Cuba Gooding Jr. plays O.J. Simpson in FX’s ‘American Crime Story.’ (FX/Fox 21 Television Studios)
Millions of people watched and dissected O.J. Simpson’s murder trial, but executive producer and director Ryan Murphy says an upcoming FX series that focuses on that courtroom saga may surprise viewers.
American Crime Story: The People V. O.J. Simpson will kick off Murphy’s new true-crime anthology series when it premieres in 2016. Production started this spring.
“Our goal is to show you the behind-the-scenes mechanizations of crimes, stuff that you didn’t know,” Murphy says, speaking to USA TODAY after a screening this week of his new Fox comedy-horror series, Scream Queens. “When I read the scripts, I didn’t know half the stuff (that occurred). I’m like, ‘That happened? That happened?’ I think people will find them so illuminating. I did.”
Murphy, who is directing, raves about Cuba Gooding Jr.’s portrayal of O.J. Simpson, who was ultimately acquitted of the 1994 murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman.
“Cuba is so talented. He’s turning in a great performance,” Murphy says.
John Travolta plays Robert Shapiro in FX’s ‘American Crime Story.’ (FX/Fox 21 Television Studios)
Murphy (Glee, American Horror Story), revels in the casting of John Travolta, likening that to his efforts to persuade Jessica Lange to join Horror Story and Jamie Lee Curtis to appear in Queens. He says he begged Travolta, who will play defense attorney Robert Shapiro, to read the scripts.
“He read the scripts, which are among the best I’ve ever read, and he said, ‘OK, I’ll do it,’ ” Murphy says. “I grew up with John Travolta and I grew up with Jamie Lee Curtis and Jessica Lange, so it again came from that place of fandom.”
Crime Story, which will focus on a different true-crime story each season, also features Courtney Vance as Simpson attorney Johnnie Cochran, David Schwimmer as O.J. friend and lawyer Robert Kardashian and American Horror Story‘s Sarah Paulson as prosecutor Marcia Clark.
The 10-episode Simpson is based on Jeffrey Toobin’s book, The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson. The first two hours are written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (The People vs. Larry Flynt, Big Eyes).
