And Max Greenfield asked what everyone was thinking.
This is a fan forum to discuss Darren Criss\'s career and his public activities, including his theater, film, and TV projects, his music and musical performances, charitable work, interaction with fans, and interviews.
New promo for Assassination of Gianni Versace featuring new clips with Darren Criss and Cody Fern | 12 December 2017
Link: https://www.thedailybeast.com/versace-american-crime-story-will-actually-be-about-being-gay-in-the-90sDaily Beast wrote:
‘Versace: American Crime Story’ Will Actually Be About Being Gay in the ‘90s
12/12/17
Sex oozes everywhere, from the sweat of the South Florida beach setting to the lingering gaze on star Darren Criss’ exceptionally sculpted (briefly nude) body.
A hypnotizing, wordless first act, backed by a rousing string-heavy score, gives a Shakespearean start to the whole endeavor, echoed, of course, in the horror of the murder by gunshot that left Versace bleeding to death at the front gate of his home in 1997.
[. . . ]
Only the first episode of FX’s newest installment of its American Crime Story franchise, the first follow-up to its awards-guzzling People v. O.J. Simpson season, screened Monday night, for a room packed with curious celebrity fans including Glenn Close, Patricia Clarkson, and Andrew Rannells. That’s not enough for a proper review of the new series, which officially premieres Jan. 17. But creator Ryan Murphy, the producers and writers, and stars Criss, Edgar Ramirez, and Ricky Martin were on hand to tease the season and its perhaps surprising greater message.
More than a murder mystery or a lavish look at the life of a fashion legend, Versace will tackle what it was like to be gay in the 1990s.
“Like in O.J., the themes we’re tackling in this show seem so modern to me,” Murphy said, referring to how the American Crime Story found renewed resonance in the identity politics, race and class bias, media circus, and misogyny surrounding the O.J. Simpson trial. “They don’t seem like they’re frozen in amber,” he continued. “They feel very alive and plucked from today’s headlines.”
The Versace season is heavily based on journalist Maureen Orth’s book Vulgar Favors: The Assassination of Gianni Versace.
Orth had been investigating serial killer Andrew Cunanan (played by Criss in the series) for months before he murdered Gianni Versace (Ramirez) on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion while Versace’s partner (Martin) was inside. Cunanan had evaded police while successfully murdering five men that he knew, the last being Versace. Orth’s reporting revealed a highly intelligent sociopath—he once tested at 147 for his IQ—with tortured feelings about being gay, and perhaps even jealousy that he had all these gifts and promise yet somehow wasn’t succeeding in the same way as these other men.
“We didn’t understand, and you’ll see as the show goes on, that Versace was the last victim, and Andrew had killed people that he knew before this,” executive producer Brad Simpson said. “As we began to unpack the show, we realized this was about the politics of being out in the 1990s.”
Murphy revealed that the season will be telling the story backwards. The first and second episodes deal with the assassination of Versace and the manhunt for Cunanan in Miami, and then the series will head back in time so that, by Episode 8, we are seeing Cunanan as a child. Then the final episode will deal with his eventual demise.
Broad cultural themes will of course be explored along the way. Said executive producer Nina Jacobsen, “I think what we realized during the first season is that we wanted every season of the show to ultimately be about a crime that America feels guilty of, and find a way to sort of explore what is a cultural crime as well as a specific crime, or in this case a series of crimes. In this case, to try to explore and re-conjure what it was to be gay in the ’90s.”
Orth explained that Cunanan was from San Diego, a big military town, growing up while “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was in the news, which created agony for people who were conflicted over how they felt about being gay, whether they could express themselves, or whether they could be publicly out. The parents of two of Cunanan’s victims didn’t even know their sons were gay until after they were murdered, for a sense of the environment.
Equally fascinating was the incompetency of the police and investigators pursuing Cunanan, who struggled with infiltrating the gay community and understanding its nuances, something Orth said didn’t necessarily reflect a homophobia, per se, but an ignorance.
