American Crime Story: Versace Actors Versus Their Real-Life Counterparts

Edgar Ramirez channels Gianni Versace's steadfast stare and flair for vivid colors.

Versace was 50 when he was killed. Prior to his death, the fashion designer had become the renowned head of one of the most creative labels in the industry. He was also something of a pioneer for the queer community, as he did not hide his sexuality and lived openly as a gay man with his partner, Antonio D'Amico.

Darren Criss bears a striking resemblance to Andrew Cunanan, the man who committed the crime. The two men even share the same half-Filipino heritage.

Cunanan was intelligent – he had an IQ of 147 – but he was troubled. He reportedly descended into a depression in 1996, after one of his older male lovers broke up with him. In 1997, Cunanan went on a killing spree that resulted in the deaths of five people, including Gianni Versace. Eight days after shooting Versace, he took his own life with the murder weapon.

M*A*S*H star Mike Farrell plays Lee Miglin.

Miglin was the third victim of Andrew Cunanan, though the Miglin family denies that Cunanan and Miglin had any kind of relationship prior to the murder. Miglin was a real estate mogul, based in Chicago. His May 4, 1997 murder was described by the Chicago Tribune as being especially gruesome:

"It was a murder that would be considered vicious in any Chicago neighborhood, let alone the city's most expensive, and its details caused even some veteran police officers to blanch." 

Ricky Martin plays Antonio D'Amico, Gianni Versace's longtime partner. He spoke with D'Amico during production on the series, apparently to reassure him about the project; D'Amico has called it "ridiculous."

D'Amico met Versace in 1982, and the pair began a relationship that lasted until Versace's murder in 1997. While the pair were together, D'Amico was a designer for Versace Sport. He told The Guardian about witnessing the aftermath of the crime:

“I felt as if my blood had turned to ice... The house had stained glass windows so we couldn’t see what had happened from inside, so we had to open the gate. I saw Gianni lying on the steps, with blood around him. At that point, everything went dark. I was pulled away, I didn’t see any more.” 

Finn Wittrock, one of Ryan Murphy's go-to cast members, plays Jeff Trail.

Trail was a graduate of the US Naval Academy; he served as a lieutenant in the Navy and was a Gulf War veteran. He was friends with Andrew Cunanan, and tragically became his first victim. The 28-year-old was bludgeoned to death in Minneapolis, MN, on April 27, 1997.

Marilyn Miglin was the wife of one of Andrew Cunanan's victims, real estate mogul Lee Miglin. Miglin had a reputation as the Queen of Makeovers, and was the owner of a well-regarded beauty company that was a staple of the Home Shopping Network.

Miglin has remained largely silent on the subject of her husband's death, only speaking to the Chicago Tribune in 1998:  

"I don't think you heal – you never close up that gaping wound – but you adjust... I lived the life of a fairy princess and I had a prince for 38 years, and then one day my prince went to war and didn't come back."