“We’d never seen a political thriller centered on those who don’t have political power,” FX chairman John Landgraf told The Hollywood Reporter about why the Clinton-Lewinsky affair was chosen as the focus of Season 3. “And doing so would be the kind of radical shift in perspective that American Crime Story is known for.” For a subject to be considered for the anthology series, producer Nina Jacobson revealed during a virtual Television Critics Association press tour panel (via Entertainment Weekly) that it has to be “a crime that we are guilty of collectively as Americans.” She added, “I can’t think of a story that fits the bill any better than this one as far as that goes because we are deeply, deeply implicated in the way that we represented these women, treated these women, and we are as guilty as the rest of them in any respects — minus the tape recorder.” Ready to relive the saga that rocked American politics? Here’s everything you need to know about Impeachment: American Crime Story, including who’s in the ACS Season 3 cast, how the real-life Lewinsky was involved behind the scenes, whether the Clintons have commented on the new season and, of course, how to watch.
When does Impeachment: American Crime Story premiere?
Season 3 of American Crime Story premieres Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 10 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. CT exclusively on FX, which will then debut one new installment of the 10-episode season every Tuesday at the same time. Episodes will be available to stream via FX on Hulu the day after they premiere on FX.
Who is in the Impeachment: American Crime Story cast?
Once again, Murphy and his fellow ACS producers have assembled an unimpeachable (haha) array of Hollywood talent. Beanie Feldstein, best known for her Golden Globe-nominated starring role in Booksmart, is taking the lead in AmericanCrime Story as Lewinsky. Murphy told THR that the 28-year-old actress (and sister of Jonah Hill) was the only performer he wanted for the part; ironically, around the same time, Feldstein had reportedly been asked in an interview which real person she’d love to play and answered Lewinsky. Meanwhile, the real Lewinsky has said that when she watched the actress in Booksmart, she thought to herself, “God, she reminds me of me at that age.” Closer’s Clive Owen is stepping into the Oval Office to portray the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton. When executive producers approached the Oscar-nominated actor about playing Clinton, he questioned why. “To be honest with you, I said to them, why are you coming to me?” Owen recalled to Vanity Fair. “One: I’m English. And two: I don’t really look like him.” Producer BradSimpson told Vanity Fair, “Clinton is one of the most recognized men in the world, and has a distinct look and voice. He is famous for his intelligence and charisma. We needed to find someone who could evoke that, without just doing an imitation… Clive has this great physicality—tall with big hands and an intense presence. You feel it when he walks into a room. His eyes are alive, like Clinton’s, and you also see immense depth behind them. With Clive you sense that there are layers and layers behind whatever he says or does in a scene.” Meanwhile, HillaryClinton is being played by Sopranos and Nurse Jackie star Edie Falco. When it came to the role, the actress wasn’t interested in being “another interpretation” of the former First Lady. “Hillary is a woman who has been imitated on late-night talk shows and on Saturday Night Live by pretty much every cast member. So that was troubling to me. I was not interested in being another interpretation,” Falco confessed to the New York Times. “And over the years, she changed a lot — her accent, the way she walked, the way she presented herself — as she evolved as a person in public life. I thought, this whole story is about getting at who this woman is. So for me, it was more about an inner life.” American Crime Story alums Sarah Paulson and Judith Light are returning for the newest season, respectively portraying Linda Tripp, the woman who secretly taped conversations with Lewinsky, and Susan Carpenter-McMillan, who advised Paula Jones during her own Clinton impropriety scandal. Paulson, who won an Emmy for her role as prosecutor Marcia Clark in Season 1 of American Crime Story, spent three hours in hair and makeup to transform into her latest character, per the Los Angeles Times. The actress wore prosthetic teeth, a prosthetic nose and padding for the role. Paulson also spoke to the outlet about the controversy surrounding actors and fat suits. “I think that controversy is a legitimate one. I think fat phobia is real. I think to pretend otherwise causes further harm,” she said. “And it is a very important conversation to be had. But that entire responsibility I don’t think falls on the actor for choosing to do something that is arguably — and I’m talking about from the inside out — the challenge of a lifetime.” Paulson even went on to say that she regrets not thinking “about it more fully.” She added, “You can only learn what you learn when you learn it. Should I have known? Abso-f***ing-lutely. But I do now. And I wouldn’t make the same choice going forward.” The Impeachment cast also includes Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford as Jones, who sued President Clinton for sexual harassment; Margo Martindale as Lucianne Goldberg, who convinced Tripp to secretly recorded her private conversations with Lewinsky; Billy Eichner as conservative pundit Matt Drudge;Cobie Smulders as Ann Coulter;Taran Killam as Paula Jones’ then-husband, Steve Jones; and Colin Hanks. as federal prosecutor Mike Emmick.
