10 Times Ryan Murphy’s Casting Choices Surprised Us — Kim Kardashian Wasn’t the First
If you’re surprised to see reality star Kim Kardashian fronting the new legal drama All’s Fair, don’t be. Ryan Murphy, the Hollywood power player who co-created the Hulu series, has a track record of unconventional casting selections. (And this isn’t even the first time he enlisted Kardashian for a starring part!)
Whether he’s making screen stars out of relative unknowns, inspiring actors to switch genres, or inspiring non-actors to switch careers, Murphy’s casting decisions always keep us on our toes, as you’ll see below.
NeNe Leakes
After inviting her for a guest part on Glee, Murphy tapped this Real Housewives of Atlanta pot-stirrer to play assistant Rocky Rhodes on the 2012 sitcom The New Normal.
“He is super smart, and he has a great eye for talent, so I respect that, and I do whatever he says,” Leakes told Digital Spy.
Jim Parsons
After this star of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory impressed Larry Kramer with his dramatic turn as Tommy Boatwright in Broadway’s The Normal Heart, the playwright urged Murphy to cast him in the film adaptation, too.
“I went to [Murphy’s] office [and] adored him immediately,” the actor, pictured here with costar Joe Mantello, recalled to Deadline. “He had such gravity, such intelligence. I remember leaving there [thinking], ‘He’s going to make a beautiful film.’”
Lady Gaga
Murphy took a chance on this pop superstar when he cast her as American Horror Story: Hotel’s villainous Countess. At the time, Gaga only had small film credits on her résumé, and she wouldn’t become an Oscar-nominated actor until years later.
Murphy told Variety that it was she who approached him for a role on the show “She said, ‘I want to be evil,’” he revealed. “I said, ‘You came to the right place.’”
Darren Criss
Imagine Glee fans’ horror when the actor behind the charming Blaine Anderson played real-life killer Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.
“I treat all characters, no matter how conventionally dark or light, with the same emotional currency,” Criss explained to Glamour. “For the most part, actions that we consider abhorrent come from very real, relatable impulses like fear, hurt, embarrassment, ambition, or a broken heart.”
Ricky Martin
In that same American Crime Story season, this “Livin’ La Vida Loca” singer gave a powerful performance as Antonio D’Amico, partner of the slain Gianni Versace.
“I had the opportunity to work with [Murphy] on Glee a few years ago, and I was living here in L.A. when he called me. ‘Hey, buddy! I’d love to have dinner with you,’” Martin told Awards Daily when the season came out. “Of course, I replied, ‘Let me think about it.’ Just kidding.”
Gus Kenworthy
Kenworthy went from Olympic silver-medalist skier to American Horror Story: 1984 star when Murphy cast him as camp counselor Chet Clancy.
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had dreams of becoming an actor, and I am so grateful that those dreams are finally coming true on a show I love,” he revealed to ABC News at the time. “I know I have a lot to prove and am so honored to be given such an incredible opportunity to work with Ryan and the amazing cast and crew on American Horror Story.”
Jo Ellen Pellman
Meanwhile, Pellman was a recent college grad working three jobs in New York City when she emerged the victor in Murphy’s nationwide search for an actor to play Emma Nolan, a queer teenager at the center of his film The Prom.
“I watched her [audition] tape, and I knew,” Murphy later told The New York Times. “She had that mixture of soul and spunk and spirit — and that amazing smile.”
Kim Kardashian
Murphy turned more than a few heads when he cast the world’s most famous reality star as PR agent Siobhan Corbyn in American Horror Story: Delicate.
“Kim is among the biggest and brightest television stars in the world, and we are thrilled to welcome her to the AHS family,” he said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter at the time. “[Delicate costar] Emma [Roberts] and I are excited about collaborating with this true force in the culture.”
Hunter McVey
The role of Blue Bennings on 9-1-1: Nashville came, fittingly, “out of the blue” for McVey, who was working as a model at the time.
In an interview with THR, McVey said he got the part after filming a “terrible audition tape” for Love Story (more on that below). “About a month later, my modeling agent was like, ‘Hey, there’s a show that’s filming in Nashville soon. They’d like to do a reading with you. Would you like to hop on?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, sure, why not?’”
Paul Anthony Kelly
Ryan Murphy fans will see another model take a swing at acting when they see Kelly play John F. Kennedy Jr. in the upcoming series Love Story, formerly known as American Love Story.
The release date is still TBA, but expect to hear a lot more about Kelly and his newfound acting career when Love Story debuts…
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services