Last night (Tuesday, Feb. 9), FX aired their turbulent second episode of American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson featuring the infamous police care chase that took place on June 17, 1994. Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner portrays Al 'AC' Cowlings on the show, Simpson's longtime friend and the man who drove that white Ford Bronco on Interstate 405. Warner opened up about filming the dramatic scene.
Simpson was expected to turn himself in on Jun 17, 1994 to the Los Angeles Police Department after being named a prime suspect in the double murder investigation of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and a waiter named Ronald Goldman. Instead of doing so, the former NFL superstar left behind an alleged suicide note and fled the area with his close pal, AC.
Many viewers remember in great detail how the events played out that day, but only two men know exactly what went down during that chase, which included around 20 police cars and over 250 helicopters. Although the scene was heavily fact-checked, Warner admits they had to take a "creative license" when filming the emotional scenes inside the utility vehicle.
Buckle up. #thepeoplevojsimpson starts now.
A photo posted by American Crime Story FX (@americancrimestoryfx) on Feb 9, 2016 at 7:00pm PST
"For us, it was a matter of putting ourselves in that situation and putting our take on what went on inside the car," Warner told ETonline. "There's so much emotion and tension going on. He was very good about keeping the tension within the context of what was going on."
The scene took two days to film. Executive producer Ryan Murphy directed the shoot, which reportedly left Warner and Cuba Gooding Jr. (Simpson) drained. Murphy made it his mission to showcase the racial tension that erupted during Simpson's murder trial and how police brutality with African-Americans still remains an issue.
It comes at a time in America when racial tension is high. With the overwhelming amount of fatal shootings and deaths at the hands of police and controversial court rulings in the past few years, Murphy is looking to shed more light on reoccurring racial themes. The 45-year-old New Jersey native also spoke out about how the show plans on tackling race issues.
"In terms of time, 20 years is always a good time to review anything," Warner said. "These issues have been prevalent in the black community forever. It's such an ongoing issue that this television show, which is a period piece, still feels very contemporary."
For more on American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, viewers can catch the series every Tuesday at 10 p.m. on FX.
