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Darren Criss Fan Community
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.
Via Popcon With Peter Travers’ Instagram Story (January 31st, 2018)
via dcriss-archive
Via Popcon With Peter Travers’ Instagram Story (January 31st, 2018)
ON TV wrote: Darren Criss commits ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace’
Jan. 23, 2018
Q: What is it like for you to play Andrew Cunanan, the person who committed the crime, in “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”?
A: It’s been probably one of the most exhilarating characters that I’ve spent time with, because he is so all over the place, and he’s capable of truly great things. (There’s been talk) about the sort of similarities between somebody like Gianni and someone like Andrew. And on paper, you go, “No, that’s insane. You know, you can’t possibly compare the two.” And of course, in many ways, they’re very different men.
But I think we try to find as many common denominators not only between these two men, who had different levels of brilliance that were guided in very different ways, but we hopefully find the common denominators between the people watching. I think when (they’re) watching Andrew, my goal is to have people really exercise their sense of empathy – because from the get-go, we all know that he’s capable of something truly horrendous, and there’s no debate about that. However, I really hope that we can find that we all have more things in common with some of the worst people we can think of, than we do differences. Those differences are small, but huge in content. Q: Did you have much rehearsal time?
A: The pace (of making television) is breakneck. Penelope (co-star Cruz) was telling me how there is a different pace, and for me, I’m numb to it. I’ve been doing it for a while now, and my mind is calibrated to that way of working. She was like, “You really have to be prepared, and you just get thrown right into it.” And that is a logistical truth. We really do have to just get on in there. It would have been a luxury for all of us to have gotten together. I don’t have much with these (other actors), I think for obvious reasons.
Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks." Source: https://ontvtoday.com/darren-criss-commits-the-assassination-of-gianni-versace
EDIT: Added these that I missed earlier.
gq: @DarrenCriss, 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. More at link in bio. (@mattymarty)
meet_jjla: Darren Criss rocked the stage at St. Johns 75th Anniversary Gala! Watch him in tonight’s episode of Versace on FX! || Design, Production and Creative Execution by JJ|LA
Interesting answers (and haha. His answers about what he watches when he first wakes up and just before he goes to bed ). Darren on the Febuary 5th, 2018 issue of TV Guide | Source
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Last edited by Poppy on Wed Jan 31, 2018 8:27 pm; edited 2 times in total
Critics' Reviews of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
From dcriss-archive:
Spoilers about Episode 2!
Pitchfork wrote: How “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” Uses Dance Pop to Craft a Gay American Psycho
1/31/2018
[…] And creepiest of all is Criss’ body language as he gyrates, his face frozen in determination while his arms flail. This is the moment we realize exactly how unhinged Andrew Cunanan is.
[. . . ]
Andrew’s encounter inverts the roles of sex worker and john, adding another layer of queerness to this tale of a gay man who preys on other gay men. “Versace” is using music to frame its subject as an explicitly gay variation on the American Psycho archetype.
Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks." Source: https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/how-the-assassination-of-gianni-versace-uses-dance-pop-to-craft-a-gay-american-psycho/
I just watched Episode 3 with hubby. I am still processing it, I think. This feels like the darkest episode of the first 3 episodes. It left me very sad. But it was so well done, so well written, so well acted.
When all those reviews were released from critics who saw the first 8 episodes, before the general public has even seen Episode 1, I knew that the acting would be wonderful. I was hoping, and my hopes came true, that my favorite famous person would do well in the eyes of these critics. I am so happy for Darren, I cannot even express how happy for him I am.
Darren is amazing. It is not an exaggeration to say his talent, his acting range, is impressive. I can say this objectively, without any bias (well, maybe a tiny bit--I am human after all ). I also enjoy asking my hubby, who does not wear rose-tinted lens, how he feels about Darren's acting. He liked Darren in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, but he was wondering how well Darren would do in a drama on TV, how well Darren would transition from acting on stage to acting on the small screen. I am happy to say hubby has been impressed thus far (3 episodes in). After watching tonight's episode, he commented on how effortless Darren's acting is when Cunanan's moods shift so radically.
And just kudos to Ryan Murphy and his team of directors, his crew, and Tom Rob Smith, and his writing team. Just an amazing accomplishment (and I still have 6 more episodes to go). The writing is often breathtaking. The combination of how these relationships are written, how the emotional trauma of these characters is captured, along with conveying the overlying social message of the human cost of societal homophobia and intolerance is just so impressive. I feel weird admiring a work of art that is so full of pain, but like Darren, I feel that by airing out the pain of people having their secrets, of people covering up their pain with masks of the roles they play and the faces they put on because of suffocating judgment from society, it serves a deeper purpose of engaging in discussion.
I love this article (via Darren Criss Army). It better describes what I am trying to say. Just as when I watched this episode, I was emotional reading this article.
This is an excerpt, please visit the site to read the entire article.
Village Voice wrote: Why Viewers Aren’t Ready to Make “Versace” a Cultural Phenomenon Like “O.J.”
February 1, 2018
When American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson debuted on FX in February 2016, it was the most-watched premiere of an original scripted series in the cable channel’s 22-year history. And no wonder: Like the steadfast hits of the Eighties and Nineties that TV execs are now joyfully rebooting, FX’s subject was an inescapable pop-culture phenomenon — the “trial of the century,” which has held Americans tight in its grip in the 20-plus years since the conspicuous case collided with a burgeoning 24-hour news cycle.
It’s hardly a surprise that the ratings for the second installment in the Ryan Murphy true-crime anthology series, subtitled The Assassination of Gianni Versace, have so far been much lower: While the O.J. premiere drew a rare-these-days 8.3 million total viewers — that number rose to 12 million after accounting for FX’s “encore” airings — Versace’s first episode, which aired two weeks ago, pulled in a still-impressive 3.6 million viewers live, and 5.5 million factoring in repeat broadcasts. (For context, Game of Thrones may regularly attract a per-episode audience of 8 to 10 million viewers , but even critical darlings like Big Little Lies don’t necessarily bring in those numbers; none of the HBO miniseries’ seven episodes drew even 2 million live viewers.)
