John Travolta Returns To TV In ‘American Crime Story: The People V. O.J. Simpson’
For the first time since Welcome Back Kotter, John Travolta is making his great return back to TV. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Travolta has signed on to play the role of Robert Shapiro for Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson.
American Crime Story is an anthology of the infamous O.J. Simpson trial, based on the book by Jeffrey Toobin, The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson. John Travolta’s role as Robert Shapiro is important because he was part of Simpson’s dream team, which was made up of his defense attorneys, including the late Robert Kardashian and Johnnie Cochran.
The murder trial went on for 133 days before Simpson was acquitted for the murders of his wife, Nicole Brown-Simpson, and Ron Goldman.
“@NBCPhiladelphia: Cuba Gooding Jr. tapped to play O.J. Simpson in “American Crime Story” http://t.co/YdSBr0DysE pic.twitter.com/j4HOuMD41c“SMH
— Mahogany Brown (@WkndGirl) December 11, 2014
According to the Hollywood Reporter, John Travolta’s new television project will last for 10 episodes. The first season “examines the Simpson trial as told from the perspective of the lawyers and is poised to explore the chaotic behind-the-scenes dealings and maneuvering on both sides of the court.
“More significantly, it will display how a combination of prosecution confidence, defense wiliness, and the LAPD’s history with the city’s African-American community gave a jury what it needed: reasonable doubt.”
David Schwimmer will play lawyer to Cuba Gooding Jr.’s OJ Simpson on ‘American Crime Story’: http://t.co/X2iB9SnXTs pic.twitter.com/xO5SOaDp9z
— ScreenCrush (@screencrushnews) December 21, 2014
John Travolta joins an already all-star cast of talented actors, including Cuba Gooding, Jr., as O.J. Simpson, American Horror Story’s Sarah Paulson as prosecutor Marcia Clark, and David Schwimmer will play Robert Kardashian. People are already reacting to John Travolta returning to television as Robert Shapiro.
I’m more excited for Travolta in American Crime Story than I was for my own wedding. http://t.co/XmXiPTWZjD — Stacey Ritzen (@litelysalted) January 7, 2015
@THR I don’t see it…at all… — Stac_Marie (@Just_StacMarie) January 7, 2015
?????? RT@THR: John Travolta Set as Robert Shapiro in FX’s ‘American Crime Story’ http://t.co/rxoMNrgEEv pic.twitter.com/Dw2fgkEmyg
— abbie (@abbiewastaken) January 7, 2015
Here’s a comparison of the two.
John Travolta Set as Robert Shapiro in FX’s ‘American Crime Story: People v. O.J. Simpson’ http://t.co/ag8fDdWzUG pic.twitter.com/ACGt5gxNU2 — Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 7, 2015
@TheAVClub YIKES! — cre8tvdeb (@cre8tvdeb) January 7, 2015
What do you think of the star studded cast for American Crime Story? Will you be watching the mini series on FX?
[Image via Aleš Studený / Shutterstock.com]
