nalumartin @ricky_martin and @edgarramirez25 during the filming of “Versace- American Crime Story” in Miami Beach, Florida, Monday, May 8. (Kikapress) #rickymartin #edgarramirez #versace #AntonioDAmico #GianniVersace #AmericanCrimeStory #paparazzi #photography #backstage
Tag: edgar ramirez
Las vidas del polifacético actor venezolano Edgar Ramírez
(Google translate under the cut)
…
No vinimos a hablar sólo de política, se disculpa Edgar: “Me pongo muy intenso”, sonríe. Las ocho personas que le aguardábamos en el salón del hotel esperábamos ver entrar al Edgar Ramírez del cine, de quijada prominente y cuadrada, y de cuerpo robusto, labrado a golpes de entrenamiento. En cambio, aparece un Edgar Ramírez con algunos kilos encima. Parece una persona diferente, pero tenía que serlo: se encuentra en medio del ajetreo de las grabaciones de American Crime Story, en cuya segunda temporada interpretará el papel de Gianni Versace, el diseñador italiano. “Pasta, mucha pasta, y nada de ejercicio”, revela, como un secreto, a mitad de una sonrisa discreta. Más allá de lo físico, la adaptabilidad de su cuerpo es una alegoría de su capacidad para adecuarse a un nuevo proyecto, sin moldes.
Le gusta la moda, y más que la moda, el estilo. Tan es así que, desde hace tiempo, tiene una estrecha relación con la relojera suiza Vacheron Constantin. Para la sesión de fotos, es muy meticuloso en seleccionar aquello que le agrada y no le preocupa hacer a un lado aquello que no va con su personalidad.
Hace ya un año, en septiembre de 2016, recibió una llamada de Ryan Murphy, uno de los productores de cine y televisión más prolíficos de los últimos tiempos, premiado por las series Nip/Tuck, Glee y American Horror Story. Edgar Ramírez, dice, llevaba tiempo intentando unirse a uno de sus proyectos, pero no fue hasta ahora cuando recibió la invitación de protagonizar la segunda entrega de American Crime Story, la más reciente apuesta de Murphy.
Muy al estilo de este productor, American Crime Story presenta temporadas de antología, es decir, que cada una funciona con una historia independiente de las otras. La primera entrega, sobre el caso del exjugador de futbol americano, O. J. Simpson, condenado por el asesinato de su exesposa y el amante de ésta, fue bien recibida por la crítica. La segunda entrega, que se estrenará en 2018, girará en torno al asesinato del fundador del emporio Versace, el 15 de julio de 1997, en la puerta de su mansión en Miami. Más que una serie biográfica, será un drama para poner en contexto uno de los crímenes más polémicos de los últimos años.
Entre las grabaciones en Los Ángeles y Miami, han sido meses de trabajo extenuante para Edgar Ramírez. A ratos, parece perderse en sus pensamientos. “Perdón si ya no doy una, pero es que de verdad que estoy muerto, entre viajes y rodajes…”, dice, más que cansado, con cierto tono de hartazgo; sin bostezos, sólo con muchas pausas. “Y mañana hay que pararse temprano de nuevo para grabar. Seguimos en esto, sí, por supuesto, de hecho, la serie se sigue escribiendo, esto no se ha acabado”.
Pero parece reanimarse cuando se le pregunta de la serie, de qué se siente trabajar al lado del cantante Ricky Martin, quien interpretará a Antonio D’Amico, expareja de Gianni Versace, y con Penélope Cruz, quien encarna a Donatella Versace, hermana del diseñador y actual vicepresidenta de la marca. “Penélope es genial, simplemente genial”, dice, y agrega que, junto con ella, también hará una película el próximo año, sin revelar más detalles.
El asesino, Andrew Cunanan, será interpretado por el joven Darren Criss, quien ya ha trabajado con Murphy desde la serie Glee. Ya que una de las características del trabajo del director es rodearse de un equipo que suele repetir en varios de sus proyectos. “Ryan tiene el don de trabajar con gente maravillosa que entiende muy bien lo que él quiere. Es muy abierto y muy sensible a las ideas que uno trae a la mesa. Pero, como todo buen director y como buen creador, no puede escapar a sus obsesiones. Es muy específico, sabe muy bien lo que quiere, confía mucho en su instinto, pero empodera a la gente”, dice Ramírez.