If you were old enough to remember the O.J. trial blaring out of countless TV screens and newspaper headlines for a solid year, The People v. O.J. Simpson was not just great TV but a chance to relive that indelible moment through a fresh lens, like a revival of a beloved sitcom. Versace’s smaller audience is somewhat inevitable, and it reflects a central revelation of the series: that law enforcement only began to seriously pursue a string of murders of gay men at the hands of a cagey 27-year-old named Andrew Cunanan when he killed a fifth gay man who happened to be famous.
[. . .]
The more we learn about Cunanan’s past, the more the show — aided by a compelling, three-dimensional performance from Criss — emphasizes the man’s internalized shame. (For more on the show’s interrogation of this suppressed self-loathing, read Matt Brennan’s review at Paste.) Along the way, we also learn about his victims; the fourth and fifth episodes, which delve into David Madson’s and Jeff Trail’s backstories, are particularly affecting, and the fact that the show devotes so much run time to tell their stories is a refreshingly uncynical approach in an age of arrant celebrity worship.
In the two decades that have passed between Versace’s murder and this series, mainstream culture has reached the point where the most heavily promoted series in a major cable channel’s current lineup tells the kind of story that would’ve been labeled “niche” just a few years ago, simply because of its lack of a straight, male perspective. “One of the things that excites me about this era of television is that you can come at it from any character’s point of view, or any showrunner or creator’s point of view,” FX CEO John Landgraf told me over the phone. “You don’t have to make reference to the majoritarian point of view, whether that’s male or white or heterosexual.”
[Discussion about the lack of diversity of those hired to direct in TV in general, and on the FX network in the past--with a commitment from the network to bring change to their network.]
Landgraf acknowledged that Versace so far hadn’t been as “widely accepted” as O.J. “It’s pretty dark material,” he said. He suspects the cooler response has more to do with the lingering perception that stories told from the perspectives of gay people are still coded as “alternative.”
[. . . ]
“My gut feeling is that it’s still hard to put that point of view out there,” Landgraf told me. “I think there’s a process, a pathway, from rejection and bigotry to a willingness to be in somebody’s skin, and a willingness to consider their skin as valid as your skin. And I think that for a hetero-dominant culture, we’re not there yet with gay people.”
Still, Versace is a big step toward that brave new world. And while viewers in the States may not be quite as rapt with this story as they were with O.J., in Italy, the show has earned record ratings, with 700,000 tuning in to watch the premiere — compared to 572,000 who watched the seventh-season premiere of Game of Thrones. Who’s gonna tell them this is a show about the constraints of gay identity in 1990s America?
Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks." Source: https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/02/01/why-viewers-arent-ready-to-make-versace-a-cultural-phenomenon-like-o-j/
From dcriss-archive:
TV by the Numbers wrote: ‘Assassination of Gianni Versace’ posts solid gains in cable Live +7 ratings for Jan. 15-21
February 1, 2018
The premiere of the second “American Crime Story” on FX put up pretty good delayed-viewing numbers for the week of Jan. 15.
“The Assassination of Gianni Versace” added 0.6 points to its adults 18-49 rating (0.7 to 1.3) with seven days of catchup viewing. That ties for the second-largest gain of the week in the demographic, behind “Teen Mom’s” 0.8-point boost.
“ACS: Versace” added the most viewers of any show, growing by 1.76 million people for a seven-day total of just under 4 million.
*Mod edit for clarification:
Live+Same Day: 2.22 mil viewers with 0.7 in the key demo
Live+3: 3.6 mil viewers
Live+7: 3.99 mil viewers with 1.3 in the key demo
Live+3 + Three encores + digital platforms (3 days? unclear in the press release): 5.5 mil viewers
Wow. How interesting that they didn't really get a chance to interact much off stage before acting their scenes together.
The Tracking Board wrote: Up-and-Comer of the Month: “Versace” Star Cody Fern on the Controversial FX Series and Wanting to Play Marilyn Manson
January 31, 2018
Did you have to read with Darren Criss and Finn Wittrock to see if you guys meshed well together onscreen?
Actually, no, I didn’t read with them. When I first worked with Darren, we were kind of thrown into Jeff’s death. The murder of Jeff Trail, in the apartment. That was the first day of shooting. I hadn’t met Darren before. I’d seen him in Hedwig and the Angry Inch and thought he was brilliant in it, but we didn’t meet each other, no. I think Ryan decided based on the strength of the audition and then went from there, and Finn had already been cast. It was kind of a rolling freight train It just went. That was a particularly intense day of shooting.
Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks." Source: http://www.tracking-board.com/up-and-comer-of-the-month-versace-star-cody-fern-on-the-controversial-fx-series-and-wanting-to-play-marilyn-manson/
Warning: Some violence.
American Crime Story 2x04 Promo “House By The Lake” (HD) Season 2 Episode 4 Promo | Source
EDIT:
It's late, so I'm tired. So anyway, I forgot to mention that all the praise given to Judith Light and to Mike Farrell is well-deserved. Heartbreaking performances.
Critics' Reviews of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
From dcriss-archive:
Slash Film wrote: ‘American Crime Story’ Review: ‘A Random Killing’ Is Full of Unsettling Moments
February 1, 2018
What continues to make Versace work, however, are the performances, and the direction. Darren Criss’ work as Cunanan remains stunning, even if Cunanan as a character grows more and more repulsive. Criss’ ability to slip from charming to terrifying is no easy feat, yet the actor handles this, and the other intricacies of the part, masterfully.
Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks." Source: http://www.slashfilm.com/american-crime-story-a-random-killing-review/
Village Voice wrote: Why Viewers Aren’t Ready to Make “Versace” a Cultural Phenomenon Like “O.J.”
