John Travolta Heads Back to Television as Robert Shapiro in ‘American Crime Story’

FX’s new crime thriller American Crime Story has cast Hollywood vet John Travolta as as defense attorney Robert Shapiro in the show’s first season, which will explore the O.J. Simpson trial.

The miniseries, based on the book The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson by Jeffrey Toobin, takes a look at the O.J. Simpson trial told from the perspective of the lawyers and Travolta will portray Shapiro, a key member of O.J. Simpson’s “Dream Team” during the sensational murder trial.

Travolta is the newest addition to an already stellar cast including David Schwimmer as O.J. Simpson’s confidant and attorney Robert Kardashian, Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr. as O.J. Simpson, and Emmy® and Golden Globe Award nominated actress Sarah Paulson as prosecutor Marcia Clark, who currently stars in Ryan Murphy’s other FX baby, American Horror Story: Freak Show.

The show will explores the chaotic behind-the-scenes dealings and maneuvering on both sides of the court, and how a combination of prosecution overconfidence, defense shrewdness, and the LAPD’s history with the city’s African-American community gave a jury what it needed: reasonable doubt.

American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson is executive produced by Ryan Murphy, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski, Brad Falchuk, and Dante Di Loreto, with Travolta also serving as a producer.

Production on the series is set to begin this spring in Los Angeles.

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