Más allá de la caracterización —en su cuenta de Instagram ha compartido fotos del proceso de maquillaje—, para ponerse en la piel de Gianni Versace, Edgar Ramírez realizó una investigación muy extensa sobre el diseñador de modas. Vio películas, leyó libros y entrevistó a gente cercana a él: todo cuanto estuviera a su alcance para comprender cómo funcionaba la mente de uno de los grandes diseñadores de nuestro tiempo.
“Fue un hombre pionero en combinar lujo, sexualidad y celebridad con moda, eso no se había hecho. Antes, el lujo y el glamour iban por un camino y el sexo y la sensualidad iban por otro, y él logró combinar esos mundos de una manera tan exclusiva como lo hizo”
….
We did not come to talk only about politics, apologize Edgar: “I get very intense,” he smiles. The eight people who waited for him in the hotel lounge waited to see Edgar Ramirez enter the cinema, with a prominent and square jaw, and a robust body, carved out by training. Instead, Edgar Ramirez appears with a few kilos on top. It looks like a different person, but it had to be: it is in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the recordings of American Crime Story , whose second season will play the role of Gianni Versace, the Italian designer. “Pasta, lots of pasta, and no exercise” reveals, like a secret, half a discreet smile. Beyond the physical, the adaptability of his body is an allegory of his ability to adapt to a new project, without mold.
He likes fashion, and more than fashion, style. So it is that, for a long time, has a close relationship with the Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin. For the photo shoot, he is very meticulous in selecting what pleases him and does not worry about putting aside that which does not go with his personality.
A year ago, in September 2016, he received a call from Ryan Murphy, one of the most prolific film and television producers of recent times, awarded the Nip / Tuck , Glee and American Horror Story series . Edgar Ramirez, he says, had been trying to join one of his projects, but it was not until now that he received the invitation to star in the second installment of American Crime Story , Murphy’s latest bet.
Very much in the style of this producer, American Crime Story presents seasons of anthology, that is to say, that each one works with a history independent of the others. The first installment, on the case of ex-football player, OJ Simpson, condemned for the murder of his ex-wife and her lover, was well received by critics. The second installment, to be released in 2018, will revolve around the murder of the founder of Emporium Versace, on July 15, 1997, at the door of his mansion in Miami. More than a biographical series, it will be a drama to put into context one of the most controversial crimes of recent years.
Among the recordings in Los Angeles and Miami, have been months of strenuous work for Edgar Ramirez. Sometimes he seems lost in thought. “I’m sorry if I do not give one, but it’s really that I’m dead, between trips and shootings …”, he says, more than tired, with a certain tone of tiredness; without yawning, only with many pauses. “And tomorrow we have to stop early to record again. We continue in this, yes, of course, in fact, the series is still writing, this is not over. ”
But he seems to be encouraged when asked about the series, what it feels like to work alongside singer Ricky Martin, who will play Antonio D’Amico, an ex-couple of Gianni Versace, and Penelope Cruz, who plays Donatella Versace, sister of the designer and current vice president of the brand. “Penelope is great, just great,” she says, adding that along with her, she will also make a movie next year, without revealing more details.
The murderer, Andrew Cunanan, will be played by young Darren Criss, who has already worked with Murphy since the Glee series . Since one of the characteristics of the director’s work is to surround himself with a team that is often repeated in several of his projects. “Ryan has the gift of working with wonderful people who understand very well what he wants. It is very open and very sensitive to the ideas one brings to the table. But, like any good director and as a good creator, he can not escape his obsessions. He is very specific, he knows very well what he wants, he trusts his instinct a lot, but he empowers people, “says Ramirez.
Beyond the characterization – in his account of Instagram has shared photos of the process of makeup -, to put itself in the skin of Gianni Versace, Edgar Ramírez realized a very extensive investigation on the fashion designer. He watched movies, read books, and interviewed people close to him: everything within his power to understand how the mind of one of the great designers of our time worked.
“He was a pioneer man in combining luxury, sexuality and celebrity with fashion, that had not been done. Before, luxury and glamor went one way and sex and sensuality went on another, and he managed to combine those worlds as exclusively as he did. ”
“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” Will Detail American Homophobia In The ’90s
Yesterday, television critics got a first glimpse of the opening scene from The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story as part of the TCA Press Tour. Premiering January, the FX mini-series recounts the fashion designer’s murder in reverse—beginning with the day he was shot outside of his Miami Beach home and then unraveling the events leading up to that day across 10 episodes.
