrough performance in another Murphy production, “American Horror Story: Freak Show” (2015), in which he played serial killer Dandy Mott. This time he plays a murder victim: Jeffrey Trail, the first man killed by Cunanan. Like Fern and Briones he’s given an episode in which his character is the predominant focus: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” in which Trail deals with the pain and shame of hiding his sexuality to keep his career in the Navy. Trail befriends Cunanan and eventually confronts him about his lies and manipulation before Cunanan fatally turns on Trail. Should Wittrock score another Emmy nomination, will he win on his second try?
Best Variety Talk Series – Feinberg Forecast: T-Minus 3 Weeks Until Emmy Nomination Voting
Best Limited Series
FRONTRUNNERS
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
The Looming Tower (Hulu)
Godless (Netflix)
Patrick Melrose (Showtime)
Twin Peaks (Showtime)Best Actor in a Limited Series or a Television Movie
FRONTRUNNERS
Darren Criss (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
John Legend (Jesus Christ Superstar)
Jeff Daniels (The Looming Tower) — podcast
Al Pacino (Paterno)
Benedict Cumberbatch (Patrick Melrose) — podcast
Antonio Banderas (Genius: Picasso)Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Television Movie
FRONTRUNNERS
Jeff Daniels (Godless) — podcast
Brandon Victor Dixon (Jesus Christ Superstar)
Edgar Ramirez (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
Tahar Rahim (The Looming Tower)
Peter Sarsgaard (The Looming Tower)
Bill Camp (The Looming Tower)MAJOR THREATS
Ricky Martin (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
Sam Waterston (Godless)
Scoot McNairy (Godless)
Alex Rich (Genius: Picasso)
Michael Stuhlbarg (The Looming Tower)
Michael Shannon (Fahrenheit 451) — podcast
Robert Forster (Twin Peaks)
Hugo Weaving (Patrick Melrose)POSSIBILITIES
Beau Bridges (Mosaic)
Cody Fern (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
Alice Cooper (Jesus Christ Superstar)
Dylan Baker (Little Women)
Luke Evans (The Alienist)
John Leguizamo (Waco)
Jason Ritter (The Tale)Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Television Movie
FRONTRUNNERS
Merritt Wever (Godless)
Laura Dern (Twin Peaks)
Nicole Kidman (Top of the Lake: China Girl) — podcast
Penelope Cruz (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
Judith Light (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
Angela Lansbury (Little Women)
Best Variety Talk Series – Feinberg Forecast: T-Minus 3 Weeks Until Emmy Nomination Voting
Darren Criss Talks ‘American Crime Story’: ‘I Was Really Lucky to Be a Part of It’ (Video)
During his conversation with Billboard’s Keith Caulfield at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday (May 20), Darren Criss discussed his role in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.
Criss, who portrayed serial killer Andrew Cunanan in the FX series, is asked how it feels to have so much positive buzz surrounding his performance.
“I’m just thrilled that people watched it,” he replies. “That somebody watched something you did is big enough. There’s so much content out there, whether you’re listening to music or to watching things on TV or film. There’s just so much that my main point of flattery is like wow, you actually took time to watch me do anything.”
“So in that sense,” he continues, “you already feel like you’ve won a victory of sorts…It’s a really good show and I was really lucky to be a part of it. So if there’s any buzz or recognition then I feel like it’s due to a lot greater minds than my own.”
Filming Versace a surreal experience for Darren Criss.
Filming The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story was quite an experience for Darren Criss.
Not only was he playing killer Andrew Cunanan, who shot the famed designer dead in Miami, 1997, he was filming it where the murder took place. Literally.
Casa Casuarina was home to Versace until Cunanan cut short his life. Now it is a boutique hotel, used by director Ryan Murphy for his 9 part drama.
“It was an extreme luxury most people don’t have when you are filming an historical event,” Criss tells TV Tonight. “Usually you have to recreate it in a sound studio. This was the exact house, the exact place, the street and steps -the whole thing. It was a profoundly surreal experience.
“For the people of Miami to see this being recreated was pretty bizarre.”
The series has won rave reviews and stars Criss, Édgar Ramírez as Gianni Versace, Ricky Martin as boyfriend Antonio D’Amico and Penélope Cruz as Donatella Versace. The sumptuous locations, enhanced with exquisite furniture, costumes and classical music immediately elevate the piece to a grand scale, if contrasted by the grisly subject at its heart.
The articulate Criss, who is best known for playing Blaine in Glee, says the visuals reflect the characters of the key players.
The Best TV Shows of 2018 (So Far)
19. The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Anthology series. 9 episodes.
The second iteration of Ryan Murphy’s true crime anthology is not nearly as mesmerizing as The People v. O.J. Simpson, maybe because it doesn’t have David Schwimmer saying “Juice” repeatedly. Still, this one, which focuses on what led the serial killer Andrew Cunanan (played by Darren Criss) to slay the fashion designer (Édgar Ramírez, with Penélope Cruz, pictured, as his sister, Donatella) in 1997, is a fascinating study of a total psycho who loved cheesy dance music and should appeal to fans of, well, American Psycho.
The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Deadly Women and Live Sport – new this week, 21 May, on Foxtel
Top of the list is the highly anticipated series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story that chronicles the murder of the famous fashion designer in 1997. Édgar Ramírez, Penélope Cruz and Darren Criss lead an all-star cast in this thrilling series that starts with the horrific crime in question and then goes back to see what lead up to it. Created by television powerhouse Ryan Murphy, it’s unmissable.
The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Deadly Women and Live Sport – new this week, 21 May, on Foxtel
Darren Criss on mastering the ‘emotional Tetris’ of ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace’ [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW]
Darren Criss doesn’t want to humblebrag, but he had a very memorable encounter at the Met Gala earlier this month. He was approached by someone who had just seen his performance as serial killer Andrew Cunanan on “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” — and who had no idea of his song-and-dance history as Blaine Anderson on “Glee.”
“He was like, ‘Oh, man, everyone’s gonna think you’re this killer now.’ He didn’t know what I had done before and he didn’t know anything about ‘Glee,’ and I was really thrilled,” Criss tells Gold Derby in an exclusive video interview (watch above). “I was like, ‘This is great.’ If I can keep that up, to me, that would be a huge accomplishment because the goal is to continually keep people on their [toes].”
Criss certainly did just that with his haunting, unnerving turn as Cunanan, who killed four men in a cross-country murder spree before fatally shooting the fashion designer in broad daylight in July 1997. A man of many alias and personas whose true self will forever remain unkowable, Cunanan was a complex role as it is, but it was made even more complicated by the limited series’ storytelling structure, opening with the murder of Versace (Edgar Ramirez) before going backwards in time.
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