American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: How the Cast Compares to Their Real-Life Counterparts

Edgar Ramirez, Penelope Cruz and Darren Criss star in FX's third installment of American Crime Story, which will take a closer look at the 1997 assassination of designer Gianni Versace

By Tierney Bricker Jun 02, 2017 4:30 PMTags
Watch: Ryan Murphy Teases "American Crime Story" Future Seasons

Is it 2018 yet? 

Ryan Murphy and the American Crime Story team will examine the shocking 1997 murder of legendary fashion designer Gianni Versace in its upcoming installment, and have assembled quite the cast to do so. Edgar Ramirez, Darren Criss and Penelope Cruz are all set to star in key roles, while Max Greenfield and Ricky Martin will appear in supporting roles. American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace is set to premiere later in 2018, after the franchise's second installment, Katrina, airs.

With production underway in Miami Beach, including at the very mansion where Versace was murdered by serial killer Andrew Cunanan, photos of the stars in costume have started to surface, and their resemblance to their real-life counterparts is rather uncanny and a little chilling.

photos
American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson: Fact v. Fiction
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace

Based on the book Vulgar Favors by Vanity Fair writer Maureen Orth, ACS' third installment will debut in 2018 and look into how 's murderer, serial killer Andrew Cunanan, was able to evade capture during his killing spree in 1997. 

"I was always very moved and freaked out by the Versace assassination, and I thought it was a really great story to do because it's a manhunt season," Ryan Murphy told EW. "[Serial killer Andrew Cunanan] killed four people and then Versace, and was on the loose. We're exploring the reasons of how he got away with being undetected.  "The tragedy of the Versace murder was that it should not have happened."

Edgar Ramirez as Gianni Versace

The Gold and The Girl on the Train star will play the legendary fashion designer, who was murdered outside of his Miami home at the age of 50 in 1997. The designer, who was openly gay, was one of the first to link fashion to the music world, and was friends with Madonna, Elton John, Cher, Sting and Eric Clapton.

Darren Criss as Andrew Cunanan

The Glee fan-favorite, who also made a guest appearance on American Horror Story" Hotel, will take on the role of Andrew Cunanan, the serial killer and sociopath, whose killing spree ended after Versace became his fifth and final victim. Nine days after murdering the designer in 1997, Cunanan, then 27, killed himself just as the Miami police moved in to capture him. 

Penelope Cruz as Donatella Versace

Oscar winner Penelope Cruz is playing the iconic designer, though rumors were once swirling that Lady Gaga would possibly be taking on the role. Donatella became the head of design after her brother's murder. Since then, her signature platinum hair, permanent tan, and smoky black eye makeup have become as famous as her designs, ones that Cruz has worn throughout her career. 

Ricky Martin as Antonio D'Amico

The Grammy winner, who previously worked with Murphy as a guest star on Glee, will play Versace's longtime partner, who met the designer in 1982 and became a designer for the Versace sport line. He and Donatella never got along, with the latter telling The New York Times in 1999, "My relationship with Antonio is exactly as it was when Gianni was alive. I respected him as the boyfriend of my brother, but I never liked him as a person. So the relationship stayed the same."

PHOTOS: See how the American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson cast compared to their real-life counterparts

Whose transformation is the best?

American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace will premiere on FX in 2018.