Creator Ryan Murphy was joined by screenwriter/executive producer Tom Rob Smith, EP Brad Simpson, and series stars Darren Criss, Edgar Ramirez and Ricky Martin for a panel about the series, which is still in production. Ramirez stars as Versace, who was at the height of his success when he was gunned down by Andrew Cunanan (Criss) in 1997. Martin plays his lover, Antonio D’amico, who recently expressed his distaste for the show.
“The picture of Ricky Martin holding the body in his arms is ridiculous,” D’Amico said. “Maybe it’s the director’s poetic license, but that is not how I reacted.” But during the panel, Martin revealed he’d since spoken with D’Amico.
“The first thing that came out of my mouth when he picked up the phone [was], ’I’m so happy we’re talking. And I just want you to know that this is treated with utmost respect,‘” Martin said at the panel. “But more than anything, there is a level of injustice with this story.”
“I told him that ’I will make sure that people fall in love with your relationship with Gianni,” the out singer added. “That is what I’m here for. I really want them to see the beauty and the connection that you guys had.’ And he was extremely happy about it.”
Like all Murphy productions, painstaking detail was put into The Assassination of Gianni Versace, with scenes shot in Versace’s home, Casa Casuarina, now a hotel.
“I was very emotional shooting it, as we all were,” Murphy said. “I mean, Darren and I were, and Ricky. The assassination was important and tough to shoot, and the crew was crying, and we were very emotional doing it. We shot exactly on the exact step where he died.”
Production designer Judy Becker (Carol) was also able to recreate the home and Versace’s design studio/office on the Fox studio lot.
“It is tiny things I love,” said Murphy, who placed Versace’s favorite orchid on a table as a tribute. “There was an ashtray that was actually made that year that he designed that Edgar snatches the keys out of. I really loved hunting those things down and finding them as a tribute to that character.”
Murphy has long been a fan of Versace, whom he called a fearless designer and an inspiration for being out when even fashion designers seldom did.
“I was always very moved by him. He was a very important and cultural figure, and he lived outrageously and daringly, and he was a disrupter,” he said. “And I think his life was opera… I remember being so proud and excited when he did that interview in theAdvocate, because, at the time, there wasn’t really a lot of people who were brave enough to live their life in the open. I was very emotional shooting it, as we all were.”
Murphy’s inspiration for the series was two-fold: Besides his love of Versace, he also wanted to explore the cultural context in which his murder took place. As EP Brad Simpson mentioned, Versace was killed just three months after Ellen DeGeneres came out.
“Nobody was out. There were no out celebrities,” Simpson said. “There was Elton John. There were no out fashion designers. You know, Versace had given an interview with his lover, and chosen to live openly as a gay man, and that was part of the reason why he was targeted and killed. Andrew Cunanan was a serial killer who killed other gay men.”
The exploration of Cunanan’s motives are a huge part of The Assassination of Gianni Versace, something Murphy believes hasn’t been touched on yet. Cunanan was a 27-year-old hustler who had relationships with wealthy older men. Those who knew him describe his desire for status symbols—lavish houses, fine clothes, vacations. But his access to the men who could provide these luxuries was limited and eventually, he began a killing spree, murdering five gay men across the U.S.
“We pay tribute to all of the victims that are in many ways forgotten and not talked about,” Murphy said. “And I think having episodes that center on their lives and how they were taken too soon is important.”
Cunanan’s other victims include his ex-lover David Madson, Chicago real estate developer Lee Miglin, friend Jeffrey Trail, and cemetery caretaker William Reese. The murders of Trail and Miglin were particularly violent—Trail was beaten to death with a claw hammer, and 72-year-old Miglin was stabbed more than 20 times with a screwdriver, his throat sawed open with a hacksaw.
“Nobody’s really, sort of, traced the Andrew Cunanan of it all that I think Darren does so brilliantly,” Murphy said. “The pain that he brings to that, and why and answer why did he do it. Was he a madman or was he a victim of the times? And I think the answer is, sort of, both. And both things we examine in the show.”
Criss met with dozens of people who knew Cunanan at different points in his life, all of whom describe him very differently.
