Impeachment: American Crime Story: Trailer, Premiere Date, Cast, and Everything Else to Know

Almost a year after it was originally supposed to air, Impeachment: American Crime Story will finally premiere on FX in September. Ryan Murphy's third installment of the American Crime Story franchise adapts A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Sex Scandal that Nearly Brought Down a President, the bestseller by embattled author and lawyer Jeffrey Toobin. Like the book, the series chronicles the impeachment of Bill Clinton (played here by Clive Owen) following his affair with Monica Lewinsky (played by Beanie Feldstein). 

Murphy, conscious of how the press vilified Lewinsky, who at the time was a 22-year-old White House intern, brought her on board as a producer for the upcoming series. The move signifies his intention to tell Lewinsky's side of the affair and delve into the devastating effects of falling prey to a powerful man, as well as reframe the way she was treated after the fact.

Impeachment is shaping up to be the juiciest installment of the hit anthology series yet. Here's everything we know about the upcoming season.

What's New to Stream on HBO Max, Netflix, Hulu, and More in August 2021

Latest News

A new trailer for the series, released Aug. 20, ratchets up the tension and gives us a closer look at the relationship between Monica Lewinsky and Linda Tripp, a friendship that led to so much scandal as it unraveled. 

Trailer

The first full-length trailer was released in mid August, following two teasers. The almost two-minute clip offers a glimpse at the cast in their iconic roles and takes audiences right back to the late '90s.

Premiere Date

Impeachment: American Crime Story premieres Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 10/9c on FX.

Cast 

Impeachment is drawing exciting talent to the Murphy repertoire, starting with Beanie Feldstein (Booksmart) as Lewinsky. Clive Owen is tackling Bill Clinton. Annaleigh Ashford will play Paula Jones, another Clinton accuser. Sarah Paulson and Billy Eichner return to the Murphyverse as Linda Tripp, whose recordings of Lewinsky blew the scandal wide open, and Matt Drudge, who first broke the story on Drudge Report, respectively. 

Betty Gilpin of GLOW was initially slated to play conservative pundit Ann Coulter but was replaced by Cobie Smulders after production delays forced Gilpin to drop out due to schedule conflicts. Multi-Emmy winner Edie Falco plays former First Lady Hillary Clinton.

 

Behind the Scenes

Lewinsky was initially hesitant to join the series as a producer. Per Vanity Fair, Murphy approached Lewinsky for the project by saying, "Nobody should tell your story but you, and it's kind of gross if they do. If you want to produce it with me, I would love that, but you should be the producer, and you should make all the goddamn money." Lewinsky, convinced after a long dinner, said of Murphy, "I came to understand even more clearly how dedicated he is to giving a voice to the marginalized in all of his brilliant work."

Said Lewinsky to Vanity Fair, "This isn't just a me problem. Powerful people, often men, take advantage of those subordinate to them in myriad ways all the time. Many people will see this as such a story and for that reason, this narrative is one that is, regretfully, evergreen."

The Clintons are not involved. When asked in Jan. 2019 at the Television Critics Association winter press tour about whether the Clinton family would be involved in the series, FX boss John Landgraf said, "I won't be reaching out to them, no." Landgraf also noted that American Crime Story has always been about revising history to include nuances on issues that were missing at the time. "The way we perceive many aspects of it, but particularly the women, the female characters, has really been transformed by the period of time, the #MeToo movement," said Landgraf. The season, according to the FX boss, will focus on "events that led up to and through the Ken Starr special counsel investigation" and is "told through the point of view of the many women swept up in that maelstrom."

Sarah Burgess will serve as showrunner. First-time showrunner and playwright Sarah Burgess has been tapped to run the series. Executive-producing with Burgess are Murphy, Paulson, Michael Uppendahl, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Brad Falchuk, Larry Karaszewski, Scott Alexander, and Alexis Martin Woodall. Lewinsky, Feldstein, Henrietta Conrad, and Jemima Khan are producing. Uppendahl, who is replacing Richard Shepard as the producing director, directed the Impeachment pilot.

Where to Watch

Impeachment: American Crime Story will air Tuesdays at 10/9c on FX. Episodes will be available to stream on Hulu the day after they air.

Impeachment: American Crime Story premieres Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 10/9c on FX.