The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

Some cool pics:


From dcriss-archive:

Warning:  Spoilers about Episode 8:


edouardholdener: Now you finally got see Andrew’s childhood. How did you like yesterday’s episode?
#americancrimestory #versace #fx










avry_adelle: meet the cunanan’s on acs tonight










acsversace-news:

carlinjames917: Tonight, America meets the Cunanans! #ACSVersace
-
#AmericanCrimeStory #FamilyPhoto #Versace #AndrewCunanan #FilAm #GianniVersace #Filipino #Italian #Americans #DarrenCriss #ActorLife #BehindTheScenes #DysfunctionalFamilyPhoto

haha.













americancrimestoryfx: “You’re not upset that I stole. You’re upset because I stopped!" #ACSVersace














Link










Aw, love how proud Jon Jon is about being connected to this project and all the wonderfully talented people that he worked with on this project.








jonjonbriones: This was an amazing experience! Acting opposite the incredible @darrencriss and my real life and tv daughter @isacamillebriones , directed by the amazing @mattbomer , Fantastic writing by Tom Rob Smith & Maggie Cohn. Thank you @mrrpmurphy Nina Jacobson & Brad Simpson for the opportunity. Hope you all like it! #PinoyFamOnTv









And exactly the same amount of respect and gratitude expressed by Matt Bomer. 

mattbomer: Tonight is the night! Directorial debut tonight on @americancrimestoryfx at 10 PM on FX. Many thanks to @mrrpmurphy, Tom Rob Smith, and the brilliant Maggie Cohn for this script, and my phenomenally talented brother @darrencriss. And to all those who helped me out! Im so excited for the world to see the work of @jonjonbriones and @edouardholdener - who blew me away every single day. Can’t wait to hear what you think! #americancrimestoryversace #fxnetwork









Season Finale (Episode 9) spoilers!

American Crime Story 2x09 Promo “Alone” (HD) Season 2 Episode 9 Promo Season Finale | Source








-

Quotes about Darren and Tweets about Darren










































paulwontorek: #TBT with @darrencriss. Somewhere, sometime. It’s been a thrill to watch this super nice and super talented star rise up to the challenge of @americancrimestoryfx every week.










ZedrickRestauro: Congrats @MattBomer on your directorial debut, loved the whole episode I’m so honored to be a part of it! @DarrenCriss, was an absolute joy working with ya! Thanks to you both for being so welcoming on set, I had a blast! #ACSVersace @ACSFX

TV Line wrote:
Matt Bomer on Making His Directorial Debut in American Crime Story: Versace: 'Can We Sympathize With a Monster?'

March 14, 2018

Speaking of exceptional performances, Bomer says he feels “spoiled” that he had a front-row seat to Criss’ take on Andrew almost from the very beginning. “I knew Darren was a brilliant actor and a great artist, but there were times where I would watch him on camera and it was like he just suddenly was this person,” Bomer recalls. “It was bone-chilling to watch.”

Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks."  Source:  http://tvline.com/2018/03/14/american-crime-story-versace-matt-bomer-interview-directorial-debut/




-

Poppy wrote:I was surprised to hear that there were diverse reactions on twitter today about Darren's tweet, because, because as I said earlier this morning (see above post), I thought his Vulture article cleared up a lot of things for me in a very positive way. Most of the tweets that commented on his tweet or the Vulture interview were warm and accepting and appreciative, but a few were confused or offended.  

That's interesting. I was a bit surprised by your reaction to what he said on the podcast, just because I felt Darren has always communicated (if maybe not this explicitly) that he is proud of his Filipino side, but that he has all the privilege of a white guy, and in that sense identifies as such. So I just didn't expect that the place he was coming from would be in question among Darren fans (I've read everything you said and I think I understand most of it, even though there are some nuances that will probably remain lost on me. Thank you for explaining.   And I'm glad the Vulture article made you feel better! ).

But I'm not surprised that this interview got some backlash, because it is also being seen by people who are not really familiar with him, and so I can see how some things that he could have phrased a bit better if he wasn't just thinking out loud can come across somewhat off-putting.
I get that it's a touchy subject that people are going to have a reaction to, but what an awful position to be in to always be expected to phrase everything perfectly. I sometimes get haunted hours later by random things I said in totally mundane, inconsequential conversations and that I wish I could take back or rephrase even though no one else probably thought twice about it or remembers, so having so much weight put on my every word sounds like a nightmare. I know Darren hates being misunderstood, so that must suck for him.
Vulture certainly didn't do him any favors by transcribing that sentence that way ("I always say one of my favorite things about myself is that I’m half-Filipino but I don’t look like it" – that just sounds bad without the period if you don't know what he actually does always say) ... and to make it worse, they even used it as the tagline that gets seen in the preview on Twitter any time someone shares the article, so that's what sets the tone for people who click through to read the rest of the interview (if they even bother at all and don't just decide the one line is all they need to know). I do think his point comes across to people who actually try to understand where he's coming from, because, as you said, there were also people reacting positively and people (who are not Darren fans feeling the need to defend him) saying they felt others were misinterpreting him.

One last thing – I don't know what sort of reactions you've seen on Twitter, but obviously there's a difference between people who are actually Asian American or specifically Filipino themselves (whose reactions I understand and respect), and people who just love to jump in with faux social justice concern because they obsessively hate Darren for singing too much on Glee or for not dating who they want him to be dating (I only see them peripherally because I've blocked them all ages ago, but I know for a fact that they're out there, gleefully trying to create controversy or fan the flames.)

Poppy wrote:I don't think my thoughts are much different from the reviews, and there are so many reviews.  I think I'll keep my comments shorter for that reason, since I'm a slow writer and typist.   I look forward to hearing your thoughts, but if you're busy, no worries.  We understand how life can keep us pretty busy. 

Oh, I actually stopped reading reviews pretty early on. I was interested in the general reaction, especially out of impatience when we hadn't gotten to see any of it ourselves yet, but it just got a bit too much, so at this point I'm not that interested in what random critics have to say about it in detail (beyond the snippets people post about Darren, I'll never get tired of that. ) I care more about hearing from people that I "know".
Ugh, it takes me ages to post anything. Mostly because I rewrite every sentence 10 times until I either give up and delete or decide I've spent too much time on it so it will just have to do. It's silly because I always just end up creating more errors by changing up half-sentences and then not re-reading them as a whole. Bad enough in German, worse in English.

Poppy wrote:Thank you for sharing what you heard on that German podcast.  So, was that podcast person saying he's seen Darren before he saw Darren as Andrew Cunanan in Versace and has thought Darren has a kind face, or was he saying that he saw Darren on YouTube afterward and thought Darren has a kind face, or was he saying that even as Andrew Cunanan, Darren's face as Andrew's face, at times may pass as kind (such as in Andrew's vulnerable moments, especially earlier in Andrew's life, such as when he and David Madson were together in the Mandarin Oriental hotel)?    Eek.  The name he called him.

Haha, he apologized for butchering Darren's name and blamed it on being sick.
I'm not totally sure what he meant, he was rambling a bit. He definitely didn't mean before, he wasn't aware of Darren before. Glee wasn't really a thing here, that's why it's so weird and exciting to me to have people talk about him now (and just for the record, this guy is not some random unknown podcaster, he has as many Twitter followers as Darren does ). He was talking about Darren's YouTube videos before he made that comment, but I think he sort of means both outside of and within the show. At least that's how it is for me.
Something I meant to mention, episode 4 messed me up the worst because he was switching back and forth from projecting cheerful carefreeness to that cold, dead-eyed stare (that I never would have thought he was physically capable of with his comically expressive eyes...). Just when the episode ended, that Esquire photo shoot and article came out, and the first picture was one where he is kind of smiling... and it just gave me a visceral reaction of "nope, don't even try, go away, I'm not falling for your shit". I couldn't even bring myself to look at the rest of the pictures afterwards. It was a very weird feeling. I normally don't have a problem separating the actor from a character and certainly didn't expect it with someone I follow as closely as Darren. Maybe it was because I wasn't totally awake (that's what I get for watching at 4am, whoops). It thankfully went away after I went back to sleep.

