[This story contains spoilers from the second episode of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.]
Andrew Cunanan killed himself a week after he murdered Gianni Versace on the steps of his own home, but the 27-year-old con artist had been on the run for much longer than that — and on the FBI’s Most Wanted List for more than a month before the fashion designer’s death. The second episode of FX’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story took a look at how, exactly, it was possible that a serial killer like Cunanan could have gone so long without getting caught.
According to creator Ryan Murphy and writer Tom Rob Smith, institutionalized homophobia at the time was partially to blame. Vulgar Favors author Maureen Orth, who wrote the book on which the second season is based (and reported on the hunt for Cunanan for Vanity Fair), told The Hollywood Reporter that simple disorganization also played a role.
The second episode of the season, titled “Manhunt,” focused briefly on the various ways law enforcement bungled their hunt for Versace’s (Edgar Ramirez) killer, Cunanan (Darren Criss), despite the fact that he had killed four other people before arriving in Miami and eventually shooting the famed fashion designer on the front steps of his Miami Beach mansion. The disorganization and the disregard for Cunanan’s gay victims compounded the tragedy of Cunanan’s killings.
“There’s an enormous sense of injustice,” executive producer Nina Jacobson told THR. “Had the victims been straight, in all likelihood, he would have been caught much sooner, and Versace would never have died.”
Said Orth, “One of the biggest changes from today to that time is how gays are politically organized, because today they’re far more powerful politically than they were 20 years ago. In Miami beach, for example, they didn’t want to have anything to do with cops at all. This was a place for hedonism and pleasure, and so I think a lot of it had to do with incompetence, and then in some cases they just weren’t comfortable, they didn’t get it.”
Star Criss, who plays the killer, told THR that he thinks Cunanan was able to evade capture for so long because small instances of homophobia — “fear and misunderstanding on an institutional level within the Federal Bureau of Investigation, within local police force,” for example — were able to compound into a much larger issue.
“I think a big point of Maureen’s book was how the fuck did this happen? Even by the time he’d killed four men and was on the lam, before he killed Versace, he should have been caught. He was just living out in the open and a lot of that has to do with, I think, homophobia,” Criss said. “There’s just so much fear and misunderstanding that just let this slip through the cracks.”
While Orth is unfamiliar with FBI protocol in 2017, the author did note that after the failures in the Cunanan case came to light, procedures changed.
“To the FBI’s credit, after this happened and they realized how woefully inadequate their outreach was to the gay community, they did take steps to overcome that,” she said.
“Manhunt” centered on Cunanan’s brief friendship with an HIV-positive junkie named Ronnie, whom Orth said was a very real person — he just didn’t bear any resemblance to New Girl star Max Greenfield who portrayed him on Versace.
“They were in the same hotel,” she said. “They stayed on the same floor together. Ronnie was one of these down-and-out druggie guys and hustlers, and it was interesting because … the real Ronnie had long white hair, platinum white hair, and he’s tall and skinny. He doesn’t look anything like the Max Greenfield character, but he definitely was a real person.”
At the end of the episode, a pawn shop clerk called the FBI to tell them that Cunanan had been to her shop to sell a rare coin and used his real name, and she’d submitted the proper paperwork — they just hadn’t followed up despite the fact that he was on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list.
“Whomever was in charge of the paperwork had been called up, I think, to work on the Cunanan chase, and then they didn’t turn in the paperwork because it was a long weekend and the guy had an extra day off, or something,” Orth said. “Now, that has been computerized and changed, but the fact [is] that he gave his real name, and used his real passport. Andrew had a very high IQ and was very smart, and a lot of times I was told by some of these police profilers that these guys, they like to taunt police, they like to show how much smarter they are.”
Tag: darren criss
DarrenCriss: This picture was taken from Gianni Versace’s rooftop observatory. His view was quite literally to the heavens. The man knew how to live beautifully.
@ACSFX continues tonight at 10pm ET.
Via Darren’s Instagram Story (January 24th, 2018)
Darren Criss: ‘All Great Stories Are Great Stories Regardless of Color, Age, Gender, Sexuality’
We first noticed Darren Criss, 30, as Blaine, the super loveable Warblers lead singer on Ryan Murphy’s Glee. Now, he’s playing Andrew Cunanan, the serial killer at the epicenter of Murphy’s latest hit The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. While the roles feel like complete opposites, they do share one thing in common: Darren’s emphatic commitment to. We’ll let him explain…
What’s it like to go from playing the lead singer of a glee club to playing a murderer?
DARREN CRISS: I treat all characters, no matter how conventionally dark or light, with the same emotional currency. For the most part, actions that we consider abhorrent come from very real, relatable impulses like fear, hurt, embarrassment, ambition, or a broken heart. It’s my job in this case to humanize Andrew as much as possible. The pain that this man caused is so heartbreaking, but it’s my duty as an actor to try and paint the story with as much empathy as possible.
Speaking of empathy, you’re an activist for LGBTQ rights…
DC: All great stories are great stories regardless of color, age, gender, sexuality. I’ve been lucky enough to have been given really great roles within the LGBTQ community and to be a vessel for those people. I consider that one of the greatest privileges of my career thus far.
