Ryan Murphy fans, prepare yourself: FOX's Glee sang its swan song in March of this year. FOX's Scream Queens will slash its way to its Season 1 finale this coming Tuesday. FX's American Horror Story: Hotel will finish haunting us in January. But, if you're worried about where you'll be getting your next Murphy fix, never fear: FX is about to unveil the famous showrunner's newest anthology series, American Crime Story . There may be no singing teens or shrieking sorority girls or couture-loving vampires in Murphy's newest show, but based on the first official trailer for The People V. O.J. Simpson (the subtitle of the first season), it will still have plenty of the juicy drama he's known for.
The People V. O.J. Simpson is based on Jeffrey Toobin's 2013 book The Run Of His Life that documented the ins and outs of the highly-publicized trial. According to ACS ' website, the show "is a look at the O.J. Simpson trial told from the perspective of the lawyers. It explores the chaotic behind-the-scenes dealings and maneuvering on both sides of the court, and how a combination of prosecution overconfidence, defense shrewdness, and the LAPD’s history with the city’s African-American community gave a jury what it needed: reasonable doubt."
While we've gotten a few vague teases for the show over the past few months, this is our first chance to really see the cast in action. Here are the major players in the first season of American Crime Story, and who they're portraying.
Sarah Paulson
"I'm not a public personality. I don't know how to do this."
The five-time American Horror Story veteran is following Murphy to his newest endeavor, starring here as Marcia Clark, the prosecutor assigned to make the case against O.J. Sadly for her (and Lady Justice), we all know how that case turned out for her... Ms. Clark may not have come out of this a winner, but it looks like Paulson will, delivering another compelling performance in a Ryan Murphy production. Will this finally be her Emmy-winning role?
David Schwimmer
"He was my friend. I don't turn my back on people."
Is it coincidence that the first sentence we hear Schwimmer utter in his new role ends in the word "friend"? The former Friends star is making a rare foray into drama to portray Robert Kardashian — yes, that Kardashian, as in first husband of Kris Jenner and father of Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, and Rob. He was a close personal acquaintance of O.J.'s who ended up serving as one of the lawyers on the suspect's defense team.
John Travolta
"Who the hell signs a suicide note with a happy face?"
First Rob Lowe in Behind The Candelabra and now Travolta in ACS... As O.J.'s lead counsel, the famous actor has altered his face almost beyond recognition, looking more like a pumpkin than the star of Saturday Night Fever. Shapiro was the lawyer initially in charge of O.J.'s defense team before being demoted in favor of...
Courtney B. Vance
"I ain't trying to be respectful. I'm trying to win."
Johnnie Cochran took point on O.J.'s case after Shapiro's demotion, and is the one who uttered the infamous phrase, "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit" during closing arguments. Vance is most famous for playing A.D.A. Ron Carver on over 100 episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, but he has also had recurring or main roles on the likes of ER, FlashForward, Revenge, and State Of Affairs.
Cuba Gooding, Jr.
"You want to make this a black thing. Well, I'm not black — I'm O.J."
And then there's O.J. himself. Gooding, Jr. may not share the pro footballer's hulking frame, but the Oscar winner certainly has the acting chops to pull off the tricky role. Although Gooding, Jr.'s career has been hit-or-miss since 1996's Jerry Maguire, he's on a roll lately between supporting roles in acclaimed films like Lee Daniels' The Butler and Selma, a high-profile appearance on FOX's Empire, and now this.
But Wait, There's More!
"Do you think he did it?" "She was terrified of him."
Those five are far from the only significant players in this sprawling story. Here we have a glimpse of Selma Blair as Robert Kardashian's wife Kris and AHS vet Connie Britton as Nicole Brown Simpson's friend Faye Resnick. The trailer also shows us Bruce Greenwood as District Attorney Gil Garcetti and Kenneth Choi as Judge Lance Ito.
Then there's those we haven't even seen yet: Nathan Lane as defense attorney F. Lee Bailey; Jordana Brewster as Nicole Brown's sister Denise; Billy Magnussen as star witness Kato Kaelin; Steven Pasquale as detective Mark Fuhrman; and many, many more.
Check out the trailer right here, and then tune into American Crime Story's premiere on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016 on FX:
Images: FX Networks/YouTube (7)