February 1, 2018
The more we learn about Cunanan’s past, the more the show — aided by a compelling, three-dimensional performance from Criss — emphasizes the man’s internalized shame. (For more on the show’s interrogation of this suppressed self-loathing, read Matt Brennan’s review at Paste.) Along the way, we also learn about his victims; the fourth and fifth episodes, which delve into David Madson’s and Jeff Trail’s backstories, are particularly affecting, and the fact that the show devotes so much run time to tell their stories is a refreshingly uncynical approach in an age of arrant celebrity worship.
Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks." Source: https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/02/01/why-viewers-arent-ready-to-make-versace-a-cultural-phenomenon-like-o-j/
Stuff TV wrote: The 10 best TV shows to stream on Hotstar
February 1, 2018
American Crime Story (S2): The Assassination of Gianni Versace
[. . . ]
Even if you think that the world knows what happened, the show really keeps you on the edge of your seat with its razor-sharp script and stellar acting by Darren Criss that will keep you cringing.
Birth Movies Death wrote: THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE Review: “A Random Killing”
Feb. 01, 2018
Darren Criss is just amazing, jettisoning any need for us to empathize with this psychopath as he transforms into a pistol-toting land shark, constantly swimming and killing in order to survive uncaptured another day.
[. . . ]
The chronology of The Assassination of Gianni Versace continues to be a little unnecessarily convoluted - jumping from several periods between '92 - '97 - but what the show might be overdoing in terms of storytelling style, it’s more than making up for in terms of raw poignancy. The final shot of Marilyn Miglin's face, captured in a slow creeping zoom, is as haunting as OJ staring up at that statue at the very end of The People v. OJ Simpson. Perhaps the most miraculous element of American Crime Story (and there are so, so many) is its ability to isolate pure truthful emotion inside of headline-grabbing sensationalism, mining the country's tabloid myths for what they actually mean to the figures who lived through these horrid exploits.
Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks." Source: http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2018/02/01/the-assassination-of-gianni-versace-review-a-random-killing
Previously TV wrote: You Make It Seem So Real
January 31st, 2018
NYC's Versace storefront. . . . There's a home-goods display set up on a dining-room table, and as he's about to pull up one of the chairs and leaf through South Beach Stories by Gianni and Donatella, the chair makes an echoey skrronnnk along the floor. Darren Criss nails the jumpy “did anyone see that” reaction on Cunanan’s part; it’s just a perfect, tiny smackdown of the striver, satisfying to a viewer who has come to enjoy Cunanan’s discomfiture but also a nod to the hundreds of these tiny mortifications that may have contributed to his becoming a monster.
Paste Magazine wrote: American Crime Story Review: Judith Light Steals the Show in the Excellent "A Random Killing"
January 31, 2018
I’m wondering if anyone could possibly outdo Darren Criss in a Terrifying Stone-Cold Stare competition; the guy’s just mesmerizingly scary. You get a sense of fathomless rage, deep self-loathing coupled with narcissistic grandiosity, and a desperate desire to be more than what he knows he really is.
Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks." Source: https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/01/american-crime-story-review-a-random-killing.html
TV Insider wrote: Darren Criss and 9 More TV Stars Who Transformed Between Roles
February 1, 2018
Actors need to show their range—and sometimes, that means a total role reversal between TV projects.
We’re talking stars like Darren Criss, who went from sweet Glee prep school crooner to diabolical serial killer in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. And he’s not alone!
From a hero to a villain, normal to crazy, and beloved to despised, we’ve rounded up 10 actors and actresses who have undergone drastic changes from one character to the next. Click through the gallery above to explore these (often jarring) changes.
Darren Criss: Glee (2009) to American Crime Story: Versace (2018)
From musicals to murder. From 2009 to 2015, Criss portrayed Blaine Anderson in Glee, a charismatic, gay high school student who joins the glee club. Now, Criss is serial killer Andrew Cunanan on Assassination of Gianni Versace, a (albeit creepy) role that has gained him critical acclaim.
Dom Proto a journalist with ABC. Kirsten Fleming is a senior writer with New York Post. Audrey Irvine is senior Director of Coverage with CNN. John Basedow is a TV/internet personality. Rebecca Theodore-Vachone is film/TV contributor with Entertainment Weekly, Forbes, NY Times, Roger Ebert. Rev. Eric Dunn is a voice actor, and has a podcast. Louis Virtel is co-host of Crooked Media.
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Thanks again Jeremy for your PMs warning me about the violent scenes!
Here are Jeremy's warnings about any violent scenes (spoilers about Episode 3)!
Spoiler:
so, episode 3
the beginning is not violent, although they make you think you're gonna see something gruesome about Lee's murder : it gets bloody when Andrew punches him but, if you don't want to miss important acting, I suggest you to watch until Andrew takes the concrete (then you can close your eyes until you hear the police sirens)
about one of the last scenes, in the basement : when the guy asks Andrew not to kill him, you should close your eyes because Andrew is gonna shoot him in the head... (sorry for the spoiler)
It was a very sad episode, but very well written and well acted. Darren's acting is amazing, and I agree, it's nice to see him on our TV screens each week. (I miss those days when we got to see him every week!)
From dcriss-archive:
TV Guide - February 5th, 2018 Issue
** **
EDIT: Adding a few more items:
This is nice of Michael Feinstein:
Video
Inc: Get the popcorn. Here are the 7 best new TV shows you have to watch this season.
via dcriss-archive
[UHQ] Darren Criss and Edgar Ramirez at Build Studio on January 16, 2018 in New York City.
This is interesting. We as Darren fans noticed right away that Darren's unique triangular eyebrows have been trimmed on the top.
ACSFX: There’s a story within the details you don’t notice. See how hair and make-up help define the characters in #ACSVersace. *Darren edit
via dcriss-archive
This is regarding the issue of Darren's eyebrows. I thought this post of robtennislover on Gleekto's blog is funny, because it's true. Darren's fans did a double-take and asked, "What happened to Darren's face?!"
robtennislover
Have you seen the new video about make up for the show? I'll paraphrase. Make up lady: Darren change was a subtle trimming of the eyebrows that most wouldn't notice. Meanwhile, Darren Criss fans: What the fuck happened to his face?