Did you feel any specific responsibility when you took the role of Andrew?
DC: The biggest burden that really stuck with me the entire time was I thought about Andrew’s family and friends, especially the people whose lives were directly affected by this. It’s been 20 years, and I couldn’t help but think of the children…There’s a son of one of the victims that is probably around my age. I think about those people and their families and how this is something they’ve been trying to put to rest, and while I’m part of perpetuating the narrative, I hope that somehow we can gain a better understanding of how this happened and in some way help these people [extricate] themselves from a really tragic series of events.
What else do you hope viewers take away?
DC: The show does a really great job of juxtaposing a lot of these lives against each other, particularly Gianni and Andrew. When I think about [Versace’s family], I see them somewhere in Italy scoffing at the idea that I could possibly compare these two men, but the truth is brilliance takes all forms. You had two very brilliant men that channeled that creativity in very different ways; one was the ultimate creator, and one was the ultimate destroyer.
Following the massive success of the first season, People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, does it feel like you and the cast have big shoes to fill?
DC: I joke that I can only join second seasons of successful first season Ryan Murphy shows! This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity that I felt so extremely lucky to be a part of every day. The fact that there is this peripheral buzz and attention on it is certainly a nice bonus and another bonus: social relevance. It checks all the boxes off any artist’s wish list. I honestly have been so happy that I could puke. So where do I go from here? I’m kind of screwed!
Hardly. You seem like a big overachiever—a classically trained violinist, you taught yourself to play five other instruments, co-founded your own musical theater company, and you write and record your own music in addition to your acting. What makes you so driven?
DC: I am painfully ambitious, It comes down to wanting to tell a story, which comes down to wanting to connect with people. My bleeding idealist heart just wants to give people a reason to connect, give strangers a reason to think about themselves in the context of other people’s lives and try and experience new feelings, new thoughts that they haven’t before. I really enjoy that, and the fact that I’ve been able to make a living out of it is really fun. So hell yeah, I overachieve to try and accomplish that as much as humanly possible!
You turned 30 last year, which can be a benchmark for a lot of women and men. Was that the case for you?
DC: The most clichéd inspirational posts like, “Live every day the fullest way,” I think I’ve always tried to do that. Time has a knack for going pretty quickly when you apply yourself like that. I didn’t have any bucket lists. I don’t have any pangs like I can’t believe my 20s are over or I can’t believe Glee is over because while they were happening, I’d like to think I was living it up and kicking ass. By the time I got to 30, I was like, “Alright, cool. Let’s keep going.”
Darren Criss: ‘All Great Stories Are Great Stories Regardless of Color, Age, Gender, Sexuality’
MTV: @DarrenCriss discusses what it was like preparing for the role of Andrew Cunanan on @ACSFX.
Why’d It Take Us This Long To Catch Onto Darren Criss?
This month, FX premiered its long-awaited sequel to 2016’s cultural event, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. There was a lot riding on The Assassination of Gianni Versace. Season 1 of the Ryan Murphy anthology series didn’t just show up during awards season. It dominated awards shows while becoming a must-watch show. The Versace season of American Crime Story may not have the culturally-halting effect of the O.J. Simpson season of the show, but it does have something remarkable we need to discuss. Versace has finally given Darren Criss a place to shine.
If you’re a little late to one of the first must-see TV events of the year, Criss plays the serial killer Andrew Cunanan in what is arguably one of the most complicated roles Murphy and his team has ever created. Versace‘s version of Cunanan is very similar to Maureen Orth’s depiction of the murderer in nonfiction book Vulgar Favors. This portrayal paints Cunanan as a charming killer who cannot be trusted as long as his lips are moving. There’s a sensuality to the character, a characterization that aligns with his status as a male escort but also stands as an overt depiction of raw sexuality that LGBT characters are rarely allowed to display on TV. There’s a danger to every move he makes and every lie he tells, but underneath that danger is a sort of manic, self-hating energy, some nebulous thing that immediately signals to the reader or viewer that this character is not well. And on top of all of these things, in Versace the Cunanan character has to be able to carry the story while competing against stronger, more established characters like Gianni Versace and Donatella Versace. This means holding his own against great performances from Edgar Ramirez, Penélope Cruz, and Ricky Martinall without becoming too sympathetic. As history reminds us, Andrew Cunanan murdered five people before killing himself. Even in the middle of a miniseries where he is cast as a protagonist, Cunanan should never be hailed as a hero.
And yet after watching the first eight episodes of The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Criss has been able to balance all of these conflicting and complicated themes beautifully.
There are many roads that led to Criss being the perfect choice to portray Andrew Cunanan. The actor’s biggest break actually came from Ryan Murphy, a show creator who is now partially known for collecting his favorite actors and actresses. After Criss starred in an arc on the ABC show Eastwick, Murphy cast the musically-inclined actor as Glee‘s Blaine, a character who quickly become a major love interest for Kurt (Chris Colfer). After his five-year run on Glee, Criss went on to portray another influential LGBT character, the lead and titular character in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Criss and Cunanan are both relatively the same age and look similarly. Cunanan killed himself when he was 27 years old, and Criss is currently 30. Both are even half Filipino. There are a shocking amount of similarities, especially when you consider Criss is now living a life Cunanan always craved.
