The roster of actors set to star in the upcoming FX series American Crime Story: Impeachment just got bigger.
It was announced Thursday that Betty Gilpin has been cast as conservative media pundit Ann Coulter in the Ryan Murphy anthology about President Bill Clinton’s affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
Gilpin, 33, famous for her starring role on Netflix’s GLOW, joins already announced castmembers Clive Owen, Beanie Feldstein and Sarah Paulson for the FX drama that’s slated to go into production sometime in the spring.
New role: Betty Gilpin, left, famous for her role on Netflix’s GLOW, has been cast to play conservative pundit Ann Coulter, right, in the FX series American Crime Story: Impeachment
Coulter, a controversial figure for her outspoken right-wing views, made her name thanks to the Republican-led impeachment trial of President Clinton in 1998.
She wrote a book outlining the case to impeach Clinton based on legal briefs she had worked on for the attorneys of Paula Jones, an Arkansas state employee who sued Clinton for sexual harassment during his time as the state’s governor.
Coulter continues to work as an author, syndicated columnist and public speaker, mostly opposing so-called ‘modern American liberalism’ that includes gay rights, abortion and immigration amnesty.
Subject of first book: Coulter, a controversial figure for her outspoken right-wing views, made her name thanks to the Republican-led impeachment trial of President Clinton in 1998
Cast: Also announced Thursday, comedian and actor Billy Eichner, 41, will play Matt Drudge whose infamous website The Drudge Report broke the story of Clinton’s affair with Lewinsky
Also announced Thursday was the news that comedian and actor Billy Eichner, 41, will play Matt Drudge, whose infamous website The Drudge Report was the first to break the story of Clinton’s affair with Lewinsky.
The then unknown Drudge published the story on January 17, 1998, after executives at Newsweek ‘killed’ an article by investigative reporter Michael Isikoff hours before it was due to be published.
ACS: Impeachment is based on Jeffrey Toobin’s book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President and provides rich fodder in both characters and plot.
British actor Clive Owen, 55, will star as Bill Clinton while Beanie Feldstein, 26, sister of actor Jonah Hill, will play Monica Lewinsky.
Scandal: British actor Clive Owen, 55, was among the first to sign up. He will star as President Bill Clinton, pictured right in 1998, in the third season of the Ryan Murphy anthology series
History: The story of Clinton’s affair with Lewinsky broke on January 17, 1998, via The Drudge Report, and led to an impeachment investigation and trial of the 42nd President of the U.S.
Based on true story: Beanie Feldstein, 26, will portray Monica Lewinsky, right in 1999, in the drama based on Jeffrey Toobin’s book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President
Ryan Murphy muse Sarah Paulson has been cast as Linda Tripp, who surreptitiously recorded phone conversations she had with Lewinsky about her affair with Clinton.
The two had come to know each other while working together in the Pentagon’s public affairs office and the intern confided in Tripp about her personal life.
Tripp was encouraged to record the phone calls by literary agent Lucianne Goldberg, who will be played on the show by Margo Martindale.
Tripp turned the tapes over to Independent Counsel Ken Starr who led the impeachment investigation; she was also the one who told of the existence of a blue dress Lewinsky had kept that had traces of Clinton’s semen on it.
Annaleigh Ashford, best known for her work on Broadway, is set to play Paula Jones, whose allegations of sexual misconduct dogged Clinton from the Arkansas state house to the White House.
Sarah Paulson, 45, plays Linda Tripp, who surreptitiously recorded phone conversations with Lewinsky about her affair with Clinton and passed them to Independent Counsel Ken Starr
Annaleigh Ashford, 34, is set to play Paula Jones, whose allegations of sexual misconduct dogged Clinton from the Arkansas state house to the White House
Originally penciled in to premiere in September, ACS: Impeachment is not now likely to air until after the November 2020 election.
Lewinsky is serving as one of the show’s executive producers.
The previous seasons of FX’s American Crime Story explored the O.J. Simpson double murder trial and the assassination of designer Gianni Versace.
Margo Martindale, 68, has been cast as literary agent Lucianne Goldberg, right in 1998. It was Goldberg who encouraged Tripp to get Lewinsky to spill the beans on her affair with Clinton