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.
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.
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
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.”
9. The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (2018)
Certified Fresh at 86%
The second season of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series not only focused on the life of the famous fashion designer, but also followed his killer, Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss), and showed what life was like for a gay man in 1990s America.
makeuphag: American Crime Story;The Assassination of Gianni Versace. Please consider for Outstanding makeup Non- Prosrhric and Prosthetic in a Limited Series. Thank you!
thewrap: Take a sneak peek at our Miniseries/Movies Emmy issue, coming out tomorrow! This issue is #AllTheRage, as it features Judith Light, Édgar Ramírez and Darren Criss of ‘American Crime Story: Versace,’ as well as many other sensational men and women of television and film. Stay tuned for plenty more to come!! #Emmys #ACSVersace
📷 @ecarenphoto, Creative Director @guerin_ad
edgarramirez25: So happy to unWrap this one for you! Thanks to everyone involved, what a great shoot, what a great time we had! Love you Judith! Love you Darren!
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