While many had pegged Lady Gaga as Ryan Murphy's choice for the role of Donatella Versace in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story's third season, snapshots of Penelope Cruz done up as the Italian designer hit the internet, convincing even the most staunch naysayers into forgetting all about Gaga (but not forgetting that Maya Rudolph will always be Donatella).
Cruz, one of the newest additions to Murphy's motley crew, dons a blunt, platinum-blonde wig for the role. What's more, she's tossed on a pair of big, bold shades (Versace, of course) to cover most of her face, so the transformation is pretty convincing, even though the shots, posted by Page Six, aren't the best quality.
In one of paparazzi shots obtained by the gossip magazine, Cruz is wearing the aforementioned wig and shades with a black leather trench coat. In a second shot, she's turned up the glam factor by 100, opting for a bold red shift dress with a swirling gold embellishment. Plus, props to the props department for securing what looks like a real-life '90s brick-style cell phone. Cruz has the dinosaur of a mobile phone tucked under one arm, while the other hand is holding up a cigarette while festooned with big, brash, gold baubles. Suffice to say, Cruz is bringing it all to life with a major contour job and Donatella's signature smoky eye. If these two looks are any indication, the costume department got its hands on plenty of vintage Versace and we're here for each and every look.
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story will focus on the weeks leading up to the murder of the designer in 1997. The show, which will air on FX in 2018, also stars Murphy returnees Max Greenfield and Darren Criss (both appeared in American Horror Story: Hotel) alongside newcomers Edgar Ramirez and Ricky Martin.