It seemed like perfect casting when reports started circulating in November that Lady Gaga had been tapped to play Donatella Versace in Ryan Murphy’s third season of American Crime Story.
But on Thursday, Murphy, the prolific television showrunner said, in fact, Gaga had never been in the running for the part.
When asked at the Television Critics Association winter tour if the casting rumor was true, Murphy responded: ‘No.’
The singer, of course, has worked with the Glee creator previously, appearing in American Horror Story twice, as The Countess in Hotel and as the Witch of the Wood in Roanoke.
The third season of American Crime Story details the murder of Donatella’s brother Gianni Versace who was gunned down on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion in July 1997 by Andrew Cunanan.
Murphy explained that he didn’t consider Gaga for the series because of her other commitments. The 30-year-old is currently rehearsing for a performance during the Super Bowl half-time show and is preparing to star with Bradley Cooper in his remake of A Star Is Born.
‘She’s a friend. But she’s very busy this next year…… And when you’re going to do a show like Versace, it’s a five-month commitment,’ he said.
‘It’s a very big show. We’re shooting it all over the world. So I just don’t think with her schedule… I knew that it would never have worked. But I would love to work with her on something in the future.’
The first season of ACS The People v O.J. Simpson was a huge hit and swept the board at the Emmys last September. The second season, premiering later this year, focuses on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
