American Crime Story: Penélope Cruz to Play Gianni Versace's Sister, Donatella
Ryan Murphy’s stable of actors just got an A-list new entry: Academy Award winner Penélope Cruz.
The Spanish actress will play fashion designer Donatella Versace in American Crime Story‘s upcoming third season, FX announced Tuesday.
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The 10-episode third season of Murphy’s Emmy-winning anthology will be titled Versace: American Crime Story and will center on the July 1997 assassination of iconic fashion designer Gianni Versace on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion by serial killer Andrew Cunanan. The season will be based on the book Vulgar Favors by Vanity Fair writer Maureen Orth.
Cruz joins a cast that includes Darren Criss (Glee) as Cunanan. Production is slated to begin in April.
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The actress is best known for films including Vicky Cristina Barcelona (which provided her with a Supporting Actress Oscar), Woman on Top, Vanilla Sky, All About My Mother, Volver and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
At one point, the role of American Crime Story‘s Donatella was rumored to be going to Lady Gaga; in January, Murphy weighed in and said that would not be the case.
Both Season 2 (which focuses on Hurricane Katrina) and Versace are expected to air in 2018. Season 4 will tackle the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky sex scandal.
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