“There’s a lot left a lot of blanks to fill in, which has been a very interesting ride,” he explained. “Andrew was so many different personalities to so many different people,” he added. “That makes things a bit easier because we’re not just following what we would assume to be a murderous, horrible person all the time. We see him at his best; we see him at his worst; we see him at his most charming; we see him at his most hurt.”
Screenwriter Tom Rob Smith penned all 10 episodes, largely based on Maureen Orth’s 2000 true crime book Vulgar Favors. He said he wanted to connect any similarities Cunanan and Versace had, like their interest in living large. But of course, Versace’s career provided for him in a way that was out of Cunanan’s grasp.
“It’s much closer to a story of radicalization than a typical serial killer,” Smith said. “I mean, he killed five people… Technically, he went on a spree. But if you go back a year from most serial killers, they’re committing crimes of one description or another, like assault or arson. There are these signals. With Andrew Cunanan, you go back a year and he’s in a million-dollar condo in La Jolla talking about politics or art, and charming people. How do you get from that person in that condo to someone who can attack someone with a hammer and brutally kill them?”
Smith said it was important for him to present Cunanan “not just someone who is intrinsically monstrous, but who, has similarities to Versace from the outset” and explore “why his footsteps go in one direction and Versace’s go in a completely different direction.”
But don’t expect the series to be a pity party for Versace’s killer.
“It’s about the choices you make,” said Smith. “We’re tracking those choices and seeing how society impacted them, and how he chose various things and the people around him. You’re taking a murder that we all know… and you’re taking it apart and going back to the very nuts and bolts [of it.]”
For Murphy and the other producers, The Assassination of Gianni Versace is a larger story than just a celebrity murder. It’s about being out of the closet in 1990s America.
“I think it’s more than why [Versace] was killed. It was sort of why it was allowed to happen,” Murphy said. “I think the thing about American Crime Story is that we’re not just doing a crime. We’re trying to sort of talk about a crime within a social idea. Versace, who was the last victim, really did not have to die. Part of the thing that we talk about in the show is one of the reasons Andrew Cunanan was able to make his way across the country and pick off these victims, many of whom were gay, was because of the homophobia at the time.”
He recalled how police in Miami refused to put up wanted posters for Cunanan even though they knew Cunanan was a major suspect and likely headed toward the city. “I thought that that was a really interesting thing to examine,” Murphy added, “particularly with the president we have now and the world that we live in.”
Ryan Murphy on why FX’s Gianni Versace ‘Crime Story’ is important to him
LOS ANGELES — Gianni Versace is the murder victim in the next edition of FX’sAmerican Crime Story, but the story will extend beyond the famed fashion designer.The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, the next chapter in the Emmy-winning anthology series that opened with O.J. Simpson’s murder trial, examines the lives of Versace (Edgar Ramirez) and his killer, Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss), who shot and killed Versace outside his palatial home in Miami Beach in 1997. It premieres in January.
Cunanan, who had killed four other men across the country before shooting Versace, later killed himself.
Penelope Cruz plays Versace’s sister, Donatella, and singing star Ricky Martin plays Antonio D’Amico, the Italian designer’s partner.The series opens with a nearly wordless, operatic eight-minute sequence detailing the moments leading to the murder of the fashion designer, who was open about being gay at a time when many prominent gay people weren’t. The scene, shown Wednesday to the Television Critics Association, , features lush cinematography and orchestral music and was shot partly in Versace’s beautifully appointed home.
The new season, which uses Maureen Orth’s book, Vulgar Favors, as its source material, will look backward from the murder to examine the men’s lives. It also will will go beyond the crime itself to examine prevailing social attitudes, including homophobia, executive producer Ryan Murphy said.
“Versace really did not have to die,” he said. “One of the reasons Andrew Cunanan was able to make his way across the country and pick off these victims, many of whom were gay, was because of homophobia at the time, particularly within the various police organizations that refused in Miami to put up wanted posters, even though they knew Cunanan was probably headed that way.”
Murphy says the season, which features an episode focusing on the “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” military policy, remains relevant today, “particularly with the president we have and the world we live in.” After the panel, executive producer Brad Simpson noted the coincidental timing of a recent tweet in which President Trump said transgender people would not be allowed in the military.
Murphy called Versace “a very important cultural figure” and Ramirez sees the designer as a disrupter who changed fashion and attitudes. “He combined sexiness and glamour and opulence like no one has done before.”
Criss said it’s important to depict the complexity of Cunanan and not present a monster caricature. "We’re not just following what we would assume to be a murderous, horrible person all the time. We see him at his best and his worst. We really get to know him as a person.“
Considering Versace’s career, the season will look at fashion as it portrays the designer’s life, offering a bonus after the lawyer-heavy O.J. courtroom drama, Murphy said. “It was a real relief for me not to have to shoot boxy wool suits.”
A third Crime Story, centering on the devastating Hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans in 2005, was planned to air first but is now due sometime in late 2018 or early 2019
Ryan Murphy on why FX’s Gianni Versace ‘Crime Story’ is important to him
“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” Will Detail American Homophobia In The ’90s
Yesterday, television critics got a first glimpse of the opening scene from The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story as part of the TCA Press Tour. Premiering January, the FX mini-series recounts the fashion designer’s murder in reverse—beginning with the day he was shot outside of his Miami Beach home and then unraveling the events leading up to that day across 10 episodes.
Creator Ryan Murphy was joined by screenwriter/executive producer Tom Rob Smith, EP Brad Simpson, and series stars Darren Criss, Edgar Ramirez and Ricky Martin for a panel about the series, which is still in production. Ramirez stars as Versace, who was at the height of his success when he was gunned down by Andrew Cunanan (Criss) in 1997. Martin plays his lover, Antonio D’amico, who recently expressed his distaste for the show.
“The picture of Ricky Martin holding the body in his arms is ridiculous,” D’Amico said. “Maybe it’s the director’s poetic license, but that is not how I reacted.” But during the panel, Martin revealed he’d since spoken with D’Amico.
“The first thing that came out of my mouth when he picked up the phone [was], ’I’m so happy we’re talking. And I just want you to know that this is treated with utmost respect,‘” Martin said at the panel. “But more than anything, there is a level of injustice with this story.”
“I told him that ’I will make sure that people fall in love with your relationship with Gianni,” the out singer added. “That is what I’m here for. I really want them to see the beauty and the connection that you guys had.’ And he was extremely happy about it.”
Like all Murphy productions, painstaking detail was put into The Assassination of Gianni Versace, with scenes shot in Versace’s home, Casa Casuarina, now a hotel.
“I was very emotional shooting it, as we all were,” Murphy said. “I mean, Darren and I were, and Ricky. The assassination was important and tough to shoot, and the crew was crying, and we were very emotional doing it. We shot exactly on the exact step where he died.”
Production designer Judy Becker (Carol) was also able to recreate the home and Versace’s design studio/office on the Fox studio lot.
“It is tiny things I love,” said Murphy, who placed Versace’s favorite orchid on a table as a tribute. “There was an ashtray that was actually made that year that he designed that Edgar snatches the keys out of. I really loved hunting those things down and finding them as a tribute to that character.”
Murphy has long been a fan of Versace, whom he called a fearless designer and an inspiration for being out when even fashion designers seldom did.
“I was always very moved by him. He was a very important and cultural figure, and he lived outrageously and daringly, and he was a disrupter,” he said. “And I think his life was opera… I remember being so proud and excited when he did that interview in theAdvocate, because, at the time, there wasn’t really a lot of people who were brave enough to live their life in the open. I was very emotional shooting it, as we all were.”
Murphy’s inspiration for the series was two-fold: Besides his love of Versace, he also wanted to explore the cultural context in which his murder took place. As EP Brad Simpson mentioned, Versace was killed just three months after Ellen DeGeneres came out.
“Nobody was out. There were no out celebrities,” Simpson said. “There was Elton John. There were no out fashion designers. You know, Versace had given an interview with his lover, and chosen to live openly as a gay man, and that was part of the reason why he was targeted and killed. Andrew Cunanan was a serial killer who killed other gay men.”
The exploration of Cunanan’s motives are a huge part of The Assassination of Gianni Versace, something Murphy believes hasn’t been touched on yet. Cunanan was a 27-year-old hustler who had relationships with wealthy older men. Those who knew him describe his desire for status symbols—lavish houses, fine clothes, vacations. But his access to the men who could provide these luxuries was limited and eventually, he began a killing spree, murdering five gay men across the U.S.
“We pay tribute to all of the victims that are in many ways forgotten and not talked about,” Murphy said. “And I think having episodes that center on their lives and how they were taken too soon is important.”
