Edgar Ramirez ‘freaked out’ in Gianni Versace prosthetics

Actor Edgar Ramirez suffered a panic attack the first time he donned full prosthetics to portray the titular character in American Crime Story: The Assassination Of Gianni Versace.
The Point Break star takes on the role of the Italian designer in producer Ryan Murphy’s new TV drama series, and before each day of filming, he had to spend hours in the hair and make-up department to transform himself into the balding fashion icon.
The similarities between Edgar’s completed look and that of the late star were uncanny, but the Venezuelan actor couldn’t see it at first, as he struggled to remain calm under the layers of fake skin.
“I had a great team: make-up artists and hair stylists, and also my wig maker; it was a whole team effort to get to that place,” he explained on U.S. breakfast show Good Morning America.
“I’d never worn prosthetics before, so that was an experience, ’cause it always feels so foreign. When they put it on for the first time, I was really nervous. Actually, the first day when I put it on and I was walking onstage, I was freaking out, and Ryan Murphy helped me out, he said, ‘Edgar, I’ve done this before, don’t worry, you’re covered, it looks great.’
“(And I was like), ‘No, it looks fake… I can’t feel my head!’ I couldn’t touch it; it was itchy! I was really nervous, but then I adapted to it.”
The new show explores the murder of Gianni by serial killer Andrew Cunanan in 1997, and filming in the Versace mansion in Miami, Florida, where the tragedy took place, really helped Edgar and his co-stars get into character.
“It was helpful for everyone, not only for the cast, but also everyone involved because we started there; we started with the assassination, that was the first scene, so it really helped us to get all the energy,” he said.
“We shot on the steps where he was killed, right there, so the energy was there…, and then I remember at the end of the day, we were all discussing and regrouping, and realised that house was built for creativity, and for people to realise their creative dreams and then in a way, I think that we were able, for a moment, to bring back that creativity to that house, so it was a celebration of dreams and creative thinking. It was beautiful.”
The series features an ensemble cast, including Ricky Martin as Gianni’s boyfriend Antonio D’Amico, Penelope Cruz playing the designer’s sister Donatella Versace, and former Glee star Darren Criss as Cunanan.
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace premiered on U.S. TV on Wednesday night (17Jan18).