Gleekto
Yes ha ha! It’s like all the advertising of “Sorry to fans of Blaine on Glee. You have no idea what you’re in for”…
Pretty sure we were the only ones who knew.
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Critics' Reviews of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
From dcriss-archive:
The Film Experience wrote: ACS: Gianni Versace - "A Random Killing"
February 1, 2018
“A Random Killing” puts the victim front and center, and forces us to remember that while we sometimes may consider victims of a serial killer part of a statistic, each of them were complex, human, and (in Lee Miglin’s case) deeply pained living beings.
[. . . ]
One of the themes that the show has been teasing is the pain and isolation that comes with being in the closet. This episode dives in with a rawness that is at many times incredibly hard to watch. Not only is this man projecting his deepest desires and insecurities onto a young boy who we knows is a monster, but Andrew is fully taking advantage of his fears and exploiting them for his sick mind games.
[. . . ]
Darren Criss continues to expertly balance the charming and psychopathic sides of Cunanan, though this episode showcased the latter, as he was mostly shown in isolation or in hunting mode. There was a point where his eyes involuntarily expanded with pain, desperation and child-like eagerness that was truly disturbing.
Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks.' Source: http://thefilmexperience.net/blog/2018/2/1/acs-gianni-versace-a-random-killing.html
Peter Davisis a writer and a digital influencer.Magister Cudi is a writer (Gawker, Buzzfeed, Reader). Collin McCollough is senior deputy editor of Bleacher Report. Adam Huss is an actor and writer.
Stills of Darren Criss and Cody Fern in episode 4 “House by the Lake” of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (February 3rd, 2018) | Source
From Darren Criss Army:
The Assassination of Gianni Versace | Inside Season 2: The Look of Versace | FX
There’s a story within the details you don’t notice. See how hair and make-up help define the characters in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.
(Source: youtube.com)
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Critics' Reviews of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
From dcriss-archive:
Spoilers!
Remezcla wrote: ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace’ Recap: Episode 3 Has Less Versace, Goes Deep into the Killer’s Psyche
If it wasn’t clear from its first two episodes, the third episode of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story made it official: despite putting the fashion designer’s name in its title, this Ryan Murphy-produced series is actually more interested in Versace’s assassin: Andrew Cunanan. Played by Darren Criss, this seductive serial killer is a fascinating character. He’s both charming and terrifying in equal respects.
[. . . ]
Just as with the last two episodes, though, the central concern of Murphy’s show seems to be the extent to which constructs like the closet and wider systemic homophobia helped and fueled Cunanan’s killings. While we may not (yet) know exactly why this predatory escort targets wealthier and most often closeted gay men (like the hapless guy in the hotel room in episode 2), his rage at Lee’s success and picture-perfect heteronormative family suggests there’s a level of self-hatred at work here, laced with envy no doubt.
[. . . ]
This culture of silence handicaps the investigation but also exemplifies how much of late 90s gay identity politics were still a game of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a weakness that Cunanan knew all too well how to exploit.
[ . . . ]
If this has to be the Cunanan show, at least Murphy and company landed on a performer as talented as Darren Criss. The former Glee star imbues the devilish serial killer with just the right amount of crazy. Whether ingratiating himself to Versace in the pilot while talking of his family’s Italian lineage or suddenly berating Lee for wanting to impress him with plans for the (sadly never built) Miglin-Beitler Skyneedle which would’ve been the highest building in the world, Criss hints at the darkness within Cunanan. More importantly, as the makers of the show have been quick to point out, the actor is half-Filipino, just as the character he portrays — a bit of kismet casting that keeps that bit of Cunanan’s heritage front and center.
Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks." Source: http://remezcla.com/features/film/the-assassination-of-gianni-versace-american-crime-story-recap-episode-3/
An excerpt:
Refinery29 wrote: The Most Outrageous Lies Andrew Cunanan Has Told On American Crime Story
February 1, 2018
Darren Criss, who plays Andrew Cunanan on The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, did a lot of press ahead of the show’s premiere, but it’s an interview with Buzzfeed’s AM to DM that I can’t stop thinking about. Watching the series back, Criss said parts of the season felt “as if we’re watching one of Andrew’s own delusions.” That’s what so much of the show is about, really. Not just the murder, but the lies that surround it, and perhaps more poignantly, the lies Cunanan told himself that got him in this position.
But that’s a little more nuanced than I’m trying to get right now. I’ll leave his psyche up to the phycologists out there, and instead focus on what’s really entertaining: the crazy, batshit lies Cunanan spouts to his friends and acquaintances in order to seem cool. It’s almost impressive how brazenly the character ignores the truth, confidently contradicting scenes we just saw happen. I guess that’s why Criss definitely, truly deserves an Emmy (you can fight me on that). The actor so convincingly delivers these lies that you, the viewer, start questioning the truth. That’s why I’ve made sure to fact-check these claims against Cunanan’s own life story — or at least, the claims he hasn’t already contradicted himself. He has certainly had a wild life (and death), but there are some things that are too outrageous to be true, even for a killer.
Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks." Source: http://www.refinery29.com/2018/01/188781/andrew-cunanan-lies-assassination-of-gianni-versace
via acsversace-news
Aw, I love Paul McGill's support. This is a nice pic of them. I also included Stephen Trask's nice comment. paul_mcgill_: Watching @darrencriss on @americancrimestoryfx like…
stephentrask: Yeah! He’s brilliant!
Jon Hurwitz is a writer and producer/filmmaker (Harold & Kumar, American Reunion).
She is associate editor of Screen Crush.
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Last edited by Poppy on Mon Feb 05, 2018 12:24 am; edited 1 time in total
Poppy wrote:Aw, I love Paul McGill's support. This is a nice pic of them. I also included Stephen Trask's nice comment. paul_mcgill_: Watching @darrencriss on @americancrimestoryfx like…
stephentrask: Yeah! He’s brilliant!
