The People v. O.J. Simpson: the cast and their real-life counterparts

Ryan Murphy's hugely popular American Crime Story anthology series kicked off on a huge topic: the trial of O.J. Simpson.

The drama series, which is currently available to stream in full on Netflix, focuses on the murder trial of 1995 after O.J.'s wife Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman were brutally killed. The case, which resulted in O.J. being acquitted, has been regarded as one of the most shocking and fascinating criminal cases in recent history.

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The true-crime series swept the board during award seasons, picking up 22 Primetime Emmy Nominations and nods at the Golden Globes – and a number of the stellar actors also picked up awards for their performances. If you're intrigued to see the actors alongside their real-life counterparts, then look no further. Here's the main cast and who they played on the show…

Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark

Sarah Paulson is known and loved for her roles in Ratched, Mrs. America and more. But in The People v. O.J. Simpson, she took on the role as lead prosecutor Marcia Clark – who passionately fought to get justice for the murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman.

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After the trial, Marcia resigned as an attorney and went on to write a book about the case. She has also appeared on numerous documentaries and shows discussing the trail and also worked as a reporter for Entertainment Tonight.  

David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian

Friends star David Schwimmer took on the role of Robert Kardashian, the defense lawyer for O.J. Simpson. Robert, who is the father of Robert Jnr, Kourtney, Kim and Khloe Kardashian, was a close friend of O.J.'s and subsequently went on to represent him in the trial. Robert died in 2003 from cancer.

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David received recognition for his portrayal of the late attorney and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series.

John Travolta as Robert Shapiro

John Travolta might be best known for his parts in Grease, Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction, but he received plenty of praise when he took on the role of defense attorney Robert Shapiro for the true-crime series.

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Robert was one of O.J.'s defense lawyers and become infamous in the process. After the trial, Robert moved away from criminal defense to civil litigation.

Courtney B. Vance as Johnnie Cochran

Johnnie Cochran was a high-profile defense lawyer in LA who also became part of the accused's defense team. In the show, the lawyer is portrayed as Courtney B. Vance, perhaps best known for his roles in Law & Order and Scandal.

Sterling K. Brown as Christopher Darden

Christopher Darden worked on the prosecution team alongside Marcia Clark. Prior to the trial, he had worked in the LA Country District Attorney's office and became a prominent lawyer after appearing on the O.J. case.

The lawyer was played by Sterling K. Brown, perhaps best known for his roles in This Is Us. He's also had supporting roles in The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel and Black Panther.

Christian Clemenson as William Hodgman

The third member of the prosecution team was William Hodgman. He also served as the Assistant District Attorney for operations within the LA County DA's office. In the show, he's portrayed by actor Christian Clemenson who viewers might recognise from Apollo 13 and Boston Legal.

Kenneth Choi as Judge Lance Ito

The presiding judge on the case was Judge Lance Ito. The actor who played him in the drama was Kenneth Choi, who also has credits in titles such as The Wolf of Wall Street, Captain America and 9-1-1.

Selma Blair as Kris Jenner  

Kris Jenner was the ex-wife of Robert Kardashian and is best-known for appearing in the hugely popular reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

In the show, she's portrayed by Selma Blair as a young mum, grief-stricken after losing her friend, Nicole Brown. Selma is known for her appearance in films like The Sweetest Thing and Legally Blonde. 

Cuba Gooding Jr as O.J. Simpson

O.J. Simpson was arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of his wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend Ron Goldman. O.J. was found not-guilty after the trial, but was later arrested for robbery charges. Cuba Gooding Jr. portrayed him and will be recognised by viewers for his parts in Selma, American Gangster and A Few Good Men. 

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