NEW YORK — The story of O.J. Simpson’s life was inherently cinematic — what started as fodder for a triumphant sports biopic abruptly became something much darker and complex as Simpson slid from fame to infamy following the killings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
It’s little wonder then that Simpson’s many-chaptered life — his football career, acting forays, murder trial, acquittal, civil liability judgment, sports memorabilia robbery conviction and finally, his death Wednesday — has spawned a whole ecosystem of media.
Much of it rests firmly in the dubious realm of the lurid and sensational, from the widely panned horror movie that posits Brown Simpson was murdered by a serial killer to Simpson’s own hypothetical confessional book, “If I Did It.” The Simpson case is ubiquitous in pop culture, too, with direct portrayals in countless TV shows like “The Simpsons” (no relation), a name-check in Jay-Z’s “The Story of O.J.” and a direct throughline to the Kardashians’ reality television and business empires. Norman Mailer, the Pulitzer Prize winner convicted of stabbing his own wife, even adapted the case into a television movie, “American Tragedy.”
You won’t find any of those on this list. Here, instead, The Associated Press has collected 10 documentaries, television shows, books and podcasts exploring Simpson’s life and influence with key insights.
This list isn’t ordered, but if you only have the appetite for one piece of media, set aside roughly eight hours for this definitive documentary. Directed by Ezra Edelman for ESPN Films, the five-part project aired on ABC and ESPN covers the so-called trial of the century in explicit details, but it takes three parts just to get there. “O.J.: Made in America” contextualizes Simpson’s life, career and notoriety with race relations in the U.S. It became the longest movie to win an Oscar when it won best documentary in 2017, where Edelman dedicated his statuette to Brown Simpson, Goldman, their families and the victims of police brutality.
“O.J.: Made in America” is streaming on ESPN+ and is available for purchase on other online platforms.
Another installment of ESPN Films’ “30 for 30,” the Brett Morgen-directed 2010 documentary clocks in much shorter, at less than an hour. The documentary takes its title from the date of the slow-speed Ford Bronco chase, but it doesn’t rehash it. Instead, “June 17th, 1994” captures that day through the lens of the other sports events happening that day, including Arnold Palmer’s final U.S. Open round and the start of the World Cup. In ranking it as the best “30 for 30” in 2014, Rolling Stone magazine said it shows “how viewers process television, and how the media struggles to make sense of events that have no clear outcome.”
“June 17th, 1994” is streaming on ESPN+.
Directed by George Romero — yes, he of the “Night of the Living Dead” films and a zombie movie godfather — this 1974 documentary follows Simpson as an up-and-coming Buffalo Bills running back. As the only entry on this list produced before Simpson’s descent into notoriety, it’s an untainted glimpse into Simpson’s early life and early fame.
“O.J. Simpson: Juice on the Loose” isn’t available to stream on traditional platforms, but can be found on the Internet Archive.
The first installment of Ryan Murphy’s “American Crime Story” anthology series, the FX miniseries aired the same year as “O.J.: Made in America,” making 2016 a banner year for reigniting conversation around the case — and reigniting the celebrity of key characters. The 10-episode show focused on the trial itself, casting Cuba Gooding Jr. as Simpson, Courtney B. Vance as Johnnie Cochran, John Travolta as Robert Shapiro and David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian.
“The People v. O.J. Simpson” is streaming on Hulu.
FX’s “The People v. O.J. Simpson” was adapted from Jeffrey Toobin’s 1996 book about the trial. Toobin, a lawyer, was a New Yorker staff writer who extensively covered the trial that catapulted him into one of the most high-profile legal analysts. The New York Times bestseller is often praised as the most comprehensive book about Simpson’s trial.
More information about where to find “The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson” can be found on the Penguin Random House site.
It seems as if nearly every person tangentially connected to the Simpson trial put out a book about it at some point. Quality varies, but one worth checking out is from Marcia Clark, the lead prosecutor on the case who attracted criticism for her performance and wound up quitting law after the trial. She was paid $4 million for her 2016 memoir and has since pivoted to writing fiction and even co-created a TV show.
More information about where to find “Without A Doubt,” written with Teresa Carpenter, can be found on Clark’s site.
Written by the Goldman family with William and Marilyn Hoffer, the book was originally published in 1997. The Goldmans have remained vocal about what they deem a miscarriage of justice in the decades since Simpson’s acquittal, with their attorney saying Thursday that Simpson “died without penance.” The description opens with: “This book is not about OJ. Simpson or his ‘Dream Team.’ This book is not another rehash of the ‘Trial of the Century.’” Instead, it’s the Goldmans’ story.
More information about where to find “His Name Is Ron” can be found on the Penguin Random House site.
The only novel on this list comes from the journalist and crime writer Dominick Dunne — it’s fiction, sure, but it’s also “a novel in the form of memoir,” as it’s subtitled. Dunne covered the Simpson trial for Vanity Fair and, in the book, mixes characters from his own imagination — like reporter Gus Bailey from his previous books — with real-life figures, like the Goldmans and journalists like Harvey Levin and AP’s own Linda Deutsch. It’s thinly fictionalized, but beyond recounting the trial, the 1997 novel offers a hazy reckoning with the alienating glitz and grime of the Los Angeles of its time.
More information about where to find “Another City, Not My Own” can be found on the Penguin Random House site.
Over the course of 10 episodes, Kim Goldman reflects on her brother’s killing and sits down with lawyers, investigators, witnesses and jurors to get “answers to questions that have been haunting her since the trial,” according to the podcast description. The 2019 podcast covers everything from the civil case to domestic violence to the ever-haunting specter of grief. “Confronting” is an anthology, with the second season focusing on the Columbine school shooting.
“Confronting: O.J. Simpson” is produced by Wondery.
Perhaps the most frustrating entry on this list because its Simpson series still remains unfinished, but “You’re Wrong About” — a podcast dedicated to upending conventional narratives — has produced hours and hours of episodes about the Simpson case. If you’re looking for a deep dive that dispels popular myths about the case, this is a good listen. The Simpson episodes are hosted by Sarah Marshall and Michael Hobbes, the latter of whom has since left the show.
“You’re Wrong About” is available on most podcast platforms.
