Assassination of Gianni Versace viewers praise Darren Criss for his "gripping" performance as Andrew Cunanan

The Assassination of Gianni Versace, the follow-up to 2016's true crime drama The People vs OJ Simpson, debuted on BBC2 last night – and viewers were blown away by former Glee star Darren Criss' striking performance.

The second series of American Crime Story centres around the killing of the legendary fashion designer, but his alleged murderer, 27-year-old socialite Andrew Cunanan, is the real focal point, as the show's writers attempt to build a narrative around the crime and Cunanan's personal life.

• Who is Andrew Cunanan? Why did he kill Gianni Versace?
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Criss is undoubtedly brilliant in the role, creepy, manipulative and alluring all at once. Fans took to Twitter to lavish him with praise after episode one.

https://twitter.com/annactara/status/968961281368739841

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https://twitter.com/SilverFox0916/status/968962913007529984

https://twitter.com/ftdanieljames/status/968964851967102976

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Fans were also rather fond of Penelope Cruz's portrayal of Donatella Versace, and are already hungry for more episodes.

https://twitter.com/EmmaKennedy/status/969120585757478913

https://twitter.com/carsonsarah/status/968963696444760064

https://twitter.com/willyggh/status/968991191302799362

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