Walk, walk fashion baby. Lady Gaga will be playing Donatella Versace in the upcoming third season of American Crime Story, a source confirms exclusively to Us Weekly.
As was previously announced, the 10-episode installment of the FX drama focuses on the murder of designer Gianni Versace at his Miami Beach home by serial killer Andrew Cunanan in July 1997. Versace/Cunanan: American Crime Story will air after the second season of the anthology, set to focus on Hurricane Katrina. Both seasons begin filming in early 2017.
Executive producer Ryan Murphy hinted at the casting during a panel at Entertainment Weekly’s PopFest in L.A. in late October. When the panel moderator suggested that Lady Gaga would be “the perfect Donatella,” Murphy coyly replied, “Ya think?” with a grin. (The “Perfect Illusion” singer starred in the fashion label’s Spring 2014 ad campaign and has a close friendship with Donatella Versace, which she commemorated in a song called "Donatella" on her 2013 album, Artpop.)
This will not be the first time the superstar, 30, and the showrunner, 50, have teamed up. Lady Gaga has appeared on the two most recent seasons of Murphy’s American Horror Story, Hotel and Roanoke, as The Countess and Witch of the Wood, respectively. Murphy also paid homage to the hitmaker on Glee, which he cocreated, with two episodes heavily featuring her music.
The casting news comes on the heels of a phenomenal year for the triple threat, who released her fifth studio album, Joanne, in October and is preparing to perform at the 2017 Super Bowl halftime show. She is also set to star in the upcoming remake of A Star Is Born with Bradley Cooper.
The premiere season of The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story won a total of nine Emmys in 2016, including the award for Best Limited Series. FX has yet to announce a premiere date for seasons 2 or 3.
