COMING OFF THE back of the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning limited series The People vs OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, producer and director Ryan Murphy knew the bar was set high for a second season.

“OJ was a courtroom show, so this had to be different,” he explains.

Nobody can accuse Murphy of repeating himself as the gripping The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story comes to our screens.

Based on the book by Maureen Orth – Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace and the Largest Failed Manhunt in US History – the nine-episode tale begins with serial killer Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss) murdering Gianni Versace (Édgar Ramírez) on the steps of his Miami mansion in 1997.

It then traces the path of both characters in reverse, including events leading up to Cunanan’s killing rampage and Versace’s earlier brush with death.

“I was living in Miami at the time and [the assassination] felt very personal,” says Latin pop icon Ricky Martin, who plays Gianni’s long-term boyfriend Antonio D’Amico in his biggest television role to date.

“I remember that the atmosphere in Miami changed completely and people were living in fear because there was a man on the streets killing people randomly.” While the Italian designer’s romance with Antonio is explored in the series, so too is his relationship with sister Donatella, played by Oscar-winner Penélope Cruz.

“I’ve worked closely with House of Versace over the last

15 years, and I always liked Donatella,” says the Spanish actress.

“She is a very strong, affectionate and generous woman. I think I knew every single piece from Versace by the time I was 15 because I was a big fan and I dreamt one day I could wear his designs. Being in his mental space as this character is like a dedication to him because he’s present around every corner.”

The enthralling series pulls back the fabric on the rich and famous entrepreneur’s life to reveal what really went on behind closed doors, where the likes of Madonna, Cher and the late Princess Diana were amongst the regular visitors to his house.

“There is a Madonna guest suite upstairs, which was the first place I went to when we came to film [at the house],” Murphy says. “I heard she used to sit in the bathtub and stand up naked to tease them out in the courtyard [where they were] drinking.”

The Assassination of Gianni Versace is a touching tribute that transports viewers into the life of a global icon, and his untimely death that shook the fashion world.

Steps of death

One of the most significant scenes in the series is the tragic murder of Gianni. Murphy admits the gruesome assassination – filmed on the exact steps where he died 20 years ago outside the former beachside Versace Mansion-turned-boutique-hotel – was traumatic for all involved.

“The crew were crying, the actors were crying because it was the spot he was killed and you could feel his presence,” Murphy reveals of the two weeks spent shooting inside and outside of the property.

“Édgar was lying on those coral steps for two days and they were sharp, so that was awful for him, too. Ricky didn’t want to see Édgar until the cameras were rolling. Édgar had on the prosthetics, with part of his face shot off and covered in blood, so it was tough for Ricky to see his friend like that. He was heaving and sobbing and stayed in that state for a long time.”

Dead or alive

Venezuelan actor Ramírez shudders as he recalls the physically and psychologically draining experience of lying on those steps.

“It was an interesting exercise of trust and abandonment, because I spent days with my eyes closed, being handled by all the paramedics and witnessing all the emotions that Ricky put into it, as he was holding my body and screaming,” he reminisces.

The star says it was imperative that he put himself into a meditative state and keep as quiet as possible to play out the scenes. But it came with its challenges.

“When they put me on the gurney for the first time, I did have a panic attack,” he admits.

“My mind knew that it was fine, but my body was reacting in a surprising way to what everyone was saying around me and we had to stop rolling so I could get up and remind myself I was still alive!”

No acting required

For Martin, being cast in his most significant acting role came with all the emotions you’d expect: nervous excitement and exhilaration. A close friend of Ramírez’s, the She Bangs and Livin’ la Vida Loca performer vividly recalls the morning he arrived to film the scenes in which Antonio discovers the body on the steps and holds the dying designer until the ambulance arrives. “It was a luxury to be able to walk into the actual home that Gianni and Antonio shared, because all I had to do was touch the walls and I could feel the emotion; it was vibrant,” he says.

“I got there at five o’clock in the morning on the day we were shooting those scenes and I started working on my emotions inside the home. When I finally got outside and saw my friend Édgar lying on the steps covered in blood, I just started hysterically crying.”

Playing a murderer

At the same time his co-stars filmed Gianni’s horrific death, former Glee headliner Criss was in a different headspace portraying the killer who had been obsessed with the designer for most of his life.

“I can’t tell you how weird it felt for me to be walking around the house dressed as Andrew Cunanan,” Criss remembers.

“I was wearing the outfit that he murdered Versace in and walking around inside the house. But when I took a picture of the pool and saw myself in the reflection, sprayed with blood, I said, ‘Oh my god, I’ve got to delete this photo, it’s horrible and irreverent because Andrew never made it inside the house!’”

Being Donatella

Superstar Lady Gaga was originally intended to play Donatella. However, when scheduling clashed with her film A Star is Born, she was forced to pull out. With the other cast already in place, Murphy reached out to Cruz.

“I thought because she was friends with Donatella she could be an advocate for her,” Murphy explains of Cruz’s first TV role.

Meanwhile, the actress admits she was “shocked” when she got the call.

“I was silent on the other end of the phone for a while, wondering what Donatella would think,” she explains of her reaction.

But she embraced the opportunity, which required a three-hour process of multiple wig changes, contact lenses and those unique Donatella snow-white eyebrows to transform her for the cameras.

“In the end, I hope Donatella understands when she sees this that we are showing what a heroine she was. This is a beautiful love story between brother and sister, and what she went through to keep her brother’s dream and the House of Versace alive.”

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, the death of an icon