Hi Lin, 

I think if people read the article completely, they will understand what Darren is saying, but when the writer just grabs a single sentence out of context and tweets it, then it's misleading.  

I'm not really very good in terms of maneuvering Twitter, so I'm not sure if I'm missing anything, but I don't see that many negative responses replying to the Vulture tweet, and none that are new.  I just went to that Vulture tweet and scanned quickly the dates of the responses, and there are no new responses dated today.  So it's a moderate response.  It's not so big that I would be too concerned, or am I missing something?  I went to Darren's tweet about Stephen King and scanned the responses and I didn't notice any negative tweets.   Why are people being concerned about a backlash?   Am I missing something?

In terms of my position, I definitely remember Darren saying many times previously that he was proud of his Filipino side.  And I remember him talking about white privilege.  But it's one thing to feel you have white privilege because you pass as white (when you are bi-racial), versus whether you internally identify as part Asian-American.   You can pass as white and thus have white privilege, but still identify as part Asian-American.  One doesn't necessarily follow from the other (having white privilege because you pass as white, does not necessarily mean you identify as white and does not necessarily mean you don't identify as part Asian-American).   I always assumed he was proud of being part Asian-American, because it's confusing to me to say one is proud of being part Filipino, but not identify as partially Asian-American (since being Filipino is a type of Asian ancestry, and being Asian means you are a person of color). 

I think that one cannot assume that because I am a fan of Darren, that I always understand where he is coming from regarding his view  on his racial identity as a bi-racial/mixed race person, because he never really discussed it in detail.   And it sounds like he has just started thinking about this issue recently (which is interesting too).   I also think that I may view what he says on this issue differently from his fans who are not Asian-American or not persons of color.  And among Asian-Americans, there also will be disagreement.  It's a complicated enough topic that there will be no homogeneous view on that matter, even among Darren fans.

I have a friend who did not watch Glee, who became a fan of Darren because she loves his acting on Versace.  She agrees with me on this issue of being confused with Darren's position.  But my husband did not find Darren's position confusing.  So there will be diverse opinions, even among Asian-Americans.  And there will be diverse opinions just in general, among other persons of color and among persons who are not of color, just because the topic is so complex.

Thanks, Lin, I'm also glad the Vulture article (and his tweet) cleared things up for me. 

Lin wrote:I get that it's a touchy subject that people are going to have a reaction to, but what an awful position to be in to always be expected to phrase everything perfectly. I sometimes get haunted hours later by random things I said in totally mundane, inconsequential conversations and that I wish I could take back or rephrase even though no one else probably thought twice about it or remembers, so having so much weight put on my every word sounds like a nightmare. I know Darren hates being misunderstood, so that must suck for him.

I understand what you are saying, and I am sorry for how Darren must feel like he is living in a fishbowl and being judged.  Being interviewed by the press is so hard, and being a celebrity being judged by so many people is also incredibly hard.  I had to be interviewed by the media for couple of my previous jobs and it's so easy to be misquoted or have a quote taken out of context.   But it comes with the territory and it's something that one needs to prepare for, by putting thought into possible questions before the interviews.  Of course, one cannot anticipate every question that these media folks come up with.  However, in this case, where Darren is an actor who is part white, part Filipino, playing a character who also is part white, part Filipino, it's not so surprising that he may be asked about his mixed race/mixed heritage.  I'm not saying it's easy to field these tough, tough questions on controversial issues, on the spot, spontaneously, but there are ways one can minimize problems by thinking and preparing for these interviews.   

And I know how much Darren hates being misunderstood.  I'm sorry that this is happening.  I don't really know how big a deal it is, because as I said, I haven't seen that much of a "backlash."   But maybe I'm missing what's going on, on social media.  I don't know what you mean by the tagline getting seen in the preview on Twitter.    Is it possible Darren could contact the reporter and explain the situation, that it's not cool to pick out a statement out of context (out of context of the entire interview)?

And yes, I agree, there are people who love to jump in with their so-called social justice concerns as a thin cover for fueling negativity against Darren.  Most of these folks as you said, are people still obsessed with the "injustice" of Darren getting too much screen time on Glee--the gall of Darren, when he is not even an "original cast member."   I have made the mistake of commenting to one person on one of the YouTube videos and it came out so quickly what the real basis of her views were (because on Glee, he got too much screen time!).    

In time, hopefully, these folks will let go of their obsession and move on.  We just have to be patient.  (Hopefully, Darren does not spend time reading comments from these people who carry their grudge.)

Yes, the number of the reviews on Versace became overwhelming, so I stopped reading them as well.  (But it is so lovely to see so many critics loving Darren's acting!)   I still haven't had a chance to post my thoughts on Episode 8, so I need to do that soon. 


I'm also a slow writer and a slow typist.  I make so many typos and grammatical errors.  And I can imagine since German is your first language, that writing in English is an additional challenge. 

Wow, I'm glad this well-known German podcaster has become a fan of Darren.  I think Darren has gained a lot of new fans, some of them quite important.  Hopefully, he will get some great opportunities from being connected with this wonderful project.   I really hope so. 

My husband and i were talking about which episode did we like the best.  The very weird thing is for me is that I hated, hated the type of violence in Episode 4.  But I loved much of the acting in the episode.   I think Darren's acting was so good in the episode, how he was so quietly creepy in some parts of it, and then so erratic in other parts of the episode, and outright frightening and horrifying in other parts of the episode, and one brief moment, vulnerable and sad.  I can't believe I can have such mixed feelings from extremely disliking part of Episode 4, to loving other parts of the episode.  I know exactly what you mean about the cold, dead-eyed stare that Darren did as Cunanan.  My hubby is a tough critic but he also thought Darren was very good at switching back and forth from extremely different moods so rapidly.

haha.  It's interesting to me that the effect of Darren's acting as Cunanan lingered with you when you looked at the Esquire pics of Darren as Darren.  I had a weird reaction when I saw the Computer Games video that Darren did with Mia and lots of his StarKid friends.  His eyes looked scary in that video sometimes, and Versace had not even aired yet--but I wondered if he unconsciously was staying in character, because I don't remember his eyes looking scary before.

Lin wrote:Maybe it was because I wasn't totally awake (that's what I get for watching at 4am, whoops). It thankfully went away after I went back to sleep.

haha.  I'm glad it was just temporary, Lin. 

Quotes about Darren and tweets about Darren



From dcriss-archive:



This is nice!












Barbara Streisand commenting on Darren. 

Entertainment Tonight wrote:
Barbra Streisand Reveals What She Really Thinks of Lady Gaga's 'A Star Is Born' Remake

March 16, 2018

Streisand had no trouble, however, judging TV shows – including Murphy’s newest American Crime Story series, The Assassination of Gianni Versace.

“I binge-watched your show last night, Gianni Versace, but it’s very scary to me. I have to go fast,” she adorably revealed. “I like the parts with Penelope Cruz and Edgar Ramirez [who play Donatella and Gianni Versace, respectively], but I don’t like [Andrew Cunanan, whom Darren Criss plays]. He’s so good that it’s so awful.”

“Oh, this poor individual. Is any of this true stuff about him?” she asked Murphy, who replied with a resounding “Yes!” as the audience chuckled.

“That poor older guy he was with!” she remarked.

“Barbra, why did you watch that?” asked Murphy. “That’s not for you!”

Source:  http://www.etonline.com/barbra-streisand-reveals-what-she-really-thinks-of-lady-gagas-a-star-is-born-remake-98554





































































lajourneyman: Congratulations @mattbomer on your directorial debut and @darrencriss on your outstanding performance. Masterful work! I am so grateful to have been part of this amazing cast. #acsversace #americancrimestory #darrencriss #mattbomer #theassassinationofgianniversace #fx #rubenmadera #martinishot



































-

From what I've seen, I didn't have the impression that everyone who read the whole article understood what he was trying to say, unfortunately. And I don't think there's a huge backlash or anything, but there was definitely some controversy here and there. Not necessarily in the comments, but people who made their own tweets about it. I just see the ones that explicitly mention him by name, but I know there are more out there that are discussing the article. And like I said, some of it I do understand, but for example there was one guy with a verified account that just posted two nitpicked sentences and then an actress from Orange Is The New Black responded calling Darren an idiot (https://twitter.com/loripetty/status/974814972667547648). Stuff like that is just annoying (all the more annoying to me because I liked her character on OITNB, sigh).

By "tagline in the preview", I meant for example in this image, below the actual Tweet from Vulture, there is a picture of Darren, then the headline, and then that one (mis)quote. And that part (the picture, headline and "tagline" or whatever it's called, gets attached any time someone shares the article URL in a tweet. I don't know if there's much point trying to get them to change it now, those things have a shelf life and the "damage" is probably done now.

That is unfortunate that the quote that was taken out of context shows up, and that the OITNB actor said that.  It's too bad people don't bother to read the whole article.  I still would try to contact the reporter and express to him how it's not cool to do what he did and have him remove that quote taken out of context, or have him tweet explaining that the quote was taken out of context, that Darren is proud of being Filipino, and that passing as white is not something that he prefers.

Social media is crazy.  I don't discuss celebrities on twitter.  I rarely tweet, and when I do or retweet, it's involving politicians.

I wonder if it may also be helpful to have another major media site interview him on this issue again, to clarify that he didn't mean to suggest that he was glad he looked white, even though he is part Filipino. He meant to say that it's interesting to see people's reactions when he tells them he is part Filipino, because upon being informed that he is part Filipino, they are pleasantly surprised because they assumed he is white.  I'm not sure.   Or maybe it's best to just let it die down, because it seems it hasn't created a large reaction.

I did an advanced search on twitter  (https://twitter.com/search-advanced?lang=en    ) using "@DarrenCriss" and "Darren Criss" (so it searches for anything with "Darren" or "Criss") and didn't find any negative responses so far, although I missed that tweet you talked about. I did find this:

This week both Darren Criss and Trixie Mattel were in the spotlight, and it's been fascinating to get a peek into hear how they process their multi-ethnic backgrounds and negotiate being white-presenting. pic.twitter.com/TWTbQZNGgl

— Jaime Woo (@jaimewoo) March 16, 2018

It's a much-needed conversation that unfortunately too many people avoid because for a while society considered discussing and articulating ideas of race as equivalent to racism (which was a reaction to how conversations around race were usually rooted in negative stereotypes).

— Jaime Woo (@jaimewoo) March 16, 2018

And to be fair this is a far broader question many racialized people have to tackle, as we deal with the nuance that comes with degrees of being white-presenting, or being considered more attractive for Caucasian-like features.

— Jaime Woo (@jaimewoo) March 16, 2018

Also this (only posting part of the thread cuz it's long):

As a half-Asian, half-white person, I have some thoughts on this convo going on about identification after the Darren Criss interview. Thread:

— Kyle Kizu (@kylekizu) March 16, 2018

Being half-Asian & half-white is an incredibly complicated & difficult identity to grapple with. There are aspects of privilege (esp if white-passing) that you *have* to take into account, but there's also a necessity, to yourself & your Asian parent, not to erase your Asian half

— Kyle Kizu (@kylekizu) March 16, 2018

Darren Criss obviously couldn’t answer with a completely informed academic paper on why he feels the way he feels, and I relate to the difficulty [it seems] he has in working through those questions, especially him noting how he grew up

— Kyle Kizu (@kylekizu) March 16, 2018

To be clear, I don't think Criss is erasing his Asian half or ignoring that family history. I think he's struggling with how complicated this can get and I relate to that. I entirely understand & empathize with someone feeling unsure about how they should identify

— Kyle Kizu (@kylekizu) March 16, 2018

What I think is silly is there being absolutes of yes or no, of there being "I am Asian-American" or "I am not." Obviously, he is half-Asian and half-white. But we're talking about identification, and that stuff can be very fluid

— Kyle Kizu (@kylekizu) March 16, 2018

And someone responded to Kyle's twitter thread:

thank you for explaining this.
I will go further to say ever since I started getting to know darren more recent than others. I've noticed how respectful he is, and how mannerly he conducts himself.

— ShelleyJackson (@Shelley29323726) March 17, 2018

He seems to have a deep respect for his parents. Hats off to her for raising such fine boy boys into such fine gentlemen.

— ShelleyJackson (@Shelley29323726) March 17, 2018

When I see something tweeted that's negative about a celebrity, I usually google it and see if there are articles to read to see if the negative tweet is fair or unfair.   There will always be people who jump to negative conclusions, but I think this will have limited damage.

These two persons Kyle Kizu and Jaime Woo have a respect for the complexity of the issue of identity for bi-racial/mixed race folks.

It's getting late and my eyes are closing on me, so unfortunately, I'm signing off for the night.  Try not to worry too much, Lin.  I really do think this will have limited damage.  When I did the Advanced Search on Twitter (https://twitter.com/search-advanced?lang=en  ), I was struck by all the tweets praising him on Versace.   I didn't spend more than 5 minutes each (searching first "@DarrenCriss" for 5 minutes, then searching all these words, "Darren Criss" for 5 minutes), but the only tweets I found in each of those 5-minute searches were the ones by Kyle Kizu and Jaime Woo, who understood how complicated this issue is.


-

Going by the stuff the writer liked on Twitter, he's definitely aware some people were misinterpreting Darren. He liked a lot of tweets more or less in the same vein of the examples you just posted. I don't know if he has anything to do with choosing that quote or if someone else at Vulture wanted a clickbait-y tagline. Either way, they could have just put that period in the sentence when Darren tweeted his clarification pretty early on, or embedded his tweet in the article. Oh well.
And yeah, I was putting "damage" in quotation marks for a reason, I don't think it's a huge dramatic thing. I just meant the article is probably mostly done circulating on Twitter (and other places) by now, people said their piece and moved on, which is why you're not really seeing (m)any comments in his Twitter mentions at this point. But I'm pretty sure it did go around quite a bit before, otherwise I don't think Yong Chavez would have felt the need to comment?

Poppy wrote:Social media is crazy.  I don't discuss celebrities on twitter.  I rarely tweet, and when I do or retweet, it's involving politicians.


When I see something tweeted that's negative about a celebrity, I usually google it and see if there are articles to read to see if the negative tweet is fair or unfair.

Shame on you Poppy, you're using the Internet wrong. That's just not how it works at all.

But same, I don't use Twitter in any active capacity at all. I only have an account so I can block people whose nonsense I don't want to have to read more than once.

That's good to hear the writer liked tweets that discussed the complexity of racial identity.  Yes, it's hard to tell who decided within Vulture (whether it was the writer or some other staff member of Vulture) to do the Vulture tweet that way, lifting his quote out of context.  I'm sure they knew it was clickbait.  I agree, they should have submitted a clarification within the article itself about Darren's clarifying tweet.  This is something that Darren or his team still could contact them about, as well as removing that quote from Vulture's tweet. I think this would be a discreet way to make sure the clarification is connected to the Vulture article.


I also agree--I think people have moved on.  It doesn't seem to be an issue. 

Lin wrote: But I'm pretty sure it did go around quite a bit before, otherwise I don't think Yong Chavez would have felt the need to comment?

Through that advance Twitter search, you can specify the time period that you are searching for, and even near the time of that Vulture article (March 14 and March 15), when I searched "Darren Criss" and "@DarrenCriss," I didn't see that many independent tweets about the Vulture article.  And most of the independent tweets I did see were supportive of Darren from his fans.  The majority of the comments were comments linked to Vulture's tweet where people replied to the Vulture tweet, and the majority of those tweets were also supportive of Darren.

Yong Chavez could have been motivated to tweet because she felt it was unfair what the Vulture tweet did and because she saw comments from others that she felt were unfair to Darren, not necessarily because she saw a large number of negative tweets on the issue. 

Quotes about Darren and tweets about Darren


From dcriss-archive:

\"Still Watching Versace" Vanity Fair Podcast wrote:
3/14/2018

I can’t really imagine anyone other than Darren playing the role, to be honest with you in this circumstance. I mean, look, everyone needs opportunities, period. We won’t have a chance to prove ourselves, or you know, get the experience we need to do the work that’s expected of us if we’re not given opportunity, but I truly can’t imagine anyone other–and that goes for every minority, every member of the LGBT community–but you know, if I thought that Darren weren’t giving 150% and hadn’t done all of the work, and wasn’t just blowing me away literally every take of this … of this shoot, I would maybe, you know, think otherwise, but I truly can’t think of anyone else playing his role.

Matt Bomer on Darren Criss as Andrew Cunanan (x)

Source:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/still-watching-versace/id1328561705?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Entertainment Weekly wrote:
Barbra Streisand hasn't had a #MeToo moment — and more revelations from PaleyFest

March 17, 2018

But perhaps most entertaining was her exchange with Ryan Murphy after informing him she’d recently binge-watched American Crime Story: The Assassination of Giani Versace. “It’s very scary to me,” she told Murphy. “I had to go fast. I like the parts with Penelope Cruz and Edgar Ramirez, but I don’t like him [Darren Criss as Andrew Cunanan]. He [Criss] was so good but he [Cunanan] was so awful. It’s like ‘Oh this poor individual.’ This is true stuff about him?” A question to which Murphy incredulously replied “Yes,” and then told Streisand, “Barbra, why’d you watch that? That’s not for you. Go and see Glee.”

Source:  http://ew.com/tv/2018/03/17/barbra-streisand-paleyfest/


Also see:  http://www.etonline.com/barbra-streisand-reveals-what-she-really-thinks-of-lady-gagas-a-star-is-born-remake-98554



















Carlin James (from ACS ep 8) talks about Darren Criss with Yong Chavez. | Source

via dcriss-archive







-

From dcriss-archive:



acsversace-news:

“Inside Look: America’s Obsession with Fame” | Desperate for attention. Desperate for fame. The cast and crew explore America’s obsession with celebrity. | 16 March 2018

Via Vanity Fair’s Instagram Story (March 15th, 2018)
*Link

via dcriss-archive





-

Quotes about Darren and Tweets about Darren



From dcriss-archive:

This is very sweet of Zedrick Restauro, who played the taxi driver who drove Andrew Cunanan to his father's place in the Philippines (Episode 8).  It shows what a kind person Darren is, that he goes out of his way to be friendly with Zedrick; what a good guy as well is Zedrick, in that he values people being hospitable and welcoming to others; and how much both men value their Filipino heritage. 

































Didn't get a chance earlier to post this article about Jon Jon Briones.

Harpers Bazaar wrote:
The Assassination of Gianni Versace Episode 8 Introduces the Most Influential Person in Andrew Cunanan's Life

Mar. 14, 2018

Tonight's episode of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story centered on Andrew Cunanan's origin story. Spanning several years in Andrew's early life, from childhood through to his late teens, "Creator/Destroyer" explores his formative relationship with his doting-yet-abusive father, Modesto "Pete" Cunanan. The elder Cunanan is played by actor Jon Jon Briones, who, in the space of just one episode, turns in one of the series' most mesmerizing, frightening performances.

[. . . ]

On his astonishment when he first encountered the role:
"To tell you the truth, when I first read the script, I immediately thought ‘is this really written for an Asian actor?’ There are, truthfully, not a lot of roles for Asian actors that are written with this much complexity, or that offer such a rich story. I had to calm myself down, because I was putting a lot of pressure on myself when I first read it. This is one of the biggest, meatiest roles I've ever read for an Asian actor, so I felt a real responsibility to do it justice.

"Before this, I was getting offered a tiny role for a terrorist, or drug dealer, or the guy behind the counter. There’s still a lot to be done, but I’m hoping that my performance might open up some minds a little bit in Hollywood, because there are a lot of amazing actors that could have done this role, but they just don’t get the opportunities."

On what he focused on to understand Modesto:
“What really stood out to me was that this guy is an immigrant who came from very small means and is essentially self-taught; he put himself through school and got into Merrill Lynch, back in the days when it was just Caucasian Ivy League graduates. He’s an amazing man, in many ways, but he’s also hugely flawed and delusional. His pursuit of the American Dream is so intense, and in the end his single-mindedness was his downfall."

On Modesto's deeply dysfunctional relationship with Andrew, and his abuse of his wife Mary Anne:
"I’m a father, and I can understand loving your child, but his love is like it’s on steroids. In a way, it's like he replaced his wife with Andrew. When the family moved into a bigger house, we see him bringing Andrew in, showing him the master bedroom, instead of bringing his wife in and introducing her to it, like 'This is our house.' It was all about Andrew. I think it came from pure love, but in a twisted, twisted way.

[. . . ]

On Modesto and Andrew's climactic final confrontation, in a sweltering hut in the Philippines.
"I've always been a big fan of Darren's, but to act with him up close was amazing; he's such a giving actor. We rehearsed that scene a huge amount, we walked through it— myself, Darren, Matt and the first AD [assistant director]—and blocked it out ahead of time. He let us just move around the space, feel it out, and so it was like doing a play. When we actually came to film it, there was such a flow to our movements that the emotions would just explode from us. The lighting in that scene was so surreal, too; it reminded m a little bit of that "horror" scene in Apocalypse Now between Marlon Brando and Martin Sheen."

On Matt Bomer, who made his directorial debut with this episode:
"He is amazing. I can’t believe that this was his first directorial gig, considering his understanding of the material and his preparedness. I was grateful that he's also an actor, because he understood the insecurities of actors. This was the biggest on-screen role that I've ever done, so I felt a lot of pressure to deliver, and every time we would cut Matt would come out of the monitor village to give me encouragement. Also: he's so talented, he's so nice, and he looks like that?!"

Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks."  Source:
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/a19437390/assassination-of-gianni-versace-episode-8-recap/













Meant to post this earlier, about Matt Bomer's first experience being a director.    I don't remember if I found these article on acsversace-news or dcriss-archive, but it's possible I saw the articles on both sites. 

TV Line wrote:
Matt Bomer on Making His Directorial Debut in American Crime Story: Versace: 'Can We Sympathize With a Monster?'

March 14, 2018



Wednesday’s episode of American Crime Story: Versace marks the directorial debut of actor Matt Bomer, who — at the risk of sounding “so 2018” — says he was “truly blessed” to get to work on the FX drama.

“When Ryan Murphy called and asked me to do this — after I passed out, regained consciousness and said yes — I knew that it was a serious responsibility,” the actor tells TVLine. “I’d been offered directing jobs before, but they were jobs I was also acting in, and I wanted my first directing experience to be the full-meal deal. I wanted to really do it, to be on the location scouts and design meetings and castings and really have the full experience.

Before stepping behind the camera for his episode’s three-week shoot, Bomer says he read “more than 3,000 pages of material on directing,” met with film and TV directors for guidance, did an intensive at the Director’s Guild of America and shadowed two different directors on three episodes of Versace. To say that he did his homework would be an understatement.

[ . . .]

“We want to see [Andrew] as a three-dimensional human being,” Bomer says, “but the real challenge of this episode is: Can we sympathize with a monster and see that he was also a victim? We’re all ultimately responsible for the decisions we make and the actions we take, but this is someone who was near to violence at a very young age, who was treated like a spouse by both his mother and his father. The central question of this episode is: What makes one person a creator and one person a killer?”

[. . . ]

Bomer adds, “That’s one of the reasons I wanted to be present for everything. It was very clear in the room when I was casting that Edouard Holdener was the right person to play young Andrew.”



He also praises the work of Jon Jon Briones, the actor playing Andrew’s father, who was first brought to his attention by star Darren Criss and EP/writer Tom Rob Smith. “They’d seen him on Broadway in Miss Saigon,” he recalls. This was a guy who had been doing that show for over 20 years, but he was ready for this experience, and his audition was phenomenal. It’s a testament to Ryan Murphy that he’s willing to take a chance on new people who are ready for the experience and ready to serve the story in the best way possible.”

Speaking of exceptional performances, Bomer says he feels “spoiled” that he had a front-row seat to Criss’ take on Andrew almost from the very beginning. “I knew Darren was a brilliant actor and a great artist, but there were times where I would watch him on camera and it was like he just suddenly was this person,” Bomer recalls. “It was bone-chilling to watch.”

Still, it takes a village to put even a single episode of television together, and Bomer has a laundry list of people to thank: “The director of photography, Simon Dennis, was incredible; Jamie Walker McCall designed that incredible plantation set; Alexis Martin Woodall, what she does in the post department is phenomenal; and Shelly Westerman, who edited the episode, is one of my all-time editing heroes.”

“I was really so lucky to work with Ryan’s people,” Bomer adds. “I’d worked with him for so long [on projects like Glee, American Horror Story and The Normal Heart] that I knew most of the camera crew from other jobs. But the level of professionals you work with in his world are top notch.”

Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks."  Source:  http://tvline.com/2018/03/14/american-crime-story-versace-matt-bomer-interview-directorial-debut/
 








EDIT:  Added a few more items:

Entertainment Weekly wrote:
Assassination of Gianni Versace: Matt Bomer on directing that pivotal origin episode

March 14, 2018

Tonight’s episode of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story is notable for giving viewers the origin story of Andrew Cunanan’s childhood and family, particularly his abusive father, Modesto (a terrifying Jon Jon Briones). But it also marks the directorial debut of actor Matt Bomer.

[. . . ]

You played Darren Criss’ brother on Glee. How was it working with him in this regard?
I knew Darren was a tremendous artist and had lots of stories inside of him. I was lucky enough to be in the front row, eating popcorn, watching this performance from very early on. I was watching this performance really since they got to L.A. From the first frame I saw him, I was like, “Whoa. This guy has tapped into something that is electric and spontaneous.” There are moments where Darren is so good, he can be silly and then they’re calling “rolling” and he’s right there. I would look at his face and it was like he had been possessed by this soul. It was really creepy to see and amazing to watch and inspiring.

It’s not a traditional narrative structure. It must have been hard to tell this story backwards.
I had been on set and so immersed in the story for so long that it wasn’t something I had to put a ton of thought into just because I was so entrenched in the story already. I was lucky to get this episode because it’s almost a standalone. So much of this was can we get the audience to sympathize with a monster and understand that he was this child who was inured to violence very early. He had this snake oil salesman of a father who was teaching him that it’s not enough to be smart, you have to fit in. You’re special! Here’s the master bedroom. He basically had this family hostage emotionally, physically, sexually. So we got to watch that all play out on him and then meet him when he’s in high school.

I wanted it all to build up to that great Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now kind of confrontation that they have at the very end. That was kind of our inspiration for that. We wanted to have that final confrontation where you got the feeling if he just lashed out at his dad or punched him or killed him, he wouldn’t have killed anybody else. But because of that moment he turned inward, it later gets expressed outward for other people. We’re all responsible for the choices we make and the actions we take, but Andrew was a victim. We wanted the people to say, “Can I on some level sympathize with a monster?”

[. . . ]

Jon Jon Briones as Modesto Cunanan is incredible. Did you have input in casting him?
Yes, it’s owed to a lot of people. I had been asked to direct before on things I was acting in, but I didn’t want that half-assed first experience directing. I wanted the whole experience. I wanted to be in every casting session I could. I wanted to be on location scouts, design meetings. It’s a real testament to Ryan Murphy, but Jon Jon had been brought to my intention very early on by Darren and Tom Rob Smith, who had both seen him in as the Engineer on Broadway in Miss Saigon. So I immediately reached out to Ryan and the producers and said, “We have to make sure we get this guy on tape.” He gave a kick-ass audition. This is a guy who has been doing mostly Miss Saigon for mostly the last 20-something years, but who was ready for this opportunity. Ryan is willing to take risks on people in order to serve the story. He’s done it for me in the past. This was that moment. My favorite part of this experience was getting to work with Jon Jon and getting to see somebody rise to the occasion.

In lesser hands, that performance would be broad and not so gray. But it’s so shaded.
I saw him as Willy Loman. This is somebody who comes from the rural Philippines and has to pull himself up by the bootstraps. He really had to make his own way. It’s that middle-class thing of you work and work to make to that higher class. What do you sacrifice in the process in terms of your morals and your ethics? It’s a very American, human, relatable story.

Where did Darren’s dance come from at the high school party? Was that improvised?
It was largely improvised. They also had a dance instructor there. We were so excited about that moment and that reveal. It was Ryan’s idea to have “Whip It,” which is such a specific beat and not the easiest thing to dance to. Darren just had a ball with it. In my original cut, it ended with him and Annaleigh Ashford on the dance floor and her falling into a full split.

We shot three different endings to this episode, and one of them was the two of them. But one of my favorite scenes to shoot was them by that fire, and you see that fire of their initial romance and coming together.

What do you want people to take away from your episode?
I think we discover in this episode that Andrew was also a victim. Like I said, we’re responsible for the choices we make and the actions we take. But he at one point was an impressionable, open child who was inured to violence at a young age, and messaging that’s not healthy for anyone to have. The things his father says to him and does to him both as a child and when he’s older that he internalizes were a big part of getting the full, holistic picture of who he was by the time we’re in the final episode with him in Miami.

[ . . . ]

Tell me about doing The Boys in the Band on Broadway!
We start rehearsals on Good Friday. I’m so excited. Just to get to share the stage with those guys and work with Joe Mantello as a director and watch and learn. So much of my understanding of our history starts with Larry Kramer and Torch Song Trilogy. To go back another generation and understand what pre-Stonewall life was like and the fact that these guys are all cooped up in this house together because if they’re dancing in public they’ll be arrested! The stakes are so high! Society has told them that they are “other,” “less than,” and “shameful.” So there are all these misdirected emotions coming at each other in different ways, and what they really want to say is “I love you” and “We’re the same!”

Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks."  Source:  http://ew.com/tv/2018/03/14/assassination-of-gianni-versace-matt-bomer/

\"Still Watching Versace" Vanity Fair podcast wrote:
3/14/2018

I can’t really imagine anyone other than Darren playing the role, to be honest with you in this circumstance. I mean, look, everyone needs opportunities, period. We won’t have a chance to prove ourselves, or you know, get the experience we need to do the work that’s expected of us if we’re not given opportunity, but I truly can’t imagine anyone other–and that goes for every minority, every member of the LGBT community–but you know, if I thought that Darren weren’t giving 150% and hadn’t done all of the work, and wasn’t just blowing me away literally every take of this … of this shoot, I would maybe, you know, think otherwise, but I truly can’t think of anyone else playing his role.

Matt Bomer on Darren Criss as Andrew Cunanan (x)









  
Track: "Creator/Destroyer" with Matt Bomer
Artist: Still Watching: Versace by Vanity Fair

acsversace-news wrote:acsversace-news:

“Creator/Destroyer” with Matt Bomer
Joanna Robinson and Richard Lawson discuss “Creator/Destroyer,” the penultimate episode of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, including additional bonus segments with lead actor Darren Criss. This week’s featured interview is director and frequent Ryan Murphy collaborator Matt Bomer who discusses stepping behind the camera for his directorial debut.

Link to acsversace-news:  https://acsversace-news.tumblr.com/post/171887134299/creatordestroyer-with-matt-bomer-joanna

-

ACS Versace Finale Screeinging (March 19, 2018)


From Darren Criss Army:

Darren Criss Army wrote:
Video from ACS Versace cast panel (March 19, 2018)

You can see a 20-minute video of the ACS Versace cast panel from the advance finale screening on March 19th HERE

Link to see the video:  https://www.pscp.tv/w/1gqxvpBXEkjGB









 

 

 

 
Darren Criss, Cody Fern, Edgar Ramirez, Ricky Martin, Judith Light, Max Greenfield, Jon Jon Briones, Matt Bomer

Attendees at the For Your Consideration event for FX’s ‘The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ on March 19, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. 

(Photos by JB Lacroix/WireImage)











“Celebrating an amazing season of @americancrimestoryfx. Great work by an awesome cast. So proud of our own @jonjonbriones and his work as Modesto Cunanan #FYC2018  #abramsartistagency #proudagent  #darrencriss #ryanmurphy #mattbomer”  #ACSVersace

Source










Edgar Ramirez & Darren Criss
At the #ACSVersace advance finale screening & cast panel, March 19 2018













From dcriss-archive:




DCriss Archive

ACS Versace Cast at the For Your Consideration event IG Story Video Compilation via amber_curry, eli.n.or, keonityler, ohheylynette,  rachacha920 and robert.liu’s Instagram Story (March 19th, 2018)










Author Maureen Orth , Actor Edgar Ramirez, Actor Darren Criss, Actor Cody Fern, Executive producer Brad Simpson, Actor Max Greenfield, Actress Judith Light, Singer Ricky Martin, Actor Jon Jon Briones, Executive producer Alexis Martin Woodall, Executive Producer/ director Daniel Minahan and director Matt Bomer attend The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story season finale episode at the Director Guild of America on March 19, 2018, in West Hollywood, California.









Author Maureen Orth , Actor Edgar Ramirez, Actor Darren Criss, Actor Cody Fern, Executive producer Brad Simpson, Actor Max Greenfield, Actress Judith Light, Singer Ricky Martin, Actor Jon Jon Briones, Executive producer Alexis Martin Woodall, Executive Producer/ director Daniel Minahan and director Matt Bomer at ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ TV show FYC event, Los Angeles, USA - 19 Mar 2018











Darren Criss arrives at the for your consideration event for FX’s ‘The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ held at DGA Theater on March 19, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.









Darren Criss arrives at the for your consideration event for FX’s ‘The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ held at DGA Theater on March 19, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.












Edgar Ramirez and Darren Criss arrive at the for your consideration event for FX’s ‘The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ held at DGA Theater on March 19, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.









Cody Fern, Edgar Ramirez, Darren Criss and Ricky Martin arrive at the for your consideration event for FX’s ‘The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ held at DGA Theater on March 19, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.








The last pic is so cute. 





Cody Fern, Edgar Ramirez, Darren Criss, Ricky Martin and Max Greenfield arrive at “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” For Your Consideration event at the DGA Theater on Monday, March 19, 2018, in Los Angeles.

















Darren Criss and Edgar Ramirez arrive at “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” For Your Consideration event at the DGA Theater on Monday, March 19, 2018, in Los Angeles.












Darren Criss arrives at “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” For Your Consideration event at the DGA Theater on Monday, March 19, 2018, in Los Angeles.











Darren Criss arrives at “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” For Your Consideration event at the DGA Theater on Monday, March 19, 2018, in Los Angeles.









Too bad about the watermarks.

Darren Criss, Cody Fern, Edgar Ramirez and Ricky Martin at ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ TV show FYC event, Los Angeles, USA - 19 Mar 2018











Via Yvonne Villarreal’s Instagram Story (March 19th, 2018)

via dcriss-archive












Cute pic. 

mariaispretty: My Latina heart exploded!   i love my job #losangeles #gianniversace






-

From Darren Criss Army:

Gold Derby wrote:
Emmys 2018: ‘American Crime Story’ could become the first show since ‘Prime Suspect’ to repeat as Best Limited Series

March 19, 2018

This spring FX’s “American Crime Story” returned for its second season, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” which explores the murder of the famous fashion designer (played by Edgar Ramirez) by serial killer Andrew Cunanan(played by Darren Criss). It’s the early front-runner to win Best Limited Series based on the combined predictions of hundreds of Gold Derby users who have entered their picks in our predictions center thus far. The first season of “ACS,” “The People v. O.J. Simpson,” also won top honors in 2016, so a victory for “Versace” would make this the first series since “Prime Suspect” to repeat as Best Limited Series.

Anthologies have had a TV revival in recent years. Ryan Murphy helped re-popularize the form with “American Horror Story,” which debuted in 2011. Since then we’ve seen other anthologies like “Fargo,” “American Crime” and “Black Mirror” earn acclaim and awards. But since that revival of the genre no show has won Best Limited Series multiple times.

[. . . ]

“American Crime Story” is unlike “Prime Suspect” in that it follows an entirely different storyline every season and doesn’t overlap its characters. So it’s hard to know for sure if television academy voters will respond to the “Versace” series as strongly as they responded to “O.J.,” but we know voters love Ryan Murphy, who has won 4 Emmys out of 26 nominations, including Best TV Movie for “The Normal Heart” (2014) and Best Limited Series for “O.J.” So do you think “Versace” will follow in the footsteps of “Roots” and “Prime Suspect” by repeating for Best Limited Series?

Source:  http://www.goldderby.com/article/2018/emmys-2018-american-crime-story-best-limited-series-news-357924608/










Annaleigh Ashford, Darren Criss & Joe Adler - BTS at ACS Versace

Shared by Joe on Instagram








-

ACS Versace Finale Screeinging (March 19, 2018)



From dcriss-archive:



Too bad Finn Wittrock and Ryan were not able to attend.  I wish the moderator had asked Jon Jon Briones a question.   What Darren said was touching, about his scenes with Mike Farrell's Lee Miglin.  Darren was very eloquent in discussing how skillfully Mike Farrell portrayed the internal conflict that Lee Miglin  struggled with, how Mike Farrell so skillfully expressed what Lee Miglin felt to be his personal demons, being in the closet, and struggling to reconcile that with being a good man, a man who loved his wife deeply.  Darren said the hardest part for him was seeing that conflict in the eyes of Mike Farrell's Lee Miglin, with Darren knowing his character was the vehicle that would destroy this good man's soul.  I guess Mike Farrell was in the audience?  High compliments from Darren to Mike Farrell for his poignant portrayal of Lee Miglin.   (I completely agree.  I thought Mike Farrell was so good at capturing the vulnerability, the sweetness, of this kind man, who struggled so greatly.  I think I emotionally bonded the most with Cody Fern's David Madson and Mike Farrell's Lee Miglin.  I think it was because of their sweetness, their vulnerability, their softness.)  Darren also had discussed before how he has tried to keep up the morale of the cast by keeping things light on set while not filming, which is so nice.  I agree with Darren that the emotion of anger is a simple emotion, but I distinguish acting out violence as something that is not a simple act, because violence involves not just expressing anger against a target, but also may involve expressing power over another human being, as well as  involve other emotions felt by the person who acts out the violence, such as the emotions of hurt and betrayal.  Edgar made me cry, imagining how Gianni  Versace died slowly, perhaps hearing and feeling the grief of those he loved and who loved him, the grief of Antonio.  Edgar also had nice words about Penelope, how even with his eyes closed, Edgar felt the grief acted by Penelope as Donatella.   Cody Fern is funny--how he was getting into the emotion of realizing his character was about to die, and then Darren cheerfully greets him.  It was nice of Cody to say that he appreciated Darren's efforts to bring some balance to the emotions on the set while not filming.   I also thought it was interesting what Max Greenfield said, about how it was important to hold onto the emotions of the character, of feeling lost, of the sorrow, until shooting ended, but once filming ended, he felt a great sense of a weight being lifted.   Again, I really wish Jo Jo Briones had an opportunity to talk about what it was like to play the father of Andrew Cunanan--the master who taught the student how to lie and charm, how to dominate and tear down people's souls and self-esteem.

Panel discussion ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ (March 19th, 2018) | Source









extratv: Brace yourselves for the #ACSVersace finale! Stars @ricky_martin, @darrencriss & @edgarramirez25 are dishing! bit.ly/2DIzfrH

via dcriss-archive









Stars Talk ‘ACS: Assassination Of Gianni Versace’ Finale | Source

*Darren edit

via dcriss-archive










extratv: Tonight on #ExtraTV: Ready for the #ACSVersace finale? @ricky_martin, @darrencriss & @edgarramirez25 are giving us the scoop!

via dcriss-archive









acsversace-news:

via Sharon Marie Wright’s Facebook page | 20 March 2018

via dcriss-archive











Darren Criss Explains How He and JC Chasez Teamed Up to Sing a Classic *NSYNC Song (Exclusive)TV

When Criss isn’t singing, he’s busy working as an actor, earning rave reviews for his role on ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,’ which airs Wednesdays on FX.

via dcriss-archive













jonjonbriones: Great night last night viewing the final episode of @americancrimestoryfx#TheAssassinationOfGianniVersace with some amazing people. I was geeking out!!! With @maureen_orth @edgarramirez25 @codyfern @darrencriss @iammaxgreenfield @judithlight @ricky_martin @danminahan @mattbomer Thank you @mrrpmurphy #NinaJacobson #BradSimpson Such an honor!















Darren Criss arrives at the for your consideration event for FX’s ‘The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ held at DGA Theater on March 19, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.









Edgar Ramirez and Darren Criss arrive at the for your consideration event for FX’s ‘The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ held at DGA Theater on March 19, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.








This is a cute pic of Darren. 

mariaalejandra2.8: Assisting in portraits can be fun! #losangeles #california #portrait #gianniversace #latimes #entertainment #photooftheday #celebrityportrait













Darren Criss speaks onstage during the For Your Consideration Event for FX’s ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ at DGA Theater on March 19, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.












ashleypweston: These handsome gentlemen celebrating the final episode of #ACSVersace last night #AWerk #DarrenCriss








The composer: 


















seancmichael: What an amazing #SeasonFinale to @ACSFX #GianniVersace Thank you @FXXNetwork @TelevisionAcad and the incredible @DarrenCriss @edgarramirez25 @ricky_martin @iamgreenfield @JudithLight @ninajacobson @tomrobsmith & cast / crew for an amazing season.











From Darren Criss Army:



Darren Criss at ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ TV show FYC event, Los Angeles, USA - 19 Mar 2018 

Photos: Scott Kirkland/REX/Shutterstock








Interesting excerpts of the discussion at the Finale screening.  Please visit the site to read the entire article--a very interesting issue raised by Ricky Martin of having to relive in the closet for one of the scenes, and I also learned that Jon Jon Briones  would shoot his scenes in Versace, then take a red eye to do a matinee and evening performance for Miss Saigon on Broadway!  Jon Jon also has some kind words for the director of Episode 8, Matt Bomer. 

Entertainment Weekly wrote:
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace cast reveals most difficult scenes to film

March 20, 2018

Emmy nominations may be four months away, but the campaign season kicked off on Monday night, when the cast and producers of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story reunited for a For Your Consideration event at the Directors Guild of America theater in Los Angeles.

After a screening of the season finale, “Alone” (March 21 at 10 p.m. ET on FX), stars Darren Criss, Edgar Ramirez, Ricky Martin, Cody Fern, Max Greenfield, Judith Light, and Jon Jon Briones, as well as executive producer Brad Simpson, EP/writer Tom Rob Smith, and Vulgar Favors author Maureen Orth, talked openly about the challenges of bringing the story of Andrew Cunanan and his victims to the screen, the most difficult scenes to film, and, of course, which wardrobe pieces they really wanted to steal.

[. . . ]

The hardest scene Darren Criss had to film did not involve murder


Though he murders four people onscreen as killer Andrew Cunanan, Criss said the most difficult scene for him to film was the intense encounter in episode 3 between Andrew and his third victim, Chicago real estate mogul Lee Miglin (played by M*A*S*H star Mike Farrell). “People always ask me what the hardest thing to shoot was, and I think they want to hear the violence, the aggression — but those are simple things,” said Criss. “Violence is a base act from a very accessible place — it’s easy to get angry. But what is truly twisted and heartbreaking is looking into Mike Farrell’s eyes [as he’s] playing this deeply closeted man who loves his wife, and is truly a good man who is fighting a demon he can’t escape — and then me having to drive the car as somebody waging psychological warfare on this person. When I would leave those scenes, I’d feel like, Ugghhh,” the actor continued. “I think people on set maybe thought it was because I was getting intimate with Mike Farrell — it wasn’t that, it was having to, like, penetrate a man’s soul who was trying so desperately to keep it together.”

Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks."  Source:  http://ew.com/tv/2018/03/20/assassination-of-gianni-versace-cast-revelations/









Edit:  Added this:

Oh, those are cookies.  I thought they were soap bars.  Those cookies are too pretty to eat!

acsversace-news:

via Rondine Alcala’s Instagram Story | 19 March 2018

via dcriss-archive


-

From Darren Criss Army:



danminahan ACS: VERSACE finale episode “Alone” airs Weds at 10pm. Be sure to watch - I directed this one!









@ACSFX Haunting words, no matter the language. #ACSVersace











Behind the Scenes, Matt Bomer as director of Episode 8.   This is what I suspected:  Matt doesn't just seem like a nice guy.  He is a nice guy.   And he did a great job on Episode 8.  My husband was impressed when I told him Matt directed that episode (and it was his directorial debut!).    Matt's so sweet with the little boy who played young Gianni.   My husband's co-worker who was born in the Philippines and visits relatives there, had thought the airport was in the Philippines. And she also thought Modesto's brother's house was really in the Philippines, although she said the show made that area nicer than it really is.   So the set person did a great job. 

The Assassination of Gianni Versace | Inside Season 2: Matt Bomer, Director | FX

(Source: youtube.com)








From dcriss-archive:



Episode 8:

hannamargulies: A few from #acsversace













-

Quotes about Darren and Tweets/Instagrams about Darren



From Darren Criss Army:

It's amazing how a person with such kind eyes, can turn his facial expression, especially his eyes, to icy cold hardness when he plays Andrew Cunanan in Versace.

"Darren Criss I wish for you to win all the Emmys you deserve. You definitely have my vote. I admire what you just did at the FYC event. You took your time to take a photo w every single person who wanted one."