Aww, such a cute picture and I love that Stephen commented, but Paul, that is not what your face should look like watching Darren in this show! My face looks a lot more like this:
Spoiler:
I've been very out of the loop the last two weeks, so I don't even know where to begin. All I have to say for righ now is that I'm so proud and impressed and SO creeped out. I never would have thought Darren could creep me out like this, but he very thoroughly succeeded. He sends actual shivers down my spine every week and I can't wait for the next episode.
haha! Love this! That is definitely my face too, although I admit sometimes I was so scared I left the room.
Spoiler:
Lin wrote:I'm so proud and impressed and SO creeped out. I never would have thought Darren could creep me out like this, but he very thoroughly succeeded. He sends actual shivers down my spine every week and I can't wait for the next episode.
I'm glad you're proud and impressed, Lin. Ditto that for me too. It's a new sensation to be creeped out by Darren. He's such a adorable sweetie pie in real life. And the previous characters he played never had that effect on us, of course! (I loved Blaine and Hedwig!! His character from Eastwick was adorkable, and his Harry from AVPM and its sequels is much beloved. Lee in Girl Most Likely was nice, a good guy. I guess folks had mixed feelings about J. Pierpont Finch, but he was not scary and creepy! Justin from American Horror Story was a jerk, but no killer, and the Music Meister from The Flash turned out to be a good guy.)
Darren sure is hitting the perfect notes in Versace. (But cross fingers the next character he plays is a different kind of character. )
TV By The Numbers wrote: ‘Assassination of Gianni Versace’ more than doubles in cable Live +3 ratings for Jan. 22-28
February 5, 2018
“The Assassination of Gianni Versace” made big gains after three days of delayed viewing of its Jan. 24 episode.
The FX series, the second installment of “American Crime Story,” more than doubled its same-day ratings in both adults 18-49 (0.4 to 1.0) and total viewers (1.43 million to 2.98 million) with three days of DVR and on-demand playback. It tied “Teen Mom” for the biggest adults 18-49 boost and had the largest bump in viewers.
The 25th anniversary of “WWE Monday Night Raw” held onto the top spots in both adults 18-49 and viewers.
Critics' Reviews of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
From acsversace-news:
Pure Fandom wrote: 4 Best Moments From ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace’ 2×03
02/05/2018
Darren Criss is still absolutely out-standing throughout this show and I am seriously running out of ways to describe how flawlessly he is portraying this character. Give this man all the awards immediately!
Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks." Source: https://www.purefandom.com/2018/02/05/4-best-moments-assassination-of-gianni-versace/amp/
Go Fug Yourself wrote: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: Episode 3 Recap
Feb. 5, 2018
I continue to be impressed by Darren Criss in this part. This season of American Crime Story isn’t get the buzz that the OJ Simpson season did, but (a) the first season of an accomplished program always gets the most buzz, (b) the OJ trial itself was more firmly affixed to more people’s memories, and more a part of pop culture in general, (c) that season was truly, truly exceptional on basically all fronts, and impossible to top. But this season is also very well done, and he is EXCELLENT.
Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks." Source: https://www.gofugyourself.com/the-assassination-of-gianni-versace-episode-3-recap-02-2018
From dcriss-archive:
The Panther (Chapman University) wrote:
‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace’ is a must-see 02/04/2018
In addition to a fascinating true life story, the show, like its previous season, features phenomenal actors . . . However, the actor whose performance deserves special praise and recognition is Darren Criss as the terrifying Cunanan. Criss portrays Cunanan as both empathetic and as the vicious, sociopathic murderer that he was.
Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks." Source: http://www.thepantheronline.com/features/assassination-gianni-versace-must-see
Nice message from Matt Bomer. mattbomer: Happy Birthday to my brother from another mother @darrencriss. Always inspired by you my friend, but your work on @americancrimestoryfx this year is phenomenal. Wishing you an incredible birthday, and a beautiful year my friend! XO
Episode 3 spoilers!
americancrimestoryfx They almost had him…#ACSVersace
via Darren Criss Army
From dcriss-archive:
Aw, Jon Jon Briones and Darren. jonjonbriones: Happiest of birthdays to @darrencriss. This year is going to be amazing for you!!! I raise a glass…or two to you! @americancrimestoryfx
Spoilers Episode 4!
Stills of Darren Criss and Cody Fern in episode 4 “House by the Lake” of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (February 6th, 2018) | Source
Very fitting alliteration. American Crime Story Disgraced. Deranged. Deadly.
Via Darren’s Instagram Story 2/7/18
haha. "Other guy not so bad either." Cody Fern is said to be impressive. maureen_orth: Just wait! Cody Fern is also amazing tonight in #acsversace playing David Madsen. Other guy not so bad either @Darren Criss #darrencriss#codyfern#vulgarfavors https://www.instagram.com/p/Be5hOyhH31P/
From dcriss-archive:
Link
Interesting interview. Mike Farrell has kind things to say about Darren, in terms of Darren's presence on screen, as well as Darren's good relationship with the crew. If you a M*A*S*H fan, be sure to visit the site to read the whole interview. He also supports progressive causes.
Windy City Times wrote: NUNN ON ONE MOVIES Mike Farrell channels Chicagoan Miglin in Gianni Versace
2018-02-07
WCT: How was it working with Darren Criss? MF: He’s terrific. He’s really a nice young man and very talented. I confess to never having seen Glee. For someone that is relatively new to the business, he has a great presence, and had a good relationship with the crew. It was really fun to get to know him and see him work. WCT: Even on television it is interesting to see his interpretation. MF: I agree. It is an enormous task to pull off. From what I saw he really did a remarkable job.
edouardholdener: Happy birthday Darren Criss! I’m so proud that I got to play a young Andrew because you’re such an amazing Andrew Cunanan!! #ACS #americancrimestory
Michael Chinery: If you haven’t already – check out “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” series on FX – actor Darren Criss is phenomenal as Andrew Cunanan!
