American Crime Story: Impeachment is the third instalment of Ryan Murphy’s true-life inspired anthology series, and accordingly for its season tackling the 1998 Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky scandal, a lot of work has gone in to making it as true to life as possible.
Starring Lady Bird’s Beanie Feldstein as Monica (it is *almost* the titular role!), it’s been revealed that behind the scenes, the team went to great pains to consult with Monica – who is a producer on the project too – on the characters and script.
Speaking to EW, Beanie said that when she took on the role, “I received the scripts, I knew that every word that I was saying was approved and had been to Monica first.
“[The producers] would go through the scripts with her and [she would] give all her feedback and her notes. And by the time it got to me, I was sure that everything in there was something that she felt comfortable with, she felt was real to her life and represented her.”
Following on from the acclaimed first two instalments of American Crime Story, The People vs OJ Simpson and The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Impeachment also features a star-studded ensemble cast around Beanie. Ryan Murphy Cinematic Universe stalwart Sarah Paulson will play Linda Tripp, who secretly recorded her phone conversations with Monica about the nature of her relationship with the President, whilst Clive Owen will portray Bill Clinton and The Sopranos icon Edie Falcon is Hilary Clinton.
The series itself is based on Jeffrey Toobin’s book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President. At a virtual press tour for the show this week, producer Brad Simpson revealed that Monica was their “main consultant in terms of outside consultants.”
And if you like that, well there’s more American Story content coming for you!!
Last week, it was confirmed that Ryan Murphy is expanding his televisual empire with two new spin-offs commissioned by mother channell FX, American Love Story and American Sports Story. Like their predecessors, both shows will be anthologies that renew themselves each year with a new story and cast attached. American Crime Story will also recieve a fourth season, this time focusing on the rise and fall of Manhattan disco Studio 54 in the late 1970s.
Don’t worry, it looks like we’re safe from a Glee revival for at least another 5 years.
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