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American Crime Story Anticipation

yeswedo

By yeswedo
in American Crime Story

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Aethera

Aethera

So what does everyone think of the casting? From Wikipedia:

 

 

  • Cuba Gooding, Jr. as O. J. Simpson
  • Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark
  • John Travolta as Robert Shapiro
  • David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian
  • Courtney B. Vance as Johnnie Cochran
  • Nathan Lane as F. Lee Bailey
  • Jordana Brewster as Denise Brown
  • Selma Blair as Kris Kardashian
  • Billy Magnussen as Kato Kaelin
  • Connie Britton as Faye Resnick
  • Steven Pasquale as Mark Fuhrman
  • Sterling K. Brown as Christopher Darden
  • Kenneth Choi as Judge Lance Ito
  • Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Al Cowlings
  • Evan Handler as Alan Dershowitz
  • Cheryl Ladd as Linell Shapiro, Robert Shapiro's wife
  • Bruce Greenwood as Gil Garcetti
  • Leonard Roberts as Dennis Schatzman
  • Asia Monet Ray as Sydney Simpson
  • Keesha Sharp as Dale Cochran

 

 

 

Pretty much the definition of All-Star and That Guy! casting. I don't know who I'm most excited about...possibly Courtney B. Vance.

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Aethera

Aethera

I would be a lot happier if John Travolta and David Schwimmer weren't in it.  I was looking forward to this, until I saw their names.  Can't stand the two of them.

 

I can live with Schwimmer, but I do think Travolta is going to be, well, Travolta-ing all over the place. It's sort of depressing.

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TVFan17

TVFan17

I was all over the O.J. trial on TV when it was happening -- all 9 months of it, or whatever it was.  When it was over and well in the past, a few of the "players" in the whole O.J. case used to visit agents, publicists, managers or lawyers right near where I worked.  I had a prime viewing spot to watch people parade by our storefront office window on Wilshire Blvd., and I saw Denise Brown, Kato Kaelin (repeatedly) and Al Cowlings saunter by on their way to or from wherever they were going (they were not together, obviously!).

 

I question the casting of Cuba as O.J.  I don't see it.  Cuba, to me, doesn't appear to have the physical presence of O.J.  He doesn't seem to have the same sort of husky build or stature.  But... I will keep an open mind.  Maybe he will make me believe he is O.J.  John Travolta and David Schwimmer... hmmm....  Even Connie Britton as Faye Resnick seems like an odd choice to me.  Nathan Lane?  Malcolm-Jamal Warner?  Hmmm...

 

At a glance, this cast almost seems comical.   I want this to be good, in a freaky Ryan Murphy sort of way.  I have my doubts that it will be, though.  I think that Ryan Murphy and company have a way of bringing out the best in their actors, in both American Horror Story and in Scream Queens (even if the plots are all over the place).  I am hoping this will be one of those situations.

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ciprus

ciprus

I'm looking forward to this. I think it's going to be really well acted. I don't know about well written, because it's Ryan Murphy - but the story is already written so he can't go all crazy with it (I hope). I like the casting on paper, but I'm not sure about Cuba Gooding Jr. There's nothing about him that says OJ to me. Hopefully, he's a good enough actor to make me believe him even though he looks nothing like the man.

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lovinbob

lovinbob

I'm looking forward to this. I think it's going to be really well acted. I don't know about well written, because it's Ryan Murphy - but the story is already written so he can't go all crazy with it (I hope). I like the casting on paper, but I'm not sure about Cuba Gooding Jr. There's nothing about him that says OJ to me. Hopefully, he's a good enough actor to make me believe him even though he looks nothing like the man.

Cuba Gooding Jr. is just baffling to me. I wonder if he was the biggest name they could get—I imagine A-listers would tend to want to avoid this role. I think Cuba is a good actor, so I'll wait to see what he does with the role, but he is so short compared to OJ! I saw him listed as 5'10' in shoes--which leads me to believe he is 5'8" at the most. OJ is 6'1". And their facial features are so different too.

 

Trying to think of some actors who'd be better in the role. Duane Johnson popped in my head, though he is somewhat fairer than OJ. Morris Chestnut would be believable. Terry Crews?

