Question: I’m impressed with The People V O.J. Simpson. I literally had no interest in watching what I thought was going to be a Lifetime miniseries. But I’m so happy that I gave it a shot. The actors are giving incredible performances, but my one nit to pick is Cuba Gooding Jr. as O.J. himself. It’s not his acting, but his lack of resemblance to O.J. that takes me out of some scenes. Did it bother you when you watched? — CK
Matt Roush: This miniseries has been the most pleasant, and gripping, surprise of 2016 so far. I do get where you’re coming from regarding the casting of Cuba Gooding Jr., especially when it comes to him evoking the larger-than-life persona that O.J. represented before this crime of the century occurred. I’ve wondered from time to time if the series wouldn’t have benefited by keeping him off camera throughout, and the only way we saw O.J. would be through news footage of the time. But Gooding’s acting is solid—his petulance, his despair, his ego, his rage—so I’m at peace with it. I was much more unnerved at the start by John Travolta’s weirdly reptilian take on Robert Shapiro, but watching him get sidelined by Vance’s marvelous Johnnie Cochran (while Nathan Lane as F. Lee Bailey cheers him on) has been a treat. And Simpson has been an astonishing showcase for Sarah Paulson as the embattled Marcia Clark. Simply stunning.
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