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Annette Bening has joined the second season of the American Crime Story TV show on FX. Season two of the true crime anthology drama series focuses on Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, which occurred in 2005. Bening will play then-Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco. Last month, we reported that the new season will be delayed until 2018. Learn more.

Back in August of 2016, EP Ryan Murphy said that, unlike on his American Horror Story anthology series, he won’t bring back the whole American Crime Story season one cast. Still, Murphy did say some of those actors may return. The first season focused on the OJ Simpson murder trial and starred Cuba Gooding, John Travolta, David Schwimmer, Sarah Paulson, Courtney B. Vance, Nathan Lane, Kelly Dowdle, Jake Koeppl, Evan Handler, Dale Godboldo, Rob Morrow, Kenneth Choi, and Bruce Greenwood.

Learn more from this FX press release.

Annette Bening Cast In Katrina: American Crime Story

Feb 6, 2017 1:09 PM

Bening To Play Kathleen Blanco, Governor of Louisiana During And After Hurricane Katrina, In Second Installment of Emmy® and Golden Globe® Winning Limited Series Franchise

LOS ANGELES, February 6, 2017 – Golden Globe® Award winning actress Annette Bening has been cast in Katrina: American Crime Story, the second installment of the universally acclaimed, award-winning limited series from Ryan Murphy, Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson. Bening, who has also been nominated for an Emmy® Award and four Academy Awards, will portray Kathleen Blanco, the Governor of Louisiana during and after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

Ryan Murphy, Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson serve as Executive Producers on Katrina: American Crime Story, which is produced by Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions.

The first installment, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, was nominated for 22 Emmy Awards and won 9, including Outstanding Limited Series. The People v. O.J. Simpson also won two Golden Globe Awards, including Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made For Television; four Critics’ Choice Awards, including Best Movie Made for Television or Limited Series; and was named an AFI Television Program of the Year.

The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story was the most critically acclaimed program of 2016 and was both cable’s most-watched new scripted series of the year in all key demos and FX’s most-watched series ever with 13.9 million viewers on average per episode across all linear and digital platforms.

Annette Bening is a four-time Academy Award nominee, two-time Golden Globe-winner, and Screen Actors Guild Award winner. She was last seen in Warren Beatty’s RULES DON’T APPLY and stars in A24’s 20TH CENTURY WOMEN directed by Mike Mills. Also upcoming is Michael Mayer’s adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s play THE SEAGULL and Paul McGuigan’s FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL.

Additional film credits include DANNY COLLINS, THE SEARCH, THE FACE OF LOVE, RUBY SPARKS, GIRL MOST LIKELY, GINGER & ROSA, THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT, MOTHER AND CHILD, BEING JULIA, AMERICAN BEAUTY, IN DREAMS, THE SIEGE, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT, MARS ATTACKS!, RICHARD III, LOVE AFFAIR, BUGSY, REGARDING HENRY, THE GRIFTERS, GUILTY BY SUSPICION, VALMONT, POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE, and THE GREAT OUTDOORS.

Bening was last seen on stage in Public Theater’s 2014 Shakespeare in the Park production of KING LEAR. Additional theater credits include RUTH DRAPER MONOLOGUES at Geffen Playhouse, Anton Chekhov’s THE CHERRY ORCHARD at Mark Taper Forum, Alan Bennett’s TALKING HEADS at Tiffany Theater, Henrik Ibsen’s HEDDA GABLER at Geffen Playhouse, and MEDEA at UCLA. Bening received a Tony Award nomination and won the Clarence Derwent Award for Outstanding Debut Performance of the Season for her role in COASTAL DISTURBANCES. Bening graduated from San Francisco State University and trained at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco until she joined the acting company.

Bening is represented by CAA and Mark Gochman.

 

What do you think? Did you watch the first season of the American Crime Story TV show? Do you plan to watch the Katrina season on FX?