FX's upcoming The People Vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story will not only dramatize the infamous '90s murder trial of the once-beloved actor and football player — the miniseries will also show the humble beginnings of the now-incredibly famous Kardashian siblings. For those who may not remember, Kris Jenner's ex-husband was Simpson defense attorney Robert Kardashian, who is father to Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, and Rob. E! reports that at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour, producers of The People Vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story revealed that the Kardashian kids will appear in the miniseries, if only for a little bit.
Just as Friends' David Schwimmer will play Robert Kardashian and Selma Blair will step into Kris' not-yet momager shoes, there are actors cast to play the roles of young Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, and Rob during the 10-hour miniseries. Yet executive producer Scott Alexander told the press at the TCAs that they will only appear in five minutes. That's right, five minutes, not exactly the kind of screentime the Kardashians get on TV and Instagram today. Or, as exec producer Ryan Murphy put it, "in the 10 episodes, there are over 400 scenes that were written, and of those 400 scenes, only four or five of them involve the Kardashian children... so I think that gives you a grasp on how important we felt they were to the story."
Still, their presence will certainly be memorable. The People Vs. O.J. Simpson shot scenes in Robert Kardashian's actual home in 1995, and a previously released trailer revealed a scene in which O.J. (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.) contemplates suicide in Kim's childhood bedroom.
It's easy to forget now, but before social media and Keeping Up With the Kardashians, the Kardashian family was primarily associated with the O.J. Simpson murder trial and the insane media circus that surrounded it. Wall-to-wall coverage existed in the '90s, with trial "stars" like Kato Kaelin and Faye Resnick even emerging. In essence, it was the Kardashian family's first brush with fame and it's the very beginning of their own story — in a way, you could say it led to their complete media dominance today.
"We thought it would be valuable to have them there just for a little sprinkling," Alexander said at the TCAs of their appearance in the FX miniseries. "There were a lot of themes that we wanted to hit in the scripts: the beginning of the 24-hour news cycle, the beginning of reality TV. And they were sort of emblematic of the beginning of this era."
And that makes me even more excited to check out The People Vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story when it premieres next month.