Cunanan’s other victims include his ex-lover David Madson, Chicago real estate developer Lee Miglin, friend Jeffrey Trail, and cemetery caretaker William Reese. The murders of Trail and Miglin were particularly violent—Trail was beaten to death with a claw hammer, and 72-year-old Miglin was stabbed more than 20 times with a screwdriver, his throat sawed open with a hacksaw.
“Nobody’s really, sort of, traced the Andrew Cunanan of it all that I think Darren does so brilliantly,” Murphy said. “The pain that he brings to that, and why and answer why did he do it. Was he a madman or was he a victim of the times? And I think the answer is, sort of, both. And both things we examine in the show.”
Criss met with dozens of people who knew Cunanan at different points in his life, all of whom describe him very differently.
“There’s a lot left a lot of blanks to fill in, which has been a very interesting ride,” he explained. “Andrew was so many different personalities to so many different people,” he added. “That makes things a bit easier because we’re not just following what we would assume to be a murderous, horrible person all the time. We see him at his best; we see him at his worst; we see him at his most charming; we see him at his most hurt.”
Screenwriter Tom Rob Smith penned all 10 episodes, largely based on Maureen Orth’s 2000 true crime book Vulgar Favors. He said he wanted to connect any similarities Cunanan and Versace had, like their interest in living large. But of course, Versace’s career provided for him in a way that was out of Cunanan’s grasp.
“It’s much closer to a story of radicalization than a typical serial killer,” Smith said. “I mean, he killed five people… Technically, he went on a spree. But if you go back a year from most serial killers, they’re committing crimes of one description or another, like assault or arson. There are these signals. With Andrew Cunanan, you go back a year and he’s in a million-dollar condo in La Jolla talking about politics or art, and charming people. How do you get from that person in that condo to someone who can attack someone with a hammer and brutally kill them?”
Smith said it was important for him to present Cunanan “not just someone who is intrinsically monstrous, but who, has similarities to Versace from the outset” and explore “why his footsteps go in one direction and Versace’s go in a completely different direction.”
But don’t expect the series to be a pity party for Versace’s killer.
“It’s about the choices you make,” said Smith. “We’re tracking those choices and seeing how society impacted them, and how he chose various things and the people around him. You’re taking a murder that we all know… and you’re taking it apart and going back to the very nuts and bolts [of it.]”
For Murphy and the other producers, The Assassination of Gianni Versace is a larger story than just a celebrity murder. It’s about being out of the closet in 1990s America.
“I think it’s more than why [Versace] was killed. It was sort of why it was allowed to happen,” Murphy said. “I think the thing about American Crime Story is that we’re not just doing a crime. We’re trying to sort of talk about a crime within a social idea. Versace, who was the last victim, really did not have to die. Part of the thing that we talk about in the show is one of the reasons Andrew Cunanan was able to make his way across the country and pick off these victims, many of whom were gay, was because of the homophobia at the time.”
He recalled how police in Miami refused to put up wanted posters for Cunanan even though they knew Cunanan was a major suspect and likely headed toward the city. “I thought that that was a really interesting thing to examine,” Murphy added, “particularly with the president we have now and the world that we live in.”
FX Reveals ‘American Crime Story: Versace’ Opening Scene, Ryan Murphy Dishes on Show’s ‘Political Overtones’
*SPOILER WARNING! – Article has description of the first 9 mins of the first scene of ACS Versace.*
Ryan Murphy is bring the harrowing 1997 murder of fashion icon Gianni Versace to the screen in the upcoming season of American Crime Story, and FX revealed the opening minutes of the premiere episode at the Television Critics Association press tour on Wednesday.
SPOILERS
The first episode starts off with a title card that reads July 15, 1997, the morning of Versace’s murder. The legendary fashion designer (played by Edgar Ramirez) wakes up in bed and walks out onto the balcony of his home in Miami Beach, Florida.Meanwhile, serial killer Andrew Cunanan (played by Darren Criss) sits on the beach with a book featuring Versace on the cover, as he pulls a gun out of his backpack. Struggling with some internal conflict, Cunanan walks into the surf and screams at the sky.
In his home, Versace takes some morning medication, changes into a black shirt and some light pants, and heads out into the city, walking to a newsstand to buy copies of Vogue and Vanity Fair (which features Princess Diana, who had not yet been killed, on the cover). As he goes about his day, Cunanan is throwing up in a bathroom.
