NEW YORK (AP) – The story of The Life of OJ Simpson was inherently cinematic – what began as fodder for a triumphant sports biopic suddenly turned into something much darker and more complex as Simpson slid from fame to infamy after the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
It’s no wonder, then, that Simpson’s multi-chaptered life—his football career, acting forays, murder trial, acquittal, civil liability conviction, sports memorabilia heist conviction, and finally, his death on Wednesday — has spawned a the entire ecosystem of media.
Much of it lies firmly in the dubious realm of the macabre and the sensational, from the widely panned horror film in which Brown Simpson was allegedly murdered by a serial killer to Simpson’s own hypothetical confessional book, “If I did.” The Simpsons case is also ubiquitous in pop culture, with direct portrayals in countless TV shows like The Simpsons (no relation), name-checking in The OJ-Z Story, and a direct link to the Kardashian family’s reality TV and business empires. Norman Mailer, the Pulitzer Prize winner convicted of stabbing his own wife even adapted the case into a TV movie, American Tragedy.
You won’t find any of those on this list. Instead, the Associated Press has assembled 10 documentaries, TV shows, books and podcasts exploring Simpson’s life and influence with key insights.
“OJ: Made in America”
This list is in no particular order, but if you only have an appetite for one medium, allow about eight hours for this definitive documentary. Directed by Ezra Edelman for ESPN Films, the five-part project, which aired on ABC and ESPN, covers the so-called trial of the century in vivid detail, but it takes three parts to get there. “OJ: Made in America” contextualizes Simpson’s life, career and fame race relations in the United States It became the longest film to win an Oscar when it won Best Documentary in 2017, where Edelman dedicated his statuette to Brown Simpson, Goldman, their families and victims of police brutality.
“OJ: Made in America” is streaming on ESPN+ and is available for purchase on other online platforms.
“June 17, 1994.”
Another installment of ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 Directed by Brett Morgen The 2010 documentary clocks in much shorter, at less than an hour. The documentary takes its title from the date of the slow pursuit of a Ford Bronco, but does not revise it. Instead, “June 17, 1994” captures that day through the lens of the other sporting events happening that day, including Arnold Palmer’s final round of the US Open and the start of the World Cup. Ranking it as the best “30 for 30” in 2014, Rolling Stone magazine said it showed “how viewers process television and how the media struggles to make sense of events that have no clear outcome.”
“June 17, 1994” is streaming on ESPN+.
In this June 21, 1995 file photo, OJ Simpson raises his hands to jurors after donning a new pair of gloves similar to the infamous bloody gloves during his double-murder trial in Los Angeles. (Vince Bucci/Pool photo via AP, File)
“OJ Simpson: Juice on the Loose”
Directed by George Romero – yes, he from Night of the Living Dead movies. and godfather of the zombie movie—this 1974 documentary follows Simpson as a promising Buffalo Bills running back. As the only entry on this list made before The Simpsons’ descent into infamy, this is an unblemished look at The Simpsons’ early life and early fame.
“OJ Simpson: Juice on the Loose” is not available for streaming on traditional platforms, but can be found on the internet archive.
“The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story”
The first installment of American Crime Story by Ryan Murphy anthology series, the FX miniseries aired the same year as “OJ: Made in America,” making 2016 a landmark year for renewed conversation around the case — and a return to stardom for key characters. The 10-episode show focused on the process itself, casting Cuba Gooding Jr. for The Simpsons, Courtney B. Vance as Johnnie Cochran, John Travolta as Robert Shapiro and David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian.
The People vs. OJ Simpson is streaming on Hulu.
Johnnie Cochran Jr. addresses the court during a hearing for OJ Simpson in Los Angeles, July 29, 1994. (AP Photo/Pool/Nick Ut, File)
“The Run of His Life: The People vs. OJ Simpson”
FX’s The People vs. OJ Simpson is adapted from To Geoffrey Toobin 1996 process book. Tobin, a lawyer, was a New Yorker staff writer who extensively covered the process that catapulted him into one of the most prominent legal pundits. The New York Times bestseller is often hailed as the most comprehensive book on the Simpson trial.
More information on where to find The Run of His Life: The People v. OJ Simpson’ can be found at Penguin Random House site.
“No doubt”
It seems that almost every person tangentially connected to the Simpson trial has published a book about it at some point. Quality