Is there a trailer for Impeachment: American Crime Story?
FX has released two official trailers ahead of the premiere giving viewers a look at the star-studded cast. The first introduces Feldstein as Lewinsky interning in the White House. “As you no doubt heard, you get to work in the West Wing as of this morning. You’re going to be working right beside the people who run the world. Please, be professional,” the interns are told, while Lewinsky and Clinton exchange smiles. Tripp’s voice is heard discussing her friend’s affair with the president, before playing her tapes. Owen also delivers Clinton’s famous line, insisting, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” A second trailer features Paulson’s character calling Lewinsky a “knockout” and proceeding to ask her about her dating life. “You must be dating some big D.C. player. I mean, the ratio in this town is very favorable. Tell me about him,” Tripp asks Lewinsky. “Someone from work? Someone important?” The trailer ends with Lewinsky answering a late night call from the president. “Hello, handsome,” she says. Watch below:
Was the real Monica Lewinsky involved in Impeachment: American Crime Story?
In addition to Lewinsky being a producer on Impeachment: American Crime Story, fellow producer Brad Simpson revealed during the Television Critics Association press tour panel (via Entertainment Weekly) that the former White House intern served as the “main consultant in terms of outside consultants on the show this season.” Discussing Lewinsky’s involvement in the show, Murphy told the New York Times, “We would go through every page of a script. Sometimes she would have a lot of comments, sometimes nothing. I found the process fascinating and necessary. She never wanted the easy choice. She always wanted it more complicated, more nuanced.” Lewinsky even requested that her “thong moment” be added to the script. “She said, “Everyone knows I did this. And I know you’re trying to protect me, but it needs to be in the show,” executive producer Sarah Burgess revealed to the NYT. Lewinsky was admittedly hesitant prior to signing on to the FX show. “But after a lengthy dinner meeting with Ryan, I came to understand even more clearly how dedicated he is to giving a voice to the marginalized in all of his brilliant work. I’m privileged to work with him and the other talented people on the team, and I’m privileged to have this opportunity,” she told Vanity Fair in 2019. “People have been co-opting and telling my part in this story for decades. In fact, it wasn’t until the past few years that I’ve been able to fully reclaim my narrative; almost 20 years later. But I’m so grateful for the growth we’ve made as a society that allows people like me who have been historically silenced to finally reintroduce my voice to the conversation. This isn’t just a me problem. Powerful people, often men, take advantage of those subordinate to them in myriad ways all the time. Many people will see this as such a story and for that reason, this narrative is one that is, regretfully, evergreen.”
What is Impeachment: American Crime Story about?
The third season of ACS examines “the national crisis that led” to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. The story is told “through the eyes” of Monica Lewinsky (Feldstein), Linda Tripp (Paulson) and Paula Jones (Ashford), who were “thrust into the public spotlight during a time of corrosive partisan rancor, shifting sexual politics and a changing media landscape,” per the show’s official synopsis. The anthology series “shows how power lifts some and disposes of others in the halls of our most sacred institutions.” “The way this story has traditionally been told is the story of these great powerful men facing off: Bill Clinton versus Ken Starr, Newt Gingrich versus Bill Clinton. Then off to the side are these nutty women. We decided, from the beginning, we’re going to start with these women,” Simpson told the New York Times. Feldstein added, “These characters, in different ways, have never been given full humanity. What the show does, it prioritizes the humanity over the plot.”
When was Bill Clinton impeached?
Clinton became the second U.S. president to be impeached by the House of Representatives in 1998. He was charged with obstruction of justice and providing “perjurious, false and misleading testimony to the grand jury.” However, the Senate voted to acquit Clinton in 1999.
What have the Clintons said about Impeachment: American Crime Story?
The Hollywood Reporter claimed that as of Aug. 25, “nobody involved with the show” had heard “a peep from the Clinton camp.” Dana Walden, Walt Disney Television chairman of entertainment, also pointed out to the outlet that “Bill and Hillary have both spoken and written books about this time in their lives, and they’ve had the opportunity to weigh in meaningfully and thoroughly with their feelings.” Walden continued, “I also think that it’s fair and it’s right for there to be an opportunity for the women who were involved in this scandal to be able to have their truth told, beginning with Monica.”
How many Impeachment: American Crime Story episodes will there be?
Impeachment: American Crime Story is a 10-episodes series.
How to watch Impeachment: American CrimeStory
You can tune into each episode of the limited series when they premiere exclusively on FX when they debut on Tuesdays, or catch them starting on Wednesdays via FX on Hulu.
What time does Impeachment: American Crime Story air?
The show airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. CT on FX. Next, Hugh Grant on Why British Sex Scandals Are More Shocking Than American Ones
