How the Stars of American Crime Story: Impeachment Compare to Their Real-Life Counterparts
Beanie Feldstein as Monica Lewinsky
Viewers might recognize Feldstein from her lead roles in Booksmart or Lady Bird. Here, the 28-year-old stars as the White House intern at the center of it all: Monica Lewinsky. Although Feldstein and Lewinsky are both credited as producers on the project, and Lewinsky has been thoroughly involved, Feldstein recently told W Magazine that they've only met once due to the pandemic.
"I was actually asked once if I could play anyone, who would it be—and without even thinking I just was like, 'I think I should play Monica Lewinsky.' And this was way before Ryan [Murphy] had called me," Feldstein said in a video accompanying the interview. "Monica and I are cut from the same cloth in so many ways," Feldstein said, going on to add that she might have done the same as Lewinsky had she been in her position. "If I was 22 and the most powerful person in the world focused his high beams on me, I would probably do the exact same thing as Monica."
Clive Owen as Bill Clinton
Having previously held roles in projects like Children of Men and The Knick, Owen now tackles playing Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States. Time will tell how well this British actor is able to replicate Clinton's well-known Arkansan twang, and more broadly, Owen says that playing the iconic political figure is no easy task. “It will be hugely challenging,” he told Collider. “There’s something terrifying about it, but what you do it is go in there and test yourself."
In a prior interview with Celebrity Page, Owen said, "I'm not going to do an impersonation, I'm going to try to inhabit something."
Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp
A mainstay cast member in Ryan Murphy projects, Paulson is known for her remarkable transformations and versatile acting abilities. Paulson played prosecutor Marcia Clarke in the series' inaugural season, The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. Now, she’s back for season three as Linda Tripp. Tripp was a government employee who had worked with Lewinsky at the Pentagon and became one of her closest confidantes. Tripp set the events that eventually led to Clinton's impeachment trial in motion when she handed over recorded phone calls in which Lewinsky shared details of her relationship with the president.
In an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Paulson said that playing Tripp is, “more complicated than anything else [she's] ever done,” adding that she found some of Tripp’s behavior to be confusing.
Edie Falco as Hillary Clinton
Edie Falco of The Sopranos, Nurse Jackie, and 30 Rock fame plays none other than former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. Before making headlines for her own politics, Clinton famously stood by her husband throughout the impeachment trial.
Annaleigh Ashford as Linda Tripp
Viewers who tuned into The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, might know Ashford as Elizabeth Cote. The Broadway actress returns to work with Murphy again, this time as Paula Jones. Jones was a government employee from Arkansas (Clinton’s home state) who filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against him in 1994—years ahead of the Lewinsky's relationship with the President. Jones and Clinton settled out of court in 1998. Ashford has also starred in Younger, Masters of Sex, and the TV movie of Legally Blonde: The Musical.
Margo Martindale as Lucianne Goldberg
Martindale, who has credits ranging from The Good Wife to Mrs. America, now plays Lucianna Goldberg, the literary agent who encouraged Tripp to record her and Lewinsky’s phone calls in the first place. According to Goldberg, she planned to use these recordings to drum up interest and get publishers on board. In an interview with PBS, Goldberg said: "I wanted the story to get out because I'm selling a book. You have to understand that. It was that as much as it was a political thing. It was nice that it was a political thing, because I didn't happen to agree with the Clinton administration. But I wasn't doing it for that reason. I was doing it because I was selling a book."
Judith Light as Susan Carpenter-McMillan
Yet another Murphy alumn, Light played Marilyn Miglin in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Here, she’ll portray Susan Carpenter-McMillian, who served as Paula Jones’s spokesperson after Jones filed the harassment lawsuit against Bill Clinton. Light has had roles in shows like Transparent and Ugly Betty, and is set to participate in Lin Manuel-Miranda’s Netflix adaptation of Tick, Tick… Boom!
How do the actors in Ryan Murphy's latest series measure up?