Impeachment: American Crime Story - What We Know So Far
The third season of the ongoing "American Crime Story" true crime anthology series, "Impeachment," will be about a very different kind of crime compared to the two previous scandals: the O.J. Simpson trial and the killing of Versace. "Impeachment," based on Jeffrey Toobin's book about the trial, will follow the 1998 Oval Office sex scandal that eventually led to President Bill Clinton's impeachment for perjury. It's a bit of a change from the shocking murders that launched the first and second seasons, but much like the stories of Simpson and Cunanan, it's still a story of celebrity, power, and media.
After the show earned great performances from underlooked actors like Cuba Gooding Jr. and David Schwimmer, fans of "American Crime Story" will likely be very curious as to who will play Monica Lewinsky, in addition to Hillary and Bill Clinton.
Here's everything we know about the premiere date, cast, and plot of "Impeachment: American Crime Story."
What's the release date of Impeachment: American Crime Story?
The third season of "American Crime Story" was originally meant to premiere in September 2020, per Town & Country Magazine. Unfortunately, thanks to the continued COVID-19 pandemic, production on "Impeachment: American Crime Story" has been at best a "stop and start" situation. It was first slated to begin in April 2020 before shutting down, then photography started again in November 2020.
In mid-December, positive COVID-19 cases spread around the set and production halted once more. Luckily, this was only a temporary delay, and it appears that shooting has officially wrapped on "Impeachment: American Crime Story."
As of June 2021, then, the first episode will air on September 7, 2021 – a year after it was originally set to appear on network television (Next TV News). Serious delays and postponements are inevitable when the TV industry is dealing with a very serious, worldwide pandemic. Still, we'll find out whether the wait for "Impeachment" was worth it when the season premieres this fall.
Who's in the cast of Impeachment: American Crime Story?
Much like previous "American Crime Story" seasons "People VS O.J. Simpson" and "The Killing of Gianni Versace", the cast of "Impeachment" is a pretty amazing selection of raw talent.
Up-and-coming actress Beanie Feldstein from "Booksmart" and "What We Do In The Shadows" will play White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Meanwhile, Clive Owen ("The Knick", "Children of Men") will appear as President Bill Clinton. Edie Falco from "The Sopranos" and "Nurse Jackie" completes the trinity of main players in the scandal as First Lady Hillary Clinton.
Rounding out the cast are frequent Ryan Murphy collaborator Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp, Lewinsky's confidante; Annaleigh Ashford as Clinton accuser Paula Jones; Billy Eichner as Matt Drudge, the reporter who first broke the Lewinsky scandal; and Betty Gilpin as conservative pundit Ann Coulter (Town & Country). According to Deadline, Colin Hanks has also joined the cast as of June 2021, albeit in an unknown role.
What's the plot of Impeachment: American Crime Story?
Originally, Season 3 of "American Crime Story" was meant to focus on the corruption surrounding Hurricane Katrina, via Deadline, but this was ultimately nixed in favor of adapting Jeffrey Toobin's book, "A Vast Conspiracy."
"A Vast Conspiracy" focused on the scandal that broke out in 1998 when reporters and attorney Ken Starr discovered the affair President Clinton had with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. This led to Clinton's impeachment in the House of Representatives for perjuring himself over the incident, but he was ultimately acquitted and remained in office (Miller Center).
After years of being shamed over the scandal, Lewinsky herself is co-producing the show and is apparently involved with every script (Town & Country). Per Variety, Ryan Murphy noted that he wanted "Impeachment" to depict Lewinsky's side of the story: "The great thing about the story that we're telling is it's Monica's story, which I think needs to be told. Just like [in 'The People v. O.J. Simpson'] we showed Marcia Clark in a different way, that's what we're doing with Monica."
We'll find out more about how the eight episodes of "Impeachment: American Crime Story" portray Clinton and the other players in the Lewinsky story when the season premieres in September.