- #classact #respect #humble #talented #beautiful #soul  #darrencriss #inspiration #passion #love @americancrimestoryfx #emmy

Source: lamariabeck on Instagram

via Darren Criss Army

Source:  https://www.instagram.com/p/BgiL2JeFKoJ/










Darren with a fan

kathylynn904: “I am blown away by the phenomenal performance @darrencriss is giving on this season of @americancrimestoryfx …you want to hate him but he takes it to a level where you feel for his character no matter how evil he is…an Emmy winning performance and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy! “He’s so bad but he does it so well…” “









From dcriss-archive:


Such a sweet, heartfelt message. 

kaleighweston: Last night was just so incredible. The Assassination of Gianni Versace is a must watch show, the acting is superb. I once again met one of my favorite actors, the lead Darren Criss, who is also one of the kindest people you could ever meet. Seriously Darren Criss, is an actor I have seen on Broadway kill it as Hedwig a trans-woman, filled with so much passion and love. To Andrew a killer, lost in his own dream world. He is a talented man who truly takes his time to meet all his fans, honors those around him, and praises his fellow actors. His is a career I will continue to follow and one of a few actors I truly wish I get the chance to work with one day. #darrencriss #codyfern #acsversace #fx #americancrimestory #actors #dreams















tvproducerbarra  There is something wrong with the world if @darrencriss doesn’t get nominated (and win) for @americancrimestoryfx The finale is brilliant, his acting is exquisite and he’s Incredibly kind, humble and really funny too! #EmmyPerks #FYC











She is actually an Emmy voter.  I guess she knew Darren since the days of Camp Young Actors Theater Camp.  That is such a cool personal connection.





-

From dcriss-archive:


Episode 8:

ACSFX: Like father, like son. #ACSVersace @DarrenCriss @JonJonBriones

via dcriss-archive







-

From Darren Criss Army:

Tonight's the night for those in the U.S. and Canada--the finale for ACS Versace:  American Crime Story! 



This video is helpful to me, keeping the dates clear. 

americancrimestoryfx It’s the night to say goodbye. Every moment has led to the FINALE of #ACSVersace. Tonight at 10p on FX.

via Darren Criss Army










americancrimestoryfx Money corrupts. #ACSVersace

via Darren Criss Army








maureen_orth It’s over tonight! But hey! Darren Criss’s remarkable portrayal of Andrew Cunanan in #acsversace will be followed by his adorable fiancée Mia Swier soon opening a piano bar in Hollywood where we can all go sing and surely be able to congratulate Darren on an Emmy winning performance! you guys and whole great cast. #tw #darrencriss #vulgarfavors








I am having difficulty copying the video in this article.  Please go to their website to listen to it; Ricky says some very touching, insightful things about how relevant is this show to the current environment as it affects the LGBTQ community.  He also comments on  how the show normalizes folks' LGBTQ identity and thus how the show, in some way, is normalizing his own life.   The editing is weird, in that the video then switches from the interview with Ricky, to the interview with Darren, but the video does not show the different question asked of Darren.  (I imagine the question is how this role is so different from the role of Blaine, to which Darren replies that an actor's job is to act various roles.)   Then the interviewer (Kristin Dos Santos?) asks two questions at once.  (Why would she do that?).  Darren skillfully answers the first question about the homophobia that is being portrayed in the show, by complimenting the writers.  Darren then discusses the second question, why his character is difficult to watch, coming from his point of view as the actor who is portraying Andrew Cunanan.  (As a viewer, coming the audience's point of view, it's also difficult to watch Andrew in this show because it's hard to see the violent acts that result in the deaths of other characters representing real people who were good human beings.)  Uck--the stuff Darren ate was moldy.  Hopefully, the crew just simulated mold.  Darren looks fine, so I guess he's ok. 

E! News wrote:
Ryan Murphy Talks New Show With Ricky Martin, and Why He Can't Care Too Much What Donatella Thinks

Mar. 21, 2018

In an exclusive chat with E! News, Murphy reveals how he knew Darren Criss, as Cunanan, could take the show to the depths it needed, his thoughts on the man behind the monster, Andrew's father, Modesto "Pete" Cunanan, and why he can't concern himself too much with what Donatella might think.

There was some skepticism when Darren Criss was cast as Cunanan that he could pull it off, and the finale feels like his most challenging work yet. Did you initially have any doubts?

I did not. It's something Darren and I have been talking about for a long time and I was never going to make this show unless he did it. The stars aligned and I was proud of him. He showed up every day very prepared. He worked longer and harder than anybody. He sensed this could be really the role of a lifetime because they don't write roles like this for young actors. This part is Shakespearean. It's the most difficult, multi-faceted role of the year. It's essentially nine hours of somebody having a nervous breakdown. He went for it. I knew he would.

The final two episodes shed a lot of light on Andrew Cunanan's relationship with his father. Do you feel like his dad was the real monster behind this tragedy?

In no way did I want to glamorize what Andrew Cunanan did, because what he did was monstrous and horrific and took the lives of five people. I was interested in showing the trail of destruction that he left but also interested in… nobody is born a monster. Nobody is born a psychopath or sociopath and I thought, unlike OJ Simpson, where we never really went into OJ's backstory or childhood in that way, here was an opportunity that we could.

And I thought that Andrew's father being a Filipino man and chasing the American dream and having to win at all costs – were things that he passed down to his son. And I think the physical abuse, the sexual abuse, that Andrew witnessed his father hitting his mother repeatedly, the violence that he grew up with, he became desensitized to it and that was all in the water and part of the reason why he was able to kill so easily and with very little remorse.

What is known about whether Andrew was physically or sexually abused by his father? The show strongly infers it, but doesn't actually go there.

It's hard because it's hard to substantiate that. We had people discussing his childhood, who claimed in Maureen Orth's book that, look, any boy that's given the master bedroom…you have have to question what those motivations are about. But obviously, we had a point of view, and Maureen Orth had a point of view, and eye witnesses and people who knew Andrew. But everybody was a victim in it. It's such a dark, American story about identity and the quest for fame and all of that stuff, which are issues that I've always been interested in.

[. . . ]

Spoiler alert, and it's a small thing, but … Did Darren Criss really eat dog food for the scene in tonight's finale?
Andrew Cunanan definitely ate dog food. Darren did not eat dog food, although I don't know what that stuff was, but whenever I would watch the edits, it would make me gag. It was wet and moldy. I wouldn't recommend it.

The finale of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story airs tonight, 10 p.m. on FX.

Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks."  Source:  http://www.eonline.com/news/922010/ryan-murphy-talks-new-show-with-ricky-martin-and-why-he-can-t-care-too-much-what-donatella-thinks

ET Canada wrote:
Stars Talk ‘ACS: Assassination Of Gianni Versace’ Finale



“American Crime Story: Assassination of Gianni Versace” stars Ricky Martin, Edgar Ramirez and Darren Criss talk about the final episode of the show and why they hope the show will spark a conversation about ongoing homophobia in America.

Please visit the site to give the article a number of "clicks."  Source:  https://etcanada.com/video/1190480963716/stars-talk-acs-assassination-of-gianni-versace-finale/?sf185130675=1









Darren Criss Army suggesting we tweet our thanks to the ACS Versace team. 

Darren Criss Army wrote:
ACS Versace Appreciation Days #ThanksForACSVersace



















For more info: @TheCrissProject

From dcriss-archive:


















Link










Via Darren’s Instagram Story (March 21st, 2018)

via dcriss-archive










bbc: Behind the scenes with @darrencriss! #ACSVersace continues at 9pm on @BBCTwo. ---#DarrenCriss #BehindTheScenes #BTS #OnSet


-