Vanity Fair wrote: American Crime Story: The Truth Behind That Surprising Musical Cameo
February 7, 2018
Yeah—the lyrics “you can’t go on thinking nothing’s wrong” seem pretty appropriate here. I wanted to ask for your take on what Darren Criss is giving in that scene as he listens to the song. We see Andrew overwhelmed by emotion—what emotion do you think that is?
Simpson: When Tom was writing it, I think he wanted to have two things going on. It’s a turning point in the episode. For David, he’s looking out the window of the bathroom and realizing that he’s trapped with Andrew. Maybe he could climb through the window and maybe he couldn’t, but he returns to Andrew. One of the things that’s happening for Andrew in that scene—and it’s one of the few times so far that we’ve seen any real emotion—the way Dan Minahan directed [Darren] to play it, and the way that Tom had written it, was the idea of: you’re watching the singer, David’s gone to the bathroom, and you’re feeling this sense of loss. You think he may have escaped. But either way, there’s an undercurrent of dread that you may have lost him no matter what. Darren wanted to get psyched up and do it in one take—you know, the slow push in that ends with him crying. And we gave him the space that he needed, and just did the long, slow push into the tear, and then he follows up with such joy.
Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks." Source: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/02/american-crime-story-aimee-mann-who-is-the-singer-listen-drive-the-cars-audio
Warning: Spoilers! Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks" (for Darren!). Such an interesting interview, where he spans several topics, from his view of portraying Andrew Cunanan, to his need to feel different since he was young, to his philosophy about acting, to his engagement to Mia, to his gratitude for the opportunities granted to him by Ryan Murphy, to what the future holds for him as an actor. I thought his choice of words was interesting, at the end of the article, when he talked about his future in acting, he used the word "abyss," which often has a negative connotation of darkness and falling, instead of using a more positive word or imagery (a wide open meadow full of various trails to explore). I wonder if the possibility of more fame inspires some trepidation in Darren. (Or haha, I could be just reading too much into it, since he did use the word "precipice" before using "abyss.")
Esquire wrote: Darren Criss Has Never Wanted To Be Ordinary
[Feb. 7, 2018?]
Darren Criss has never killed anyone. In fact, it’s hard to imagine the 31-year-old actor so much as raising his voice at anyone given how disarmingly kind and solicitous he is in person. When he arrives for his photoshoot, he immediately learns the names of everybody on set; as various editors drop in, either to check in on the shoot or to gawk at the celebrity in our midst, Criss goes out out of his way to make introductions—impressively listing off everyone’s name in the room. But Criss has found more in common with Andrew Cunanan, the social-climbing narcissist turned serial killer he plays in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, than he expected.
“People always ask me, ‘What’s it like to get into the mind of a killer?’” Criss says, slipping into a gravelly Movie Trailer Voice as we talk over coffee. “But you’re not doing that! I mean, a killer doesn’t get into the mind of a killer—they’re just existing. We boil it down to killing somebody and go, ‘I’ve never done that, so that’s definitely as far from me as possible.’ But the things that inform those decisions can be very close to who we are. We all have access to the same variety of emotions. You just ride them at a certain frequency, and it takes you to a certain place.”
[. . . ]
There are, Criss says, “a lot of similarities between us that I like to remind myself and other people of,” beyond the striking physical resemblance and biographical parallels (both Cunanan and Criss are half-Filipino and California natives). “What it is to want what you can't have—that I get. Who doesn't know what it's like to feel unloved, or want to rise above your station, or just on a very simple level be liked?”
It’s the latter that comes through most powerfully in Criss’s mesmerizing, profoundly unsettling performance: the sense that Cunanan needs to be not just liked, but adored. Underlying all of his tall tales—the lies about his wealthy upbringing and influential friends, the personas he adopts and discards—is a kind of naked desperation that puts the audience on edge even when nothing overtly bad is happening. He is, to put it generously, extra. And as the lies stop working for him, and more and more people begin to see through him, that neediness turns vicious.
[. . . ]
[Criss states,] “I really reveled in being different,” he tells me. “I didn't want to be normal. I didn't want to be put in a corner. I know what it's like to want to stand out. Andrew had that too, but we had different reasons. He used it as a social statement, where I just liked the feeling of not being like everybody else. I think he did it to lord his status over other people; for me, it was a way to connect with people.”
I bring up a standout moment from this week's episode, “House by the Lake,” the fourth of the season. . . . The pair stop at a roadside bar, where Aimee Mann sings a mournful cover of The Cars’ “Drive.” While Madson goes to the bathroom—and considers trying to escape through a window—we stay with Cunanan, in a rare moment of honesty. In an unbroken 90-second shot, we slowly pan in on Criss’s face as he begins to cry, watching Mann sing the song and taking in its lyrics (“Who’s gonna drive you home tonight?”). It’s an unsettling scene because of how moving it is, despite coming moments after we’ve seen Cunanan beat a man to death with a claw hammer.
[. . .]
For all the commonalities he’s found with Cunanan, Criss is not remotely method, and he has no trouble getting out of character even on the darkest days of material. “Some people need to scream into a pillow and run off and do their thing and live with their character non-stop,” he says. “I am not one of those people, and sometimes I feel like a bad actor because I'm not. But I think for me, things live and die between action and cut, or lights up and lights out. I feel like if I live with something too long, then I cheat the immediacy of the moment.”
[. . .]
Two days after Versace's premiere, Criss announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend Mia Swier via Twitter and Instagram. “It was a long time coming,” he says. “We’d waited a while before we announced it. I had a whole thing written, like, ‘Usually I don’t like talking about my private life...’ which I really don’t—I was really allergic to it for a while. Eventually I got over myself and realized that it’s just the best way to let people know.”
So 2018 is a banner year for Criss on many levels; though it’s early to start talking Emmys, it’s hard to imagine him not being a frontrunner for his revelatory performance. “We’ll see,” he says, downplaying awards buzz. “The success for me is that people are talking about it. But this is a moment for me, and I recognize that, because I've had one before. The fact that I've gotten another one from Ryan Murphy is not beyond my understanding, and I'm trying to enjoy it as much as I can. I feel like I'm very much on a precipice, so I'm excited to see who or what is in the abyss.”
Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks." Source: http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/amp16674052/darren-criss-interview-assassination-of-gianni-versace/
[UHQ] | DARREN CRISS HAS NEVER WANTED TO BE ORDINARY
via dcriss-archive
DARREN CRISS HAS NEVER WANTED TO BE ORDINARY
via dcriss-archive
American Crime Story 2x05 Promo “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (HD) Season 2 Episode 5 Promo | Source
From acsversace-news:
#ACSVersace is #2 on Global Twitter trends | 7 February 2018
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Last edited by Poppy on Thu Feb 08, 2018 3:32 pm; edited 1 time in total
Darren is featured on Esquire’s Instagram Story 2/8/18 https://www.instagram.com/esquire
From dcriss-archive:
I was also one of those folks like Darren who did not want to feel like everybody else, but I did it to express my individuality, my uniqueness, and diversity. It's interesting to hear the various reasons why people want to be different.
Via Darren’s Instagram Story (February 8th, 2018)
Link
Link to wonderful Esquire interview: http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a16674052/darren-criss-interview-assassination-of-gianni-versace/
Link
Link to wonderful Esquire interview: http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a16674052/darren-criss-interview-assassination-of-gianni-versace/
Kat Wirsing is the photographer who did the Esquire photo shoot.
・・・ “I know what it’s like to want to stand out. Andrew [Cunanan] had that too, but we had different reasons.” — #ACSVersace’s own @DarrenCriss explains how he found humanity in the sociopathic killer he plays on TV at the link in our bio. [camera emoji] @katwirsing for Esquire.com. Styling by @mrjonathanevans.
Via Esquire’s Instagram Story (February 8th, 2018)
via dcriss-archive
This guy is so funny. That second comment.
She is a writer for Refinery 29
EDIT:
*When you remember that tonight there’s a new episode of… #ACSVersaceEnFX
americancrimestoryfx: That’s the truth. #ACSVersace
via dcriss-archive
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Last edited by Poppy on Thu Feb 08, 2018 4:02 pm; edited 1 time in total
Critics' Reviews of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
From dcriss-archive:
Warning: Spoilers!
Esquire wrote: Darren Criss Has Never Wanted To Be Ordinary
[Feb. 7, 2018?]
[Darren Criss asks,] "Who doesn't know what it's like to feel unloved, or want to rise above your station, or just on a very simple level be liked?”
It’s the latter that comes through most powerfully in Criss’s mesmerizing, profoundly unsettling performance: the sense that Cunanan needs to be not just liked, but adored. Underlying all of his tall tales—the lies about his wealthy upbringing and influential friends, the personas he adopts and discards—is a kind of naked desperation that puts the audience on edge even when nothing overtly bad is happening.
[. . .
I bring up a standout moment from this week's episode, “House by the Lake,” the fourth of the season. . . . The pair stop at a roadside bar, where Aimee Mann sings a mournful cover of The Cars’ “Drive.” While Madson goes to the bathroom—and considers trying to escape through a window—we stay with Cunanan, in a rare moment of honesty. In an unbroken 90-second shot, we slowly pan in on Criss’s face as he begins to cry, watching Mann sing the song and taking in its lyrics (“Who’s gonna drive you home tonight?”). It’s an unsettling scene because of how moving it is, despite coming moments after we’ve seen Cunanan beat a man to death with a claw hammer.
Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks." Source: http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/amp16674052/darren-criss-interview-assassination-of-gianni-versace/
Link
Via Esquire’s Instagram Story (February 8th, 2018)
Warning: Spoilers!!
AV Club wrote: American Crime Story jumps back to Andrew Cunanan's first murder
Feb. 7, 2018
In “House By The Lake,” we see how the series is a character study that examines Andrew—without providing easy answers—and how it does so without erasing or justifying the horrible things Cunanan did.
[. . . ]
Later, Andrew switches up the argument for not going to the cops: “They hate us, David. They’ve always hated us. You’re a fag.” I went into Assassination with the assumption that it was going to be a stealth examination on homophobia and gay culture in the ‘90s, similar to how The People vs O.J. Simpson was successfully built around race. The further we go (back) in this story, it’s slowly starting to appear that that’s the case. Even when in imminent danger—forced on the run with a gun-wielding murderer—David’s concerns are about how he was outed, even about his activities (Andrew left BDSM toys and magazines on the bed) and worries about everything the police will uncover about him. Will his parents still be able to live in the same town? Will people still frequent his dad’s shop? Throughout, we get glimpses of David’s internal struggle about coming out: the dreams he has about his father, explicitly wondering aloud “Was I afraid of the disgrace? The shame of it all?” (echoing Andrew’s future murder of Lee Miglin, asking if he’s more afraid of death of disgrace), . . .
The episode also goes back to the flawed police investigation, which was a trend no matter what city the murder was in. . .
Stray Observations
Darren Criss has been getting immense praise for his portrayal this season and this episode really showcases his talent, putting in a performance that is truly haunting from his even speech to his lingering stares.
Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks." Source: https://tv.avclub.com/american-crime-story-jumps-back-to-andrew-cunanans-firs-1822809333
Dom Proto is a reporter with ABC. John Basedow is an internet/TV personality.
Jon Jon is so sweet.
Episode 3 article:
Link
Link to Remezcla article: http://remezcla.com/features/film/the-assassination-of-gianni-versace-american-crime-story-recap-episode-3/
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Last edited by Poppy on Fri Feb 09, 2018 11:51 am; edited 1 time in total
Saw Episode 4. It was so sad. I just feel so sad for David Madson.
Spoiler:
--I feel like we really got to know David Madson, with a great deal of depth. For this reason, this episode feels so heartbreaking. David is portrayed so sympathetically (hats off to Cody Fern--he did a fantastic job!), with so much integrity, so much intelligence, so much heart. Wow, the flashback to his understanding father when David was a gentle child who was traumatized by his father killing a duck, to when many years later, David came out to his father who assured David that he loved his son, along with the fantasy of David being reunited with his father in the last moments of David's life as he was dying . . . it just broke my heart. And David was portrayed as being so decent, choosing to protect other people's lives (and in the process, ensuring he remained with Cunanan). I really cared about David Madson.