The tension mounts as Versace returns home and walks up his steps – shot on location where the real Versace was actually killed. As he opens the gate to his opulent estate, Cunanan runs at him, gun drawn, and fires off a round. The first shot misses, but the second doesn’t, and as the murder occurs, the episode cuts to the show’s official title card – The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.
END OF SPOILERSSpeaking with reporters at TCA on Wednesday, Murphy opened up about why the show chose to use the word “assassination” in the title, as opposed to murder or homicide, and the producer explained that they chose it for its “political overtones.”
“It denotes somebody who’s taking the life of somebody else to make a point. That’s exactly what Andrew Cunanan did and what he was trying to do and that’s explored in the show,” Murphy shared. “The interesting thing that we’re doing with this show is we’re telling the story backwards. The first episode deals with the literal murder or assassination itself and then we tell the story in reverse, so we get into how he had that motive and why he wanted to do what he wanted to do.”
For Murphy, delving into the nuances of Versace’s death and Cunanan’s motivations and murder spree was vitally important to elevate the series above just retelling the details surrounding the event. The show’s true intent is to examine the pervasive political climate of the 1990s that allowed the crime to happen.
“More than why [Versace] was killed, it’s [about] why it was allowed to happen,” Murphy said. “The thing about American Crime Story is that we’re not just doing a crime, we’re trying to talk about a crime within a social idea… Versace, who was the last victim, really did not have to die.”
Cunanan was responsible for at least five other murders in the months leading up to shooting Versace. He committed suicide a week later.
“Part of the thing that we talk about in the show is one of the reasons Andrew Cunanan was able to make his way across the country and pick off these victims, many of whom were gay, was because a homophobia at the time,” he continued. “So we thought that that was a really interesting thing to examine, to look at again, particularly with the president we have and the world that we live in.”
Murphy explained that one episode of the upcoming season is dedicated to the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which was enacted under President Bill Clinton and generated a lot of controversy at the time.
“I just thought it was topical and really social and about something, which I think is this show at its best,” Murphy added.
Before the first episode of the show even aired, it was already facing push-back from some of the real-life people involved – chiefly Antonio D’Amico, Versace’s lover, who denounced the mini-series when photos of the cast were first leaked online.
However, Murphy explained that he’s subsequently reached out to D’Amico, as has Ricky Martin, who plays him in the series.
“Ricky spoke to him today and he was very great and excited to talk to Ricky,” Murphy said, adding that it’s “very hard to judge anything that you’re watching based on a paparazzi photograph, which is apparently what his judgment was about.”
“When you’re doing a show like this or a show like [The People v. O.J. Simpson], you’re not really doing a documentary, you’re doing a docu-drama. So there are always certain things that you’ll take liberties with,” Murphy explained. “You have to be respectful but you also have to make it your own.”
“Our version of the show is based on a book that Maureen Orth wrote,” Murphy said, referring to the extensively researched true crime tome Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History, first published in 1999. “She has a definite point of view in that book. We’re true to that point of view.”
Executive Producer Brad Simpson reiterated Murphy’s point, explaining that the series is “really about the victims.”
“We examine the victims [on this show],” Simpson said. “In many ways we’re trying to bring to life and celebrate the lives of these people that Andrew Cunanan snuffed out.”
Murphy later opened up about the show’s stellar cast – which also includes Penelope Cruz as Donatella Versace, Max Greenfield as Santo Versace, and Finn Wittrock and Jeffrey Trail, one of Cunanan’s earlier victims – and marveled, “The thing that’s amazing about this cast is they were all of our first choices.”
Reflecting on casting Ramirez as Versace, Murphy said he was “the only one” he ever considered.
“I had many meetings with Edgar. I was literally like, ‘I’m not going to let you say no. I just know that you are that character,’” he shared. “I’ve seen a lot of his work and I think his previous work is incredibly soulful and Edgar has a great soul and a great mystery. You cannot deny the physical appearance and the resemblance, which is startling.”
Ramirez, who joined the cast and crew at the TCA panel, had nothing but praise for Murphy and for what the show has managed to accomplish.
“For the first time he combined sexiness and glamour and opulence like no one had done before,” the Gold star explained. “It’s very interesting how the story captures an amazing story but also captures the spirit of the time.”
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story will premiere in January 2018 on FX.
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