With today’s news that Ryan Murphy has cast John Travolta as lawyer Robert Shapiro in his American Crime Story, the cast is already looking like a campy, true-crime-lover’s dream: David Schwimmer! Cuba Gooding Jr.! Murphy favorite Sarah Paulson! No doubt Murphy’s version of the O.J. Simpson case will go beyond a Dateline documentary and into Lifetime-movie territory. It just depends on who else he gets. He already seems to be doing a good job; however, as always, we have a few suggestions …
To jog your memory, here is who is already confirmed:
David Schwimmer as Kardashian patriarch and Simpson defense lawyer Robert Kardashian
Sarah Paulson as state prosecutor Marcia Clark
Cuba Gooding Jr. as the suspect himself, O.J. Simpson
John Travolta as defense lawyer Robert Shapiro
So, Ryan Murphy, here are some suggestions of our own:
Lance Reddick as Johnny Cochran
Not only did he recently play Haitian voodoo spirit Papa Legba on Murphy’s American Horror Story: Coven, he’s also the perfect age (and has the perfect intensity!) to play Simpson defense lawyer Johnny Cochran. I mean, have you seen Lost? No one else is really qualified to utter the trial’s most famous line: “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.”
Ryan Hansen as Brian “Kato” Kaelin
We nominate Veronica Mars’ Ryan Hansen to wear the incredible blond wig they’re going to slap on whoever plays Kato, the most famous witness from the Simpson trial, who spun his 15 minutes of fame into let’s say 20 minutes of fame. The dude milked it, and Hansen’s perfect frat-dude persona would lend itself well to the good-looking Hollywood wannabe.
Drake as Chris Darden
If anything, a very Ryan Murphy choice. And, weirdly, a choice Drake seems like he might make as well.
Matthew Morrison as Mark Fuhrman
With Glee airing its final season this year, no doubt Matthew Morrison would be down for a drastically different role on another Murphy project. How about playing Los Angeles Police Detective Mark Fuhrman — who wasn’t so innocent himself? He took a plea bargain against perjury charges soon after the trial ended.
Mandy Patinkin as Alan Dershowitz
Old? Jewish? Someone Ryan Murphy would definitely have his eye on? It’s Mandy Patinkin!
David Duchovny as Barry Scheck
With Californication over, David Duchovny might like the more serious role of Dream Team lawyer and DNA expert Barry Scheck, who went on to co-found the Innocence Project post-Simpson.
James Cromwell as F. Lee Bailey
As Nazi war criminal Dr. Arthur Arden in American Horror Story: Asylum, Ryan Murphy has written Cromwell a fair share of evil. How about a turn as Dream Team–er F. Lee Bailey — who helped draw attention to Mark Fuhrman’s racist comments and was himself disbarred in Massachusetts and Florida after the Simpson trial for “misconduct.”
Connie Britton as Nicole Brown Simpson
She’d have go blonder, but it could work.
Adam Levine as Ron Goldman
We know Ryan Murphy loves the Maroon 5 front man: He cast him as a victim of Bloody Face in Asylum.
Kris Jenner as Kris Kardashian
Who else would Kris Jenner let play herself at an earlier age? Be honest. (She also pretty much looks the same.)
Rowan Blanchard as Young Kim Kardashian
During the Simpson trial, Kim would’ve been 13 years old. This is a great opportunity for Girl Meets World’s Rowan Blanchard, who could go off this video alone.
Jessica Lange as Judge Lance Ito
This would clearly be the role of a lifetime.
