The first full trailer for the hotly-anticipated Impeachment: American Crime Story, that depicts the Bill Clinton impeachment scandal and his sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky, was released on Thursday.
It’s the first time the full cast have been seen fully transformed in character, including Clive Owen as Bill Clinton, Edie Falco as Hillary Clinton, Billy Eichner as Matt Drudge, and Cobie Smulders as Ann Coulter.
At one point, The Sopranos star Falco, 58, is seen in an emotional fit of rage, hurling an object at her husband Bill, played by British actor Owen.
Meanwhile, Owen, 56, appears to have donned prosthetics for his dramatic transformation as President Clinton, as he is heard in the trailer repeating the iconic line: ‘I did not have sexual relations with that woman.’
Tense viewing: Edie Falco’s Hillary Clinton rages at Clive Owen as Bill Clinton over Monica Lewinsky affair in first full trailer for Impeachment: American Crime Story
As previously seen in the teaser, Beanie Feldstein plays Lewinsky, with Sarah Paulson as her confidante Linda Tripp, who famously exposed the affair.
Feldstein’s Lewinsky is introduced in the trailer as a voiceover is heard explaining to a young group of White House interns the importance of their roles.
‘As you no doubt heard, you get to work in the West Wing as of this morning. You’re going to be working right beside the people who run the world. Please, be professional,’ the voice says.
Iconic: British actor Clive Owen recreates the infamous moment Bill Clinton addressed the nation claiming he did not have sexual relations with Lewinsky
Big role: As previously seen in the teaser, Beanie Feldstein plays Lewinsky
Friend or foe? Sarah Paulson plays a sinister looking and sounds Linda Tripp, who exposed the affair
Paulson as Tripp is then heard talking about the affair, saying dramatically: ‘There’s a woman I’m very close to… in the midst of an affair, with the President of the United States.
‘How do I know it’s true?’ a man is heard asking Paulson as Tripp. She is then warned ‘you will lose her as a friend’ referring to Tripp’s relationship with Lewinsky.
But a crazed-looking Paulson is seen saying, ‘I have made my peace with that.’
Family affair: The Sopranos star Edie is seen for the first time in character with a young actress playing her daughter Chelsea Clinton
Prosthetics: Clive Owen transforms into Bill Clinton in the show with the help of makeup
An affair to remember: Beanie is seen in another dramatic moment from the FX show
All-star cast: Cobie Smulders is seen as Ann Coulter in the first full trailer
Dramatic transformation: Another close-up shot of Owen as Clinton is seen in the trailer
‘It all has to come out,’ Paulson says, as she lays out her taped evidence of conversations with Lewinsky.
The drama then unfolds as Edie Falco is seen throwing things around the Oval Office as she plays Hillary reacting in fury to news of the affair.
Several historic moments are recreated for the series including when daughter Chelsea Clinton held the hands of both parents Bill and Hillary at the height of the controversy.
A previous clip from the show released yesterday featured an exchange of dialogue between the pair, as Feldstein’s Lewinsky is heard saying, ‘The president kissed me,’ as Paulson responds, ‘Tell me everything.’
Close embrace: Beanie is seen wearing some of the looks that Lewinsky was known for wearing during the time she worked at the White House
Going: Falco as Hillary Clinton is seen flying into a fit of rage at Owen as Bill Clinton
Going: The Nurse Jackie star throws something aiming for Owen in the clip
Gone: Owen is seen ducking as he narrowly misses an object thrown at him by Falco
The infamous scandal saw the then US-President Bill Clinton accused of having a sexual relationship with a White House intern.
Lewinsky stated that she had nine sexual encounters in the Oval Office with Clinton between November 1995 and March 1997.
These involved fellatio and other sexual acts, but not sexual intercourse, according to her testimony.
Creepy: Paulson appears to be playing the character of Linda Tripp for scares in the show
Damning evidence: Tapes of recorded conversations between Trip and Lewinsky are shown
Putting her name on it: The trailer starts with a fresh-faced Beanie as Monica grabbing a Starbucks before heading to work at the White House
Reporting for duty: Billy Eichner is seen as Matt Drudge in the clip
Tripp – who became a close confidante to Lewinsky – worked in the Pentagon during the Clinton administration.
The blue dress line in the dialogue refers to Tripp convincing Lewinsky to save the gifts that Clinton had given her during their relationship, and to not dry clean a blue dress that was said to be stained with Clinton’s semen.
Clinton famously denied under oath that he ever had ‘a sexual affair’, ‘sexual relations’, or ‘a sexual relationship’ with Lewinsky.
He stated, ‘I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky’ on a nationally televised White House news conference, after news of the affair broke in January 1998.
It is not yet clear who has directed the project, which started production in October last year, though it comes from creator Ryan Murphy.
The drama is based on Jeffrey Toobin’s book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President, that was released in 1999.
Lewinsky herself served as a hands-on producer for the series, and has since inked a production deal with 20th TV after impressing bosses with her work.
Timeline of Bill Clinton/ Monica Lewinsky sex scandal
November 1995 – President Bill Clinton, 49, engages in an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, 22
March 1997 – The affair ends, according to Lewinsky. She said they had engaged in sexual encounters on nine occasions
September 1997 – White House employee Linda Tripp begins recording her conversations with Lewinsky after she confided in Tripp about the affair
January 7, 1998 – Lewinsky signs an affidavit stating that she never had a sexual relationship with Bill Clinton. This was at the request of attorneys representing Paula Jones, who had accused Clinton of sexual harassment in 1994
January 17, 1998 – News of the scandal first breaks on the Drudge Report
January 21, 1998 – The Drudge Report publishes allegations that Lewinsky had kept a ‘garment with Clinton’s dried semen’. The story is picked up by major news outlets
January 26, 1998 – President Clinton denies the affair while standing with his wife Hillary at a White House press conference. He says the famous line: ‘I did not have sexual relations with that woman’
January 27, 1998 – Hillary Clinton appears on the TODAY Show where she defends her husband and calls the claims ‘a vast right-wing conspiracy that has been conspiring against my husband since the day he announced his run for president’
February 6, 1998 – President Clinton says in a press conference that he will not resign from office
August 3, 1998 – A blood sample is taken from President Clinton for DNA testing against stains from Lewinsky’s blue dress
August 6, 1998 – Lewinsky begins to testify before the grand jury
August 17, 1998 – Clinton testifies to the grand jury where he admits to ‘inappropriate intimate contact’. He speaks to the nation in a televised address, finally admitting that he had a relationship with Lewinsky
October 2, 1998 – Transcripts of Monica Lewinsky and Linda Tripp’s taped phone conversations are released
December 11, 1998 – The House Judiciary committee votes to impeach, approving two articles of impeachment, including lying to a grand jury and obstruction of justice
December 12, 1998 – Clinton says he won’t resign and denies lying under oath
December 19, 1998 – The House of Representatives votes to impeach President Clinton. Clinton vows to remain in office until ‘the last hour of the last day of my term’
January 7, 1999 – The Senate begins its trial of President Clinton
February 12, 1999 – The Senate acquits President Clinton on both charges of perjury and obstruction of justice