 

I know looking like the character is only part of the equation, but since so much of the rest of the cast is so look-alike (Schwimmer, Paulson, Travolta, Selma Blair), especially in hair and make-up, this is throwing me off.

 

Connie Britton also seems miscast, but I love her in everything. Not that this would ever happen, but Jillian Michaels always reminded me of Faye Resnick for some reason.

 

In spite of myself I can't wait to watch this. I remember racing home to my dorm to watch the verdict read. Even then I was ashamed of my interest in it.

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reggiejax

reggiejax

(edited)

Cuba Gooding Jr. is just baffling to me. I wonder if he was the biggest name they could get—I imagine A-listers would tend to want to avoid this role. I think Cuba is a good actor, so I'll wait to see what he does with the role, but he is so short compared to OJ! I saw him listed as 5'10' in shoes--which leads me to believe he is 5'8" at the most. OJ is 6'1". And their facial features are so different too.

 

Cuba Gooding Jr. does seem an odd choice, but I think he will do fine. He really doesn't look like OJ at all, but from what I have seen, he really seems to have that look of weariness that OJ had throughout the trial down pat. In truth, there are some people who just have a unique look that makes it hard to match when a portrayal is done. OJ is one of them.

 

As for Cuba's height, or lack thereof, discrepancies like that never bother me. Hollywood has always been able to do wonders making people appear taller or shorter (mostly taller) than they are. A milk crate usually does the trick.

 

It sure took a long time for this movie to be made. I remember when Amy Fisher shot her lover's wife. They had three movies out in no time.

 

There have been a couple of OJ movies. There was one produced by Fox that came out in the time between the murder and the beginning of the trial. It was a quickly made film, mostly serving as a biopic, but one that ends with the murder of Nicole Simpson. Though if I remember correctly, they took pains to be ambiguous about OJ’s guilt. They tried to play it off as a mystery, which of course it was not. But of course there was a trial that had yet to commence, so the producers had to tread lightly. Character actor Bobby Hosea played OJ.

 

Then of course there was the 2000 CBS TV movie which was all about the trial. This was very good production, with some heavyweights portraying the Dream Team: Ving Rhames as Johnny Cochran, Ron Silver as Robert Shapiro, Bruno Kirby as Barry Scheck, and Christopher Plummer as F. Lee Bailey. 

 

I am guessing these actors cost a pretty penny as the rest of the cast is filled out with some character actors but mostly unknowns. OJ was portrayed, but we never really see him. He is portrayed mostly as a voice. When he is physically present he is always in shadows or just off camera. There were two actors listed as portraying OJ, both unknowns. I am guessing one did his voice, the other was physically OJ.

Edited by reggiejax
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lovinbob

lovinbob

Then of course there was the 2000 CBS TV movie which was all about the trial. This was very good production, with some heavyweights portraying the Dream Team: Ving Rhames as Johnny Cochran, Ron Silver as Robert Shapiro, Bruno Kirby as Barry Scheck, and Christopher Plummer as F. Lee Bailey.

Makes me sad to think that two of those actors are dead too young!

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Chaos Theory

Chaos Theory

(edited)

It sure took a long time for this movie to be made. I remember when Amy Fisher shot her lover's wife. They had three movies out in no time.

My guess Amy Fisher was pure soapy goodness. I live on Long Island and am usually pretty unaware of these things because honestly real life bores me but this story was everywhere because it is what good trashy novels are made of.

On the other hand OJ from the get go showed such a divide between white and black that only a showrunner that was tonedeaf would have been crazy enough to tell this story. Only now in this political climate can statements be made of the divide between white and black.

Edited by Chaos Theory
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jenrising

jenrising

I think the other issue with Cuba as OJ is there's no key thing for them to make him look right. Marcia Clark's hair, Cochran's glasses and 'stache really help them a lot, but aside from prosthetics they probably can't afford, there's not much to be done. 

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Hanahope

Hanahope

I'm of two minds on this.  Part of me is interested because I lived this whole mess in LA at the time and it would be interesting to see how its portrayed 20 years later, but I was so disgusted by the crap pulled by the police, the DA's office, the defense, that part of me has no desire to relive it all again.  IDK, maybe i'll DVR it until I feel ready to watch.

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