Then of course there’s the ever-resonant idea of fame, and the craven pursuit of it that is very much embedded in the fabric of today’s culture.
[. . . ]
Murphy first dangled the idea of playing Cunanan in front of Criss, whom he had worked with on Glee three years ago, going so far as to call it the role of the young actor’s career.
There’s an uncanny resemblance between Criss and the real-life Cunanan, down to the fact that they are both part Filipino. With just the first hour to judge by, Criss is extremely watchable in a complicated and potentially off-putting role: a sociopathic narcissist, whose gay self-loathing manifests in an unsettling violent streak.
“I think stories that bend people’s sense of empathy are what really interest me,” Criss said. “It’s Shakespearean. Is has this very operatic feel. It’s Greek in scale. I’m a good, old fashioned acting student. Put me in a Greek tragedy or a Shakespeare play. If I get to do that on FX with Ryan Murphy, then fuck yeah, let’s do it.”
Link: https://www.vogue.com/article/american-crime-story-versace-new-york-screeningVogue wrote:
Inside the New York Preview of Ryan Murphy’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
December 12, 2017
A few lucky New Yorkers got a sneak peek of Ryan Murphy’s American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace Monday night at Metrograph. The cast including Darren Criss, Ricky Martin, and Édgar Ramirez attended the special screening along with Murphy and executive producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson.
The second installment of Murphy’s anthology series, premiering January 17 on FX, follows the murder of Gianni Versace (Ramirez) and the nine-day manhunt for Andrew Cunanan (Criss) as well as the personal lives of each man.
Criss had previously worked on two of Murphy’s projects (Glee and American Horror Story), but hadn’t had the opportunity to work directly with him. “I’ve always appreciated his tutelage, his insight, and his encouragement,” the actor said. “Everyone knows him for the quality of his work so to see him and work with him in tandem was really surreal and a real thrill for me.”
To prepare for the role of Cunanan, Criss read Maureen Orth’s book (which the show is based on) and spoke to people who knew the murderer. “Unlike the O.J. case where there was an overwhelming amount of information, this was very limited. He was a thousand different people with a thousand different people,” he said. “You had to speculate a lot of things; at one moment he’s ‘A’ and at the next moment he’s ‘B’.”
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Lies Promo | Serial liar. Serial killer. Follow his path when The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story premieres 1/17 on FX. | 18 December 2017
Cast Spotlight | Penelope Cruz, Edgar Ramirez, Ricky Martin, and Darren Criss star in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. The next installment of FX’s award-winning series premieres January 17th. | 18 December 2017
New York Post wrote:
Recreating Versace murder emotionally drained Ryan Murphy, cast and crew
December 18, 2017
“I never had a situation with anything I shot like this,” Murphy said recently, addressing a New York audience at a screening of the upcoming miniseries first episode. “The day we shot that the crew was crying, the actors were crying. It was very intense.”
The nine-episode miniseries premieres Jan. 17 as the next installment of FX’s “American Crime Story” anthology, and it’s already creating a lot of buzz in telling the tragic story of Versace’s 1997 murder at the hands of serial killer Andrew Cunan — who gunned Versace down on the steps outside his mansion in Miami Beach (and later killed himself).
Murphy was joined on a panel with his stars: Edgar Ramirez, who plays Versace; Darren Criss, cast as Cunanan; and Ricky Martin as Versace’s companion, Antonio D’Amico — who cradled the fallen fashion giant as he bled out from a fatal head wound in the glaring Miami sun.
Murphy filmed in front of and inside Versace’s former Miami villa, capturing the chaos and perversity of the scene: the desperation of D’Amico as he waits for help; the almost pornographic fascination of the onlookers — one of whom dips a photo of Versace in the blood left on the steps to his home — and the bewilderment of the Miami police, who have no idea what they’re getting into. Watching the scene play out on the screen at Manhattan’s Metrograph theatre had a disorienting effect on Criss.
“I was hit extremely hard by it because unlike a lot of other recreations on television it was not done on a soundstage,” he says. “Those were the stairs [of his actual house], that was the gate. It’s public access. You can walk right up to it. They have such weight, especially in the context of our story. Being dressed as Andrew was, being a beautiful Miami day.
“And then I got to walk though the damn gates and go sit in an air-conditioned room. And that hit me really hard. Andrew never got to go inside. I almost had guilt. Living with Andrew for so long, him reaching desperately for everything he couldn’t have. And there I was just walking in.”
The Versace villa is now a bed-and-breakfast. Murphy told The Post he was shocked when he received the permit to shoot there — but that the actors “were obviously delighted.”
“I don’t think I could have made the show if I couldn’t have gotten that house,” he says. “There was no way you could build [a set] of it. Two of the rooms were made out of seashells. [Gianni Versace’s sister] Donatella [Versace] took all the furniture and the art when she sold the house, but through pictures we were able to recreate them.
“It adds something to the performance.” he says. “When Edgar Ramirez goes to those Biedermeier closets [in Versace’s bedroom], they were the same closets Versace spent a year building and they’ve been lovingly maintained. They were extraordinary.”
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Just Jared wrote:
Darren Criss Shares the Story Behind His Racy Selfie!
Darren Criss broke the internet back when he shared a photo of himself wearing absolutely nothing and just a speedo held in front of himself to stay modest.
Now, the 30-year-old actor is sharing the story behind the picture, which he snapped on the set of The Assassination of Gianni Versace earlier this year.
Darren opened up during his visit with The Ladygang podcast.
“I was wearing this ridiculous red speedo thing and thank god it was for the show because pictures had come out, the paparazzi had caught us. We’re shooting a scene on the beach and it’s Miami. It’s fair game, we’re out in the open so there are photos of me in a scene with Max Greenfield and I’m in this red speedo and I look kind of ridiculous. We’re all kind of giggling about this on set, like, ‘Oh my god, this is getting picked up.’ And I kind of wanted to take it back for myself,“ Darren said.
“At the end of that day, I was completely sunburned and was essentially the same color as the speedo and so I’m looking at myself in the mirror thinking this is too funny. So after those photos went out, I was like, ‘I have a better photo.’ So that was that,“ Darren added.
Darren also said he was very proud of the caption, which "no one read.” It was, “So what’s more red? My sunburn, my speedo, or YOUR FACE??? #ACSVersace.”
Link: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/american-crime-story-assassination-gianni-versace-primer-1069167The Hollywood Reporter wrote:
'American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace' Primer: Everything to Know About Season 2
December 21, 2017
After an award-winning debut season, FX's American Crime Story anthology will turn its lens to another major 1990s event: the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace in front of his Miami Beach mansion in 1997. The Assassination of Gianni Versace will follow the events leading up to the 50-year-old’s death through the eyes of the designer (played by Edgar Ramirez), his sister, Donatella Versace (Penelope Cruz), his partner, Antonio D'Amico (Ricky Martin) and the 27-year-old serial killer who shot him, Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss).
Ahead of the show’s Jan. 17 debut, here’s everything to know about the second season of Ryan Murphy’s award-winning series.
What Happened
On the morning of July 15, 1997, the fashion designer had just returned from a morning walk when he was shot and killed by Andrew Cunanan, a con artist serial killer who had gone on a cross-country killing spree. The San Diego native had murdered two acquaintances in the San Diego gay community, a Chicago real estate developer, and a New Jersey man whose car he stole. The four other slayings took place between April 27 and May 9, and Cunanan was on the run — but managed to elude authorities until eight days after Versace’s murder, when he killed himself on a Miami houseboat just blocks from Versace’s villa.
The Source Material
Much like season one’s People vs. O.J. Simpson was inspired by L.A. Times journalist Jeffrey Toobin’s book about the trial, The Run of His Life, The Assassination of Gianni Versace pulls from Vanity Fair writer Maureen Orth’s book about the murder, Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History. According to creator Murphy, the second season will delve into Cunanan’s mind and cover the events leading up to Versace’s death. The season will touch on the four other murders, as well as Cunanan’s life in the San Diego gay community, the homophobia present in the culture at the time, and even the ‘90s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell military policy.“We’re trying to talk about a crime within a social idea,” he told reporters during the summer. “Versace, who was [Andrew Cunanan’s] last victim, did not have to die. One of the reasons [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.”
Who’s Who
Darren Criss: Andrew Cunanan
The former Glee triple-threat, who starred on Broadway in the musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch (and in the Los Angeles stop of the national tour), plays the 27-year-old killer, who was on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list at the time of his suicide.
Link: http://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/a14442138/who-is-andrew-cunanan-gianni-versace-murderer/Town and Country Mag wrote:
Who is Andrew Cunanan, the Man Who Murdered Gianni Versace?
Dec. 20, 2017
12. Darren Criss will play Cunanan in the upcoming American Crime Story anthology.
In the upcoming television anthology, Glee star Darren Criss will portray Cunanan. “At the end of the day, if you think of the worst person that you know, that’s done the worst things ever, you have more in common with them than not,” Criss said of playing Cunanan in an interview with radio personality Elvis Duran. “The fact is, those differences are big, but they’re small in number … So, what’s kind of been a joy for me is to find as many redeeming things as possible in someone that you fathom as something so horrible and to really get the audience to ask themselves, ‘At what point could this have been me?”
Vanity Fair wrote:
Introduciing Vanity Fair's Newest Podcast, Still Watching: VersaceDarren Criss As Andrew Cunanan
“Criss has come a long way from his Glee days; he’ll play serial killer Cunanan, who ended his cross-country murder spree by killing himself before the police could apprehend him.”
New textless image of Darren Criss as Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story | 22 December 2017
gleekto: Also the casting calls for the Chicago location shoot (where the Miglin murder takes place) are for episode 3.
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Episode still of Darren Criss as Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story | 24 December 2017
Darren Criss Army wrote:
Oh we'll remember Blaine all right.
And that will make Darren’s performance as Cunanan even more impressive. He is so compelling in such diverse roles!
I'd say their film careers are doing just fine, @KrollJVar. Predator movie?
— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) December 26, 2017Marvel movie?
Work with Jodie Foster and Jeff Goldblum?
Ocean's movie?
Another cool Sandy Bullock movie?
Shyamalan movie?
Literary sensation?
pic.twitter.com/3Tq1N2ygAq
supporting, supporting, supporting, supporting, supporting, supporting, supporting, supporting.
— Justin Kroll (@krolljvar) December 26, 2017
So what? Did anyone say "lead?" Go back and look at the original tweet. I can't wait for you to break the next casting about this guy, I really can't...
— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) December 26, 2017
I'll be busy breaking about 20 other things when we get back from break so his first big post-CRIME STORY job is all yours. And to be honest, I think he would be awesome in the Tarantino pic once that gears up
— Justin Kroll (@krolljvar) December 26, 2017
Jeremy wrote:I find Sarah Paulson amazing on American Horror Story.
And yeah to Darren in a Tarantino movie !
Darren will be appearing live in studio at MTV’s TRL on Jan. 17. (SOLD OUT)
Interesting venue for the day of the ACS premiere!
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/3055226/darren-criss-american-crime-story-gianni-versace-teaser/MTV wrote:
Darren Criss Is Seriously Creepy As Versace's Killer In American Crime Story Teaser
December 27, 2017THIS IS NOT THE WARBLER WE KNOW AND LOVEAn in-depth first look at The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story is here! Or second look, if we’re counting that NFSW, cold sweat-inducing nude picof star Darren Criss.
Anyway, in the new clip, we see Criss — fully clothed — as Andrew Cunanan, a “spree killer in the 1990s who climaxed with the very public murder of Gianni Versace,” executive producer Brad Simpson describes.
