John Travolta Says Robert Shapiro Is ‘Thrilled’ He’s Playing Him On ‘The People V. O.J. Simpson’


John Travolta is getting a lot of buzz for his portrayal of “Dream Team” attorney Robert Shapiro on FX’s American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, but the Academy Award-nominated actor says the person who could have been his toughest critic is happy he’s on board with the project. In an interview with Mashable, Travolta revealed that the real Robert Shapiro sent him a letter and said he was “thrilled” that he would be playing him.

While John Travolta has never met the famed Beverly Hills lawyer in person, the actor is being praised for nailing Robert Shapiro’s quirky mannerisms and haughty demeanor. In the Mashable interview, Travolta revealed that he researched several books, including Shapiro’s own memoir, The Search For Justice: A Defense Attorney’s Brief on the O.J. Simpson Case, as well as hours of videos from news reports and O.J. Simpson’s murder trial while preparing for the role.

“I’m good at taking on characteristics of people physically, whether it’s from dance or whether it’s from all the years of being an actor, but that’s where I kind of excel. Watching him: ‘Wow! This is kind of interesting. This will be something to do to make this authentic.'”

While Travolta’s Shapiro sometimes comes off as over the top or even cartoonish, the actor points to the evidence: the videotapes.

“I wasn’t doing anything different than you can find on the videos. The writing led you to the egocentric moments that were funny.”

The People v. O.J. Simpson shows viewers a new side of Shapiro’s supersized ego, and John Travolta reveals that he was drawn to the character because he’s been around that type of man many times in both the legal world and the show business world. John added that he had a great time observing the famous lawyer while researching the role, and that he didn’t exaggerate or embellish his character.

“I was doing only what I observed him to do. I didn’t do any more of what he was. He was delicious to watch.”

John Travolta also revealed that his favorite line in the FX limited series is when his character claims that “he” is the biggest victim in the whole murder trial. Travolta told Mashable that it’s “enjoyable moments” like that one that balance the story’s dark theme. In addition, John said an upcoming scene in which his character teeters between boundaries and blackmail is “the most despicable moment I’ve ever had in my career in acting.”

John Travolta told Parade that he decided to join the FX production after consulting with “the four most powerful people in the movie industry,” who all agreed that he should do it. The star also teased that future episodes of the blockbuster miniseries show an even more outrageous side of his character.

“He was audacious. Like any great lawyer he understood how to hire experts and put them together. The egocentric part of him loved the limelight. And he wasn’t even aware of how much he looked like he loved it… As you’ll see with the other episodes it gets even more outrageous. You have to trust an actor doing that. You’ve never quite seen a guy like Shapiro.”

Robert Shapiro has been noticeably quiet about The People v. O.J. Simpson miniseries. Shapiro previously told Fox 411 that the notorious murder case was “just something I don’t like to comment about,” but the 73-year-old attorney did take the time to reach out to John Travolta to give him his blessing on the role.

Take a look at the video to see John Travolta talking about his role as Robert Shapiro.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTIZCpPO6os

[Photo By Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images]

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