I’m not sure what kind of interest there is in FX’s miniseries, The People vs. O.J. Simpson, but this week’s Hollywood Reporter cover story will make you more interested in it. I was kind of meh on the idea of a miniseries about arguably the most famous criminal trial in modern history, but after reading this THR piece, I’m kind of into it. They used good source material, and the actors they hired to play these iconic/infamous people are intriguing. I personally think casting Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark was a master stroke, plus Courtney B. Vance as Johnny Cochran is *perfection*. But most people are excited about John Travolta as Robert Shapiro. Not to mention Selma Blair as Kris Kenner and David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian Sr. Which brings me to the most important excerpts from this THR story: the parts that involve the Kardashians before Kim made everyone extra-famous with her butt.

First of all, this piece isn’t all about the Kardashians at all. Everyone involved in the miniseries has interesting stuff to say, like Cuba Gooding Jr. admitting that it wasn’t until just now that he really understood the pain and loss the Brown and Goldman families felt, or the story of how Ryan Murphy basically kissed John Travolta’s ass until Travolta agreed to do this role, or Travolta admitting that he sought advice from Oprah and Steven Spielberg about playing Shapiro. The most interesting part, to me, was when the actors talked about whether they met their real-life counterparts. Cuba gave a well-reasoned explanation for why he had no desire to meet O.J. Travolta never spoke to Shapiro, but Shapiro wrote him a “supportive note.” Marcia Clark and Sarah Paulson went out for drinks after Paulson wrapped on the series. And Selma Blair is now so tight with Kris Jenner that Kris had Selma over for Christmas. The funniest part? David Schwimmer talking about how he did his research into the Kardashian clan:

David Schwimmer spent two-plus hours on the phone with the late Robert Kadarshian’s ex-wife, Kris Jenner, from whom he says he learned “how much a man of faith Robert was, how he prayed at every meal and before every big business meeting and how he was this very compassionate, generous guy.”

Then Schwimmer adds with a chuckle: “The producers of [Keeping Up With the Kardashians] had asked me if I wanted to talk to the daughters, too, but I didn’t feel that was necessary. And they wanted to do it on camera.”

The Kardashian daughters, then just children, do pop up periodically in the series. The most memorable if somewhat cringe-worthy scene comes in episode three when they’re seated with their father at L.A. fixture Chin Chin being lectured about fame. “We are Kardashians, and in this family, being a good person and a loyal friend is more important than being famous,” he tells them. “Fame is fleeting. It’s hollow. It means nothing at all without a virtuous heart.” Though the family did go to the Chinese restaurant, Karaszewski and Alexander acknowledge taking creative liberties with this conversation. They did the same during episode two, when the daughters turn on the TV, see their father reading Simpson’s suicide note and begin chanting, “Kar-dash-i-an!”

“Larry and I love irony, and we thought what if we just heightened this idea that by watching him on the TV that one day inadvertently creates the Kardashian empire,” says Alexander. “[Robert] would be rolling over in his grave.”

[From THR]

Ha, why does Ryan Murphy hate the Kardashian family? Why does it feel like David Schwimmer was dripping with sarcasm when he talked about Robert Sr. as a man of faith? Why even include a scene with Robert Sr. telling his children that fame is hollow and fleeting? See, I do think this is going to be fun/scandalous/interesting. And I do sort of love that Schwimmer just flat-out refused to be on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Ross Gellar has standards, bruh.

Photos courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter.