Waters and Murphy on Critics, Camp, and TV Hits
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- John Waters sat down with Ryan Murphy in June at the Provincetown International Film Festival for a wide-ranging "Filmmaker on the Edge" conversation ahead of Murphy's Emmy season.
- Murphy is entering Emmy season with "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette" and prepping "The Shards," a Bret Easton Ellis adaptation due in August.
- Waters screened his 1977 cult film "Desperate Living" in a new restoration at Provincetown, a festival he has attended for 60-plus years.
- Murphy said his early series "Popular" and "Glee" were criticized for being "too gay," and named "Glee," "American Horror Story," and "The People vs. OJ Simpson" as his greatest successes.
- Murphy said his Kim Kardashian-starring legal drama "All's Fair" drew the worst reviews of his career alongside its biggest ratings, and credited Kardashian's media savvy for shrugging off the pans.
- Waters revealed he first met Jessica Lange while playing William Castle on Murphy's "Feud" series, where Lange portrayed Joan Crawford.
- Waters singled out Darren Criss' performance in "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" as one of the best in any Ryan Murphy show.
Why it matters: Murphy's framing of a critic-proof career strategy — make shows for audiences, not reviewers — got its clearest test case in "All's Fair," which delivered his biggest numbers alongside his worst reviews. With a JFK Jr. limited series in Emmy contention and a Bret Easton Ellis adaptation on deck, the conversation signals Murphy is leaning further into soapy, populist territory rather than chasing critical respect.
