If you lived through the O.J. Simpson trial, chances are you remember Kato Kaelin — the hot-headed, sarcastic witness for the prosecution, who was a guest in Simpson’s home the night Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were murdered.
Twenty years later, the trial is being turned into an FX event series called American Crime Story, and Kaelin, now 56, is being portrayed by up-and-coming Into the Woods actor Billy Magnussen.
“My hair was, first of all, never that long. Otherwise, great looking girl,” Kaelin quipped to Entertainment Tonight when they showed a picture of his on-screen counterpart.
Kaelin also spoke to Us Weekly about the casting a few weeks ago, noting, “I’m sure Billy Magnussen will do a great job portraying me in the FX mini series. He is a terrific method actor. I know this to be true because he just moved in behind my place.”
Besides that one slight, the TV and radio personality was very complimentary of the cast, admitting that he was initially against David Schwimmer in the role of lawyer Robert Kardashian, but ended up doing a double take when he saw the first promo image.
“They did the Pepe Le Pew [when dyeing his hair], and I was like, ‘Oh!’” Kaelin said. He also noted that he was close with the Kardashian family prior to their reality TV fame.
“I knew Kim when she was just that big,” he said, holding out his arms, “and that was just her butt!”
Watch the video to see what Kaelin had to say about the rest of the cast and whether he thought O.J. Simpson was guilty.
