Robert Morse talks O.J. and being Dominick Dunne on 'American Crime Story'

Dominick Dunne, who covered the O.J. Simpson trial for Vanity Fair, truly understood the value of being well-connected. So does actor Robert Morse, who plays Dunne in American Crime Story: The People Vs. O.J. Simpson. After all, it's how he got the part.

Morse, of course, is a well-established showbiz vet with 60 years of acting under his belt. He won a Tony as the original lead in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; he was nominated for five Emmys for playing Mad Men's dignified ad exec Bert Cooper.

But this new role came to him in a very unexpected way -- via Larry Karaszewski, one of American Crime Story's executive producers.

"My son's best friend was Larry's son," Morse tells Mashable. "This was years ago. And all of a sudden I got a call from Larry, and he said 'Bobby! We're trying to cast Dominick Dunne in the O.J. story. Would you be interested in doing it?'

It's an origin story that would have pleased Dunne himself -- an assiduous networker who climbed to the top of Hollywood's elite before being laid low by addiction issues. After cleaning himself up, Dunne found a second act by writing juicy potboilers based on real-life incidents.

But everything changed when one of Dunne's children, Poltergeist actress Dominique Dunne, was strangled to death by her abusive ex-boyfriend -- and the killer received a mere manslaughter conviction.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

After that, Dunne took a more passionate and active interest in high society justice, becoming Vanity Fair's go-to legal writer. These factors combined made Dunne a celebrity in and of himself as he wrote pointedly and poignantly about the Simpson case.

And even now, Dunne's connections are still impeccable: As we discovered during the following conversation, in the late 1980s, he even broke bread with the man who'd eventually play him on TV.

MASHABLE: I had a feeling you might have encountered Dominick Dunne at some point during your careers, perhaps in your live TV days.

Robert Morse: I had dinner with him in New York when I was doing Tru, a one-man show about Truman Capote at the Booth Theater. I knew enough people around New York during that time, and I knew him very well.

Dead bodies and knives and over-the-fences and gloves and Mark Fuhrman. I mean, Jesus.

Well, he was very excited about whatever he did, and he was a wonderful writer. And he knew just about everybody in the world. I think he had a little competition with Truman Capote.

I watched a few YouTubes of him talking, etcetera. All I wanted to do was as the directors and producers told me: "We don't want an imitation. Just an approximation, because we don't think we've hired you because you have such a great resemblance – we can fix it with makeup and lighting and make you look wonderful."

So I took upon the fact that he was a very interesting man, and he loved discourse. This trial was very exciting to him. After all, his daughter was murdered, so he had an interest in that he wanted to see this man found guilty, too. He didn't want to lose this case.

Your scenes certainly capture the Dominick Dunne that I encountered at that time. He had the ear of the L.A. elite as a result of having a seat at that trial.

Absolutely. Judge Ito said "I want you, specifically. I'm allowing you to come to the trial every day and report." And he wanted [Dunne] to sit next to the Goldman family. "I'm sure you'll be very helpful to them because of what you've gone through."

Were you in Los Angeles at the time of the Simpson case, or were you in New York?

I was in Los Angeles, but I was in Palm Springs. I was in a celebrity golf tournament. And I remember getting back to the hotel after the tournament and putting on the TV. The whole world was watching the Bronco chase.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

What was your take on that, at the time?

I played golf with him, at some celebrity golf tournaments! And who'd have known? [Laughs] Who knew, later on, that I’d be watching the Bronco chase and later playing a part!

I'm very proud of the show. It's filmed beautifully, and it brings back a lot of things that I've forgotten, that I didn't remember. And I know that in the weeks ahead there's going to be a lot more, where you go, "Oh my God -- I forgot that! Oh, Jesus -- that's fascinating!"

It's fascinating, and it's done very, very well. I'm very proud to be part of that whole shebang, because for me it's classy. It isn't just a cheap, throw-something-together.

Now I have to ask about your encounters with O.J. Simpson back then. What was your takeaway when you met him at those golf tournaments?

Well, I met him casually. "Hi, O.J." "Hi, Bobby -- I know your work." You know? We were both in Hollywood at the same time. We played golf at the Riviera Country Club or public courses. We'd see each other around. Not socially, but just "Hello," "How are you?" Courtesy. This was before all of this happened.

It's an astounding thing. It's like a Donald Trump novel.

I guess I would say this is near the end of my career, and I was very fortunate to get Mad Men and to do that for seven years. 

But I go way, way back to New York, to theater – The Matchmaker with Ruth Gordon, which was later made into Hello, Dolly; Take Me Along, with Jackie Gleason and Walter Pidgeon, Una Merkel, Eileen Hurley, based on Ah, Wilderness! by Eugene O'Neill, a musical; and Say, Darling, and How to Succeed and Sugar. So as far as social – I was the Nathan Lane of my time. [Laughs]

Was there an especially fun scene for you to shoot in this one?

Yes. There's a dinner scene -- that was a delicious scene, a lovely scene, holding court with all the Los Angeles and Beverly Hills dowagers. Wonderful people, don't get me wrong. Very social and bright and intelligent.

I think Dominick Dunne was a toast of the town. I'm sure everybody wanted him to go to their dinner parties, and Hollywood probably had many parties with directors and actors at which he was probably questioned about the trial. And any tidbits he could give them, they loved. So that was the idea of it. That was a wonderful scene at the dinner table.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Your opinion of O.J. Simpson's guilt or innocence, both at the time and today—

I have no opinion. I don't know how to say that. I guess that's life: I have no opinion. I don't think I'm a great student of it. I think I'll know more after I see all of the episodes. I'll know more about it. Does that make me a bad guy? [Laughs]

Well, even with a wealth of information at your fingertips it's hard to know what's true and what's not true.

It's just baffling. It's extraordinarily baffling. Dead bodies and knives and over-the-fences and gloves and Mark Fuhrman. I mean, Jesus. Well, it's the trial of then century, in one way or another. Celebrity, families being torn apart and Hollywood and everything. It's an astounding thing. It's like a Donald Trump novel.

We need Mr. Dunne now more than ever, to write that one.

I think so!

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.