--We have the recurring theme of how an innocent victim's fear of being judged and mistreated for being gay by society-- of how being "discovered" will disgrace not just David's life, but also his parents' lives who live in their small town-- is in the most barest of truths, worse for one than the prospect of death at the hands of a madman. (Note: I assumed that part of David's fear of disgracing his life and that of his parents was due to the police seeing the sex toys that Cunanan spread out on the bed, along with David's fear that the police and society will judge him as a murderer.) Societal homophobia traps these men, so that they feel they have very few options, rendering them vulnerable to someone like Cunanan who uses their fear of social prejudice and bias as a weapon to place them under Cunanan's control. What happens when a victim is more afraid of the hostile treatment of law enforcement, than of someone threatening one's life (so many relevant current scenarios, with undocumented persons' fear of immigration authorities and members of the African-American communities' fear of police outweighing their fear of being victimized by predatory members of their own communities)?
--the local police department's dismissal of the crime as a gay encounter that went wrong, and their ineptitude is maddening.
--If you realized Cunanan was crazy in the previous episodes, this episode will instill in you in the strongest of ways that Cunanan is bat-sh*t crazy. My hubby and I admired how Darren was able to show, on the drop of a dime, that Cunanan was like a loaded weapon ready to go off in a deadly explosion with little or no warning. I'm thinking of that scene in the car where David fearfully notes a woman looking at him as if she recognizes him. Cunanan goes from 0 to 60 miles per hour in terms of the rage that envelops him so rapidly, making David fearful that Cunanan will murder her. On the flip side of the coin, Darren also is great in showing Cunanan's steely, ice-cold, emotionless state of mind as a sociopath (the way that Cunanan behaves following the murder of Jeff, and the scene in the coffee shop, when Cunanan directs his icy stare at David when David dares to reveal that Cunanan's life is a lie).
--it was surprising to see Cunanan show his humanity when he broke down crying in the bar, listening to the sad song ("Drive"). I interpreted that scene as Cunanan assuming that David has escaped and left Cunanan all alone. (Remember that comment in the beginning of the episode when David comments to Jeff that Cunanan has no one.) That long close-up on Darren's face as Cunanan struggled with his emotions (at the likely prospect of being alone and abandoned by David)--I didn't feel sympathy for Cunanan, but for one brief moment, I felt that he was human and vulnerable. Both my hubby and I thought that Darren did a great job in this scene (and others)!
Note: One of the things that I find cute is that my hubby has a friend who is Filipino, who every week, expresses her pride that Darren is half Filipino like Cunanan. She also tells my husband every week that Darren is a good actor and she thinks he is doing a great job. She also was impressed with Cody Fern as David Madson.
EDIT:
I forgot to post Jeremy's warnings of the violent scenes. SPOILERS!! Thank you Jeremy. If folks have not yet seen this episode, there is a very violent scene near the beginning that made me glad that I had Jeremy's warnings, so that I skipped that scene. If you are trying to avoid that scene, it happens almost as soon as Jeff steps into the apartment.
Spoiler:
- opening scene : when Darren begins to attack with the hammer, you see a bit of blood on screen until the douche [shower] scene - a bit later david releases the dog of his cage and plans to go outside > you're gonna see the corpse and blood until andrew says "do I look tired" (if you "skip" that scene, you skip a long one) - you see the corpse again when the police guy wants to know the hair color of the victim (but it's quick) - there's a hunting scene with a dead duck but it's not gory - the police takes the body and examines it, so you see a little bit of the corpse again, until the lady begins to speak - final scene : after seeing the cricket, there are a few seconds of david's corpse
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Last edited by Poppy on Fri Feb 09, 2018 11:28 am; edited 1 time in total
This is funny. James, when are you gonna have Darren back on your show?
James Is Obsessed w/ ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace’
James Corden is excited to share some of his favorite things about the new American Crime Story, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” including the show’s love of pink, tank tops and their hero character. James Is Obsessed w/ 'The Assassination of Gianni Versace’
(Source: youtube.com)
Darren Criss on playing Andrew Cunanan, working with Jon Jon Briones in ACS ‘Versace’
(Source: youtube.com)
From dcriss-archive:
acsversace-news:
Inside Look: Miami | Everything was happening in 1990’s Miami. Get an inside look at the setting of The Assassination of Gianni Versace with the cast and crew. | 9 February 2018
via dcriss-archive
The message from Edgar is so nice.
dcriss-archive:
americancrimestoryfx: That’s the truth. #ACSVersace edgarramirez25: ”Todo fue una mentira. Esa es la verdad”. Esta noche van a conocer el increíble talento de @codyfern - sentado a la izquierda y cuyo trabajo no pueden perder de vista - quién junto al maravilloso @darrencriss logran uno de los capítulos más impactantes y conmovedores de la serie. No se lo pierdan esta noche en toda #Latinoamerica por @canalfx
“It all was a lie. That’s the truth”. Tonight you will meet the incredible talent of @codyfern - sitting on the left and whose work you can’t lose sight of- who along side the wonderful @darrencriss achieve one of the most impressive and moving episodes of the series. Do not miss it tonight in all #Latinoamerica by @canalfx #acsversaceenfx#acsversace
Link
Link
Link to wonderful Esquire interview: http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a16674052/darren-criss-interview-assassination-of-gianni-versace/
Home
).
It's a new sensation to be creeped out by Darren. He's such a adorable sweetie pie in real life. And the previous characters he played never had that effect on us, of course! (I loved Blaine and Hedwig!! His character from Eastwick was adorkable, and his Harry from AVPM and its sequels is much beloved. Lee in Girl Most Likely was nice, a good guy. I guess folks had mixed feelings about J. Pierpont Finch, but he was not scary and creepy! 
)