“This particular manhunt is the largest failed FBI manhunt in history,” Criss says of his character, who literally introduces himself to a guy in a club as a serial killer.
His chilling character’s sociopathic tendencies escalate when another man notices Cunanan identifying himself as gay to gay people and straight to straight people. “I tell people what they need to hear,” he replies.
But it’s not until the former Gleestar deadpans, “I am so happy right now,” while looking very, very unhappy, that he achieves peak creep.
Ricky Martin, who plays Antonio D'Amico, Gianni Versace’s boyfriend at the time of his murder, Penélope Cruz, as Versace’s sister Donatella Versace, and Edgar Ramírez, as Versace himself, also appear in the clip to introduce the next installment of American Crime Story, which will premiere Wednesday, January 17, at 10 p.m. EST on FX.
Source: http://www.newnownext.com/assassination-of-gianni-versace-behind-the-scenes/12/2017/Logo New Now Next wrote:
New "Assassination Of Gianni Versace" Featurette Takes You Inside The Mind Of A Serial Killer
Dec 27, 2017
The Assassination of Gianni Versace, the latest installment of FX’s American Crime Story, is only a few weeks away, and in a new behind-the-scenes featurette, the cast and producers of the series talk about the search for Versace’s killer, Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss), and how it became the “largest failed FBI manhunt in history.”
“People were scared. The fact that this man was killing gay men, still some people don’t understand why it happened,” says Ricky Martin, who plays Versace’s partner, Antonio D’Amico.
Judging from the new video it looks like The Assassination of Gianni Versace will not only explore Versace’s world, but also focus on Andrew Cunanan and the Miami gay scene.
“Andrew’s journey is a journey through the politics of homosexuality as they play across America in the ’90s,” executive producer Brad Simpson says in the behind-the-scenes video.
In addition to Criss and Martin, the limited series stars Edgar Ramirez as Gianni Versace and Penelope Cruz as his sister, Donatella Versace.
The season is based on Maureen Orth’s account of the murder in Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History. Murphy admits the designer’s family may not love everything they see.
“I think that the Versaces will like some of what we do, and I think that some of it they will be uncomfortable about. And I understand that. But we’re going off a book, and other reporting that we’ve done. I think [the show] is moving. I think it’s powerful.”
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace premieres January 17 on FX. Will you be watching?
Source: http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/g14465280/best-tv-shows-2018/Esquire wrote:
The 13 Most Anticipated TV Shows of 2018
Dec. 27, 2017
THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY
Like we did for its precursor, which covered the O.J. Simpson trial, come to this show for the stunt casting and stay for the socio-political conversation. So while marveling at the talents of Darren Criss—who is already earning praise for his portrayal of fashion designer Versace’s murderer, Andrew Cunanan—take a moment while watching to appreciate the miniseries’ bigger message. Co-creator Ryan Murphy maintains that this installment is as much about the homophobia that was (and is) predominant in our country as the first season was about race. (Premieres January 17 on FX)
Source: https://fueradeseries.com/15-actores-a-los-que-seguir-la-pista-en-2018-ffad126ffdd2fueradeseries wrote:
Dec. 27, 2017
15 actors to keep track of in 2018
Darren Criss
Darren Criss is not a newcomer, lauched to fame by Glee and who is reunited with Ryan Murphy in The Assassination of Gianni Versace, the long-awaited second season of American Crime Story. Criss plays Andrew Cunanan, who killed the couturier after killing four other people across the United States, and whose character looks set to be very important in the series.
Considering what The People vs O.J. Simpson represented for Sarah Paulson, Criss is facing the opportunity to become one of the most sought after young actors in Hollywood.
Source: http://ew.com/tv/2017/12/27/assassination-of-gianni-versace-teaser-american-crime-story-season-2/Entertainment Weekly wrote:
'The Assassination of Gianni Versace' teaser dissects this inherently American crime
December 27, 2017
When searching for subjects to chronicle in FX’s American Crime Story, executive producer Nina Jacobson must answer one fundamental question: “What we’re interested in is what makes this an American crime, a crime America is guilty of — not just the characters we’re exploring.”
The new behind-the-scenes look at season 2 uncovers an answer: the murder at the center of The Assassination of Gianni Versace was an American crime for “the politics of homosexuality as they played out across America in the 1990s.”
“This particular manhunt is the largest failed F.B.I. manhunt in history,” actor Darren Criss (Glee) says in previewing the next chapter of the Emmy-winning anthology series.
Criss portrays Andrew Cunanan, the serial killer whose death spree targeting the gay community culminated in the highly publicized murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace. As Edgar Ramirez, who plays Versace, says in the teaser, the new season is both about the events leading up to his death and how it could’ve been avoided.
“The truth is, fear and prejudice, unfortunately, is always in fashion,” Criss quips.
The series is executive produced by American Horror Story‘s Ryan Murphy, who also directed the premiere episode. The cast features Ricky Martin as Versace’s longtime love Antonio D’Amicoand Penelope Cruz as Versace’s sister, Donatella.
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story will premiere on FX this Jan. 17 at 10 p.m.
SourceTHE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY
The Man Who Would Be Vogue
1/17/2018
10 PM ET/PT
The murder of Gianni Versace turns the eyes of the world onto Miami Beach. Written by Tom Rob Smith; directed by Ryan Murphy.
SourceTHE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY
Manhunt
1/24/2018
10 PM ET/PT
Andrew Cunanan arrives in Miami to stalk Gianni Versace. Written by Tom Rob Smith; directed by Nelson Cragg.
Source: http://www.tvguide.com/news/assassination-of-gianni-versace-fx/TV Guide wrote:
Why The Assassination of Gianni Versace Will Be Ryan Murphy's Masterpiece
Dec. 27, 2017
Whereas the O.J. story divided America along racial fault lines, Versace’s murder (by a gay man on a killing spree no less) didn’t have the same impact to people outside the insular, elite realms of fashion and media. But if there’s one thing Ryan Murphy loves, it’s the element of surprise, and stories with high octane-impact. And while Versace’s murder is a heinous injustice on its own, Murphy took on this story because it has implications bigger than a celebrity’s death. American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace is Murphy’s way of demanding accountability, of forcing the public to understand that the brutal slaying of one of the world’s greatest talents was due to deeply ingrained anti-gay discrimination within law enforcement and society as a whole.
“People often ask us if we’re going to do JonBenét Ramsey,” executive producer and frequent Murphy collaborator Alexis Martin Woodall told TV Guide. “It’s a big crime but it doesn’t have larger implications. We always have to have a social context. I think it’s really important to shine the light on the world FBI’s largest failed manhunt and why that happened.” That’s why this iteration of American Crime Story has “assassination” in the title: it chronicles how homophobia ended the life of one of the world’s greatest talents. Entrenched homophobia caused local police teams to bungle investigations of Andrew Cunanan (played by Darren Criss) as he killed his first victims in Minnesota and Chicago. It’s also why the FBI botched its manhunt in spite of generous evidence, clues and tips. And internalized homophobia is certainly why the gay community itself downplayed the fact a gay killer was on the loose, afraid of making gay people look bad.
Yes, Versace’s murder was a high-profile crime. But what should have been a watershed moment to look at how bias let a madman murder five people, including Versace, went to waste because the mostly closeted gay community was afraid (understandably) of the attention Cunanan’s sexuality would foist upon them. Twenty years later, the prolific showrunner is getting justice. Because of his need to correct the record, their shared sensibilities and his singular penchant for visual razzle-dazzle, Murphy is the only TV producer who can give Versace’s death as much meaning as his life. Unsurprisingly, it’s also his best work yet.
[. . .]
Murphy never hid his sexual orientation in his cutthroat industry, either. And just like Versace, Murphy’s distinctly gay sensibility informs his shows as much as a queer point of view was imbued in Versace’s clothes and casa. Their common language is camp, expressed through an innate instinct to provoke people with a patchwork of disparate, non-conformist influences. Gay men, particularly those of a certain age who endured hardships of yore, are unmatched in their ability to merge the sad, beautiful, profane, holy and hilarious in a single sentiment. If anything unites Murphy’s wildly different works, it’s delighting in the mix. Their end products aren’t the same, but Murphy and Versace are cut from the same cloth.
Andrew Cunanan, on the other hand, was the shadow image of the two. Using the thoroughly researched book Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History as its bible, the FX series depicts how Cunanan had all the desire to be as prominent as Versace or Murphy but did nothing to accomplish it other than lie and con. Versace and Murphy achieved success with endless hours of work and sacrifice, but Cunanan just earned the tokens of it — cash, clothes, drugs — through manipulation and sinister deception. And where Versace and Murphy boldly confronted homophobia by being out and outspoken, Cunanan succumbed to it by lying and pretending to be somebody else, so much that nobody who knew him really knew who he was. He killed his closest friends in egomaniacal tantrums; Cunanan shot Versace because he represented what Cunanan could’ve been, and what he felt he deserved. He wanted to be famous. “The most ironic thing of all,” Alexis Martin Woodall said, “is that he wanted to be remembered and nobody remembers who he was. Everybody thinks fame is the answer and for most people, fame is totally destructive.”
Murphy delights in showing monsters up close, as he does in American Horror Story, but he’s most poignant when he probes how real-life monsters became that way. The Assassination of Gianni Versace allows Murphy to do what he does best: make viewers understand — but not empathize — with the devil. And only Murphy could achieve the delicate balance of vilifying a person without vilifying an entire culture — exactly what kept the case from having the same kind of cultural impact that O.J. had. That long overdue impact can now finally occur in Murphy’s dramatic retelling.
Murphy directed the first episode of Versace and, as everyone knows, he never shies away from brutal images. The season opener goes back to Versace’s face, ripped open by the stolen .40 caliber semiautomatic Cunanan used, several times in the hospital and autopsy room. It is gruesome and haunting, yet fitting. Versace made Medusa, the mythological monster with a head full of snakes, his logo; he saw the beauty in the grotesque and knew that shock had value. Murphy has made those elements hallmarks, using them as Trojan horses to make points about racism (O.J.), sexism (Feud) and now, homophobia, a subject that’s obviously personal. In the years since Versace’s demise, many groups and museums — and even his sister Donatella (portrayed in the FX series by her friend Penelope Cruz) — have honored Versace’s legacy. But 20 years after Versace’s death, Ryan Murphy has created a work that not only pays respects to the legendary designer but channels righteous anger at the institutions that robbed the world of a master whose sole life purpose was to create beauty, fun and love. And he manages to do it in a way that doesn’t shy away from the fact that Versace’s killer was cut from what Cunanan considered to be the same cloth. The result is a series so intense that even the cast and crew cried while shooting.
“The word genius is overused,” said Woodhall. “Except with Ryan. He really is a genius. He is a visionary.”
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story premieres Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 10/9c on FX.
How thoughtful of them. Feel better soon!Poppy wrote:Am feeling under the weather with a cold gifted to me by family members .![]()
My impression was that he's just there to watch people's reactions and is acting shocked to blend in. Although it may also be starting to dawn on him that he won't be able to just walk around and tell people he's a serial killer anymore...Poppy wrote:Why does Cunanan look so horrified when he watches the news on TV about Versace's murder. Does he have multiple personalities? Or is he skilled in deluding himself from the truth that he is the murderer? Or is he horrified that the manhunt will intensify now that Versace was among the victims?
It's so nice reading all this praise about the show and Darren.Poppy wrote:Interesting article. Very complimentary of Ryan.And explains the Medusa imagery.
This show is receiving some great praise.