But more than perhaps anything else, Criss is an actor who was almost destined to happen. Before being a YouTube star was an actual profession, Criss’ work made an impression on the platform. Through StarKid Productions, a musical theater company Criss co-founded along with some University of Michigan classmates, Criss’ name was attached to two of the biggest amateur musicals to grace YouTube — Me and My Dick and A Very Potter Musical. Part 1 of Me and My Dickcurrently has over 1.8 million views and scored a place on the Billboard 200 charts. A Very Potter Musical has over 14 million views and two sequels. That’s not all. Criss’ version of “Teenage Dream” for Glee earned a place on the Billboard Hot 100 for a period of time and is still regarded as one of the best songs from that song-filled show. That’s not even mentioning the fact that Criss’ run as J. Pierrepont Finch in the Broadway revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying — a role he somewhat ironically took over from Daniel Radcliffe — made a shocking $4 million. Darren Criss was going to happen.
So what’s taken us so long? It seems to be a combination of lack of roles on creators’ part and lack of interest from Criss. The actor was on Gleeuntil 2015 and part of the traveling tour of Hedwiguntil later 2016. He’s been busy, and we as audineces have had a million other projects to pay attention to. However, now the actor has the time, the platform, the intricate role, and the guiding creator to become a household name.
It’s time for us all to embrace how incredibly talented (and incredibly creepy) Darren Criss is. If you’ve been a longtime Criss fan, congratulations. Your time has come. As for everyone else, welcome to the club.
Darren Criss revives a monster in ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ – The Boston Globe
Are you watching “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”? I’m loving it for a number of reasons, not least of all the performances. It begins with Darren Criss’s Andrew Cunanan shooting Gianni Versace on his mansion steps, then moves backward across the season to chronicle his previous four murders.
As Cunanan, Criss is surprisingly good — surprising, if you only know him from “Glee” as the openly gay student Blaine, who went on to marry Kurt. He’s creepy and slippery as the killer who, Mr. Ripley-like, pathologically lies his way into the lives of wealthy gay men, many of them closeted. He’s a primping, rabid social climber who carefully studies and researches his prey, with Versace — with whom he has a date years before the murder — as his big goal.
I can’t say Criss humanizes Cunanan, even as he removes layer after layer of Cunanan’s armor as the script moves back to his formative years. And that’s a good thing; we get to see what may have contributed to his devolution, and the way he is a creature of homophobia as well as an exploiter of it, but we are never asked to see him sympathetically. He’s clearly a grandiose monster of bottomless insecurity. But then Criss also allows us to see how Cunanan managed to con smart men, how he remade his hatred into a kind of aggressive come-on in certain situations.
Criss delivers an energetic, committed, and thoroughly macabre turn that holds the nine-episode series together. In “Glee,” he was dreamy; in “Versace,” he’s the stuff of nightmares.
Darren Criss Finally Found His Killer Performance
The star of the newest American Crime Story talks to GQ about playing a notorious murderer and the subtle ways homophobia led to one of the most notorious killing sprees of our lifetime.
The first thing you notice about American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace is that it doesn’t spend much of its time with the famous fashion designer in its title. The second thing you notice is the person the show does follow for most of its run: the man who murdered him. As Andrew Cunanan, the darkly charismatic and deeply disturbed man who killed Gianni Versace, Darren Criss is the unquestionable star of the show. Of course, he wouldn’t blame you for not knowing that from the start. After all, neither did he.
“I knew as much as most people know about it,” Darren Criss tells me during lunch while promoting Versace in New York. “But I’ve spoken to a lot of people… and they said, ‘I didn’t even know he was killed!”
At first, you might not know what to make of Criss’s performance as the notorious murderer. He spends much of the show’s premiere evading capture after having killed one of the most prominent figures in the fashion world and largely getting away with it. As the show stretches back into Cunanan’s history, the overwhelming completeness of Criss’s transformation becomes remarkable. He shifts from sinister gunman to a darkly enchanting boy genius, a guy who belts the lyrics to Laura Branigan’s “Gloria” as he arrives in Miami to kill Versace, wining and dining victims and cohorts alike with a chilling talent for cycling through whatever emotion or approach will get him what he wants.
It’s a huge shift for the energetic and irrepressibly pleasant actor who became an overnight teen idol for playing Blaine Anderson on Glee—a role that put him in the orbit of Ryan Murphy, who years later, would reach out to Criss with the role that will doubtless cause many Blaine fans great distress.
“Andrew is kind of the stuff of urban legend, especially in the gay community. I had a friend who told me, ‘Oh you’re playing the gay boogeyman?’” Criss tells me. “And I was like, really? This was a guy who was a young man in the ‘90s, and he was like ‘Oh yeah, we would joke about it, like, Oooooo Andrew Cunanan is gonna come get you,’ obviously very irreverently.”
ACS news 