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| “ | I've killed two people, Lee. Two people that were very close to me. I know it's hard to believe. Intellectual Andrew. Well read, well spoken Andrew. Well dressed. But here I am. This is me. | „ |
| ~ Andrew showing his true colors to Lee before killing him. |
| “ | For me, being told no is like being told I don't exist. It's like I disappeared or something. | „ |
| ~ Andrew to Jeff. |
Andrew Cunanan is the villainous main protagonist of the FX series American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace. He is a fictionalized version of the real-life, late serial killer of the same name.
He was portrayed by Darren Criss.
Biography[]
Andrew was born to a Filipino-American father named Modesto and an Italian American mother named Mary Ann. Throughout Andrew's childhood, Modesto told him that he was special and better than everyone else, even his own siblings. It is also suggested that Modesto sexually abused him.
During high school, Andrew become known for making up fantastic stories about his life and family, making them sound far more glamorous and exciting than they actually were. He was also open about his homosexuality, and began sleeping with older, closeted men, who would give him expensive presents in return for sexual favors before they inevitably tired of his constant demands for attention and money. It was also in high school that he met Mary Elizabeth Cote, his lifelong best friend.
In 1988, Modesto abandoned his family and fled to the Philippines to escape charges of embezzlement. Andrew was devastated by his father's abandonment, although he continued to tell tall tales about Modesto being a millionaire or royalty. At one point, Andrew went to the Philippines to see Modesto, who rejected him. While he idealized his father, Andrew frequently fought with his mother, at one point slamming her against a wall and dislocating her shoulder.
In 1990, Andrew met Gianni Versace at a gay bar, and again during the San Francisco premiere of Capriccio, which Versace designed for Kiri Te Kanawa. After the performance, Andrew entertained Versace with his fantastic stories, and it is suggested that they may have slept together, but whether this actually happened or was merely a figment of Andrew's imagination is left open to interpretation.
In 1995, Andrew met Jeff Trail, a Navy veteran who was struggling to come out to his family. They became friends, although Jeff was discomfited by Andrew's growing obsession with him, which for Andrew was the same thing as love. They had a falling out, however, after Jeff caught Andrew in his house without permission, and Andrew wrote a letter to Jeff's father outing him.
Meanwhile, Andrew began a relationship with wealthy businessman Norman Blachford, sponging off his money and connections to the rich, glamorous people he had always dreamed of. Blachford finally breaks up with him after Andrew tries to write himself into Norman's will. Andrew threw a violent tantrum after Norman rejected him, destroying his living room table. Andrew quickly found a new source of income by dating Lee Miglin, yet another wealthy, closeted, older man. He also began making porn and selling, and abusing, club drugs like ecstasy, cocaine, and methamphetamines.
In 1996, Andrew met David Madsen and became obsessed with him, convinced that they were destined to be together. His feelings were unrequited, however, as David fell in love with Jeff, and both began distancing themselves from him. Andrew invited David to a restaurant on what he didn't tell him was a date, and tried to persuade him to move to San Francisco with him. David replied that he was in love with Jeff, and confronted Andrew with the unpleasant truth that he did not know what real love was.
Angry and hurt, Andrew went to Jeff's apartment and got into a heated argument with him that ended with Andrew beating him to death with a hammer. He then kidnapped David and took him to Rush City, where he again tried to romance him. Terrified, David called the police, but Andrew caught him, took him out to the middle of the desert, and shot him dead.
Needing money, Andrew robbed Miglin's house and tortured and killed him, leaving gay pornography near his corpse to out him and embarrass his wife. Now on the run from the police, Andrew stole Miglin's car before abandoning it. He then car-jacked and murdered a man named William Reese. Finally, he set his sights on killing Versace, whom he resented for having the wealth and status that had always eluded him. Andrew went to Versace's house and shot him dead when he answered the door.
When the police identified Andrew as Versace's murderer, he again went on the run. He called his father, who reassured him that he would give him any help he needed. However, when Andrew later watched Modesto giving an interview on TV in an obvious attempt to profit from his infamy, he shot his television in a fit of rage. Finally, as the police closed in on him, Andrew committed suicide by shooting himself in the mouth.
Victims[]
- Jeff Trail
- David Madsen
- Lee Miglin
- William Reese
- Gianni Versace
- An unnamed dove
Trivia[]
- It is debatable how, or even if, Andrew met Gianni Versace in real life. Versace's family and his partner Antonio D'Amico said that the two had never met before Andrew murdered him.
- Andrew was diagnosed with Anti-Social Personality Disorder.
- Like Cunanan himself, Darren Criss is of mixed Filipino ancestry.
- The miniseries implies that Andrew contracted HIV, and that was one of the triggers for his killing spree. In real life, however, Andrew was found to be HIV-negative.