I was counting on being able to tell when the violent parts start so I can look away. I hate when shows randomly cut back to things like that.The season opener goes back to Versace’s face, ripped open by the stolen .40 caliber semiautomatic Cunanan used, several times in the hospital and autopsy room. It is gruesome and haunting, yet fitting.
It's also fun seeing journalists "fight" over which roles Darren should be offered after ACS.Poppy wrote:Yes! Please! Crystal Bell is an Entertainment Editor,@MTVNews.
Lin wrote:How thoughtful of them. Feel better soon!
Lin wrote:My impression was that he's just there to watch people's reactions and is acting shocked to blend in. Although it may also be starting to dawn on him that he won't be able to just walk around and tell people he's a serial killer anymore...
Lin wrote:It's so nice reading all this praise about the show and Darren.Just three weeks now!!!
I'm glad about the heads-up in this article:
- Spoiler:
The season opener goes back to Versace’s face, ripped open by the stolen .40 caliber semiautomatic Cunanan used, several times in the hospital and autopsy room. It is gruesome and haunting, yet fitting.
I was counting on being able to tell when the violent parts start so I can look away. I hate when shows randomly cut back to things like that.But better to know in advance at least.
Lin wrote:It's also fun seeing journalists "fight" over which roles Darren should be offered after ACS.I'm good with TV (prefer it even), but if someone absolutely wanted to give him a part in Fantastic Beasts, I suppose I could live with that, too... I was just thinking that I would love to see him in a fantasy or period type role with fun costumes.
EOnline wrote:
Golden Globes 2018 Presenters List Includes Penelope Cruz, Seth Rogen and Gal Gadot
Dec. 28, 2017
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which chooses the winners, this week began to announce names of celebs set to present awards.
The list includes Penélope Cruz, Kelly Clarkson, Seth Rogen, Halle Berry, Carol Burnett, Darren Criss, Greta Gerwig, Hugh Grant, Neil Patrick Harris, Chris Hemsworth, Christina Hendricks, Isabelle Huppert, Shirley MacLaine, Ricky Martin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Amy Poehler, Edgar Ramírez, J.K. Simmons, Sharon Stone, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alicia Vikander and Emma Watson.
The group joins Kerry Washington and Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot, who the Hollywood Foreign Press Association had announced as presenters earlier this week. Check @goldenglobeson Twitter for the latest updates!
~~ The Golden Globes will air on Jan. 7 at 8 pm EST on NBC. ~~
Deadline wrote:
Golden Globes Presenters: Greta Gerwig, Amy Poehler, Hugh Grant, Neil Patrick Harris, More
December 28, 2017
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has announced the first group of presenters for the 75th Golden Globe Awards. They are Halle Berry, Carol Burnett, Kelly Clarkson, Darren Criss, Penélope Cruz, Gal Gadot, Greta Gerwig, Hugh Grant, Neil Patrick Harris, Chris Hemsworth, Christina Hendricks, Isabelle Huppert, Shirley MacLaine, Ricky Martin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Amy Poehler, Edgar Ramírez, Seth Rogen, J.K. Simmons, Sharon Stone, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alicia Vikander, Kerry Washington and Emma Watson.
Seth Meyers will host the ceremony airing live Sunday, January 7 on NBC from 5-8 PM PT / 8-11 PM ET from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Previously announced, Golden Globe-nominee Oprah Winfrey will be the recipient of the 2018 Cecil B. DeMille Award.
The show is produced by dick clark productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Darren Criss Army wrote:
Promo/Trailer Archive for The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story/ FX
For those who are unable to view the YouTube videos for the ACS trailers and teasers, check out this page. FX is slowly adding them here, and you may be able to view them on this site. You’re welcome.
Darren Criss on SiriusXM 15.12.17
Really fun interview! They talk about ACS and his EP. This was the best i could do in terms of sound quality. Hope it’s ok!
Darren Criss Fan Community » Darren's TV Projects » The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story » The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
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