American Crime Story will be on the Clinton Scandal
Impeachment: American Crime Story will focus on the Monica Lewinsky/Bill Clinton affair that rocked the White House during the 1990s
The anthology series American Crime Story will return with a new instalment focusing on the 1990s Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky sex scandal, with Lewinsky working as a producer on the show.
The franchise, which has previously dramatised the trial of OJ Simpson and the assassination of Gianni Versace, will tackle the affair between then-President Clinton and White House intern Lewinsky in a new limited series called "Impeachment".
- The Assassination of Gianni Versace: separating fact and fiction in the BBC’s new crime drama
- Everything you need to know about Ryan Murphy's Pose season two
Emmy-winner Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story) will reunite with show creator and writer Ryan Murphy, for the series in which she will play Linda Tripp, a US civil servant who covertly recorded conversations with co-worker Lewinsky about the affair which took place during Clinton's presidency between 1995 and 1997. He initially denied the affair, but later retracted that statement in front of a grand jury, admitting that he had an "improper physical relationship" with Lewinsky.
Beanie Feldstein (Booksmart) will play Lewinsky, then a 22-year-old intern, while Annaleigh Ashford of The Assassination of Gianni Versace will play Paula Jones, who sued Clinton for sexual harassment. It's not yet been announced who will play Clinton or his wife, Hillary Clinton.
Lewinsky previously told Variety that she was "hesitant, and truthfully more than a little scared to sign on" to the project.
More like this
However, "after a lengthy dinner meeting with Ryan [Murphy], I came to understand even more clearly how dedicated he is to giving a voice to the marginalised in all of his brilliant work," she added. " I’m privileged to work with him and the other talented people on the team, and I’m privileged to have this opportunity."
FX chairman John Landgraf said: "FX’s American Crime Story franchise has become a cultural touchstone, providing greater context for stories that deserve greater understanding like the O.J. Simpson trial and saga, and Andrew Cunanan’s tragic crime spree which concluded with the assassination of Gianni Versace.
"This franchise re-examines some of the most complicated, polarizing stories in recent history in a way that is relevant, nuanced and entertaining. Impeachment: American Crime Story will likewise explore the overlooked dimensions of the women who found themselves caught up in the scandal and political war that cast a long shadow over the Clinton Presidency."
FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story is slated to air on 27th September 2020. Production will begin in February 2020.
