Months after it was announced he was cast in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Ricky Martin is sharing his thoughts on how it feels to play a gay character. Martin talks about his role as Antonio D'Amico, the lover of Gianni Versace, and how important the role is to him below:
It is special because I am speaking on behalf of a lot of people that can't be heard. There was a scene where Gianni is weak and almost falling on the beach and I touch him and he goes, 'Don't touch me! Paparazzi!' You don't understand. That took me back to eight years ago when I was in the closet and it just moved me.
Ricky Martin tells EW the role is also special to him as it will be his first role playing a gay man since he himself came out in 2010. Martin goes on to say the story of The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story is rooted in a time where homophobia was commonplace, and indifference and hate were strong towards the gay community. At the same time, it's also about Gianni Versace and Martin's Antonio and the 15 years of love they shared during that struggle.
For those reasons, Ricky Martin feels the need to be a part of this story. Martin was also drawn to the project as it would give him another opportunity to work with Ryan Murphy, who tapped Martin years earlier to play a sexy Spanish teacher in Glee. More recently, Martin was featured on Lip Sync Battle and put on an impressive performance that simply has to be seen. Martin's acting chops will be put to the test in American Crime Story, as the story of Antonio D'Amico is a very complicated one.
Following the death of Gianni Versace, Antonio D'Amico would engage in battles with the Versace family for his share of what was left to him in Gianni's will. What was initially supposed to be a lifetime monthly payout of a little under $30,000 and access to any home Gianni owned ended up being a much smaller settlement following a court battle. That means we'll likely see some interaction between Ricky Martin and Penelope Cruz, who will play Gianni's sister Donatella. Just how far this story will go remains to be seen as the reasons behind Gianni Versace's assassination are still unknown to this day.
Fans won't see Ricky Martin anytime soon in The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, as we're still waiting for the premiere of Season 2 of American Crime Story, which will focus on Hurricane Katrina. While we wait for that to finally come out, there's still plenty of great programming premiering every day on television. To keep up with the latest and greatest offerings on television, be sure to visit our summer premiere guide.
