How Accurate Is American Crime Story's Main Cast? See Their Real-Life Counterparts
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American Crime Story's colorful second season, dubbed The Assassination of Gianni Versace, has officially begun. FX and Ryan Murphy's splashy true crime hit follows the lead-up to the tragic murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace, as well as delves inside the twisted mind of the serial killer who ended his life, Andrew Cunanan. So, how does the cast stack up to the real-life people who lived through the tragedy? Let's take a look.
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Edgar Ramirez as Gianni Versace
The most convincing casting decision made on this show has to be Edgar Ramirez as Gianni Versace. The actor, who's appeared in Bright and Gold, perfectly embodies the innovative fashion designer who made both himself and Versace a favorite among supermodels and celebrities. Although Gianni was 50-years-old at the time of his murder, Ramirez is only 40, which is a testament to how dedicated the drama is to accurately portraying these public figures (well, looks-wise).
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Penélope Cruz as Donatella Versace
It was always going to take a special kind of actress to play the passionate artistic director of Versace. Although Lady Gaga was initially rumored to be taking on the role, it ended up in the hands of Penélope Cruz, who looks spot-on. At the time of Gianni's death, Donatella was actually running her own, smaller label, Versus Versace, but stepped up to take over for her brother. As we all know now, she's gone on to become an icon herself.
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Darren Criss as Andrew Cunanan
Darren Criss? Is that really you? The actor completely sheds his Glee roots to play serial killer Andrew Cunanan, a gay social climber with a genius-level IQ from California. Before eventually killing Versace, Cunanan murdered at least five other men during a late '90s killing spree. He committed suicide on a Miami houseboat shortly after murdering the fashion designer.
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Ricky Martin as Antonio D’Amico
Season two sees Ricky Martin playing Antonio D’Amico, Gianni Versace's longtime lover. The two originally met in 1982, and remained in a committed relationship until the murder in 1997 (D'Amico was actually the person who first found Gianni's body after he was shot).
"It's a story that needs to be told," Martin told Entertainment Weekly of the couple's relationship. "We're going to go mainstream with a story that talks about homophobia, that talks about hate, that talks about indifference. I feel humbled. It's so raw and honest and so dramatic and sad. But at the same time, you show the love of Versace and D'Amico and 15 years of struggling, fighting. It's something that I really wanted to be loud about."