Rio Hackford has been cast as Pat McKenna in the upcoming FX anthology series “”American Crime Story: The People V OJ Simpson,” TheWrap has learned exclusively.
McKenna was an investigator for Robert Shapiro, a member of Simpson’s defense team during the former NFL’s star murder trial. Hackford previously appeared in the hit 1996 film “Swingers,” the 2006 Denzel Washington film “Deja Vu,” and in an episode of the first season of HBO’s hit “True Detective” among his many credits.
Hackford joins an already star-studded cast. John Travolta will portray Shapiro; “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” alum Courtney B. Vance is Johnnie Cochran; David Schwimmer takes on Robert Kardashian; “American Horror Story” star Sarah Paulson plays Marcia Clark; Cuba Gooding Jr. will put himself in Simpson’s shoes, as the limited run series recaps the so-called Trial of the Century.
Based on the Jeffrey Toobin book “The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson,” the miniseries is a look at the O.J. Simpson trial told from the perspective of the lawyers. It explores the chaotic behind-the-scenes dealings and maneuvering on both sides of the court, and how a combination of prosecution overconfidence, defense shrewdness, and the LAPD’s history with the city’s African-American community gave a jury what it needed: Reasonable doubt.
Ryan Murphy, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski, Brad Falchuk, and Dante Di Loreto are executive producing the series. Alexander and Karaszewski are writing, as well, and Murphy is directing the first episode.
Hackford is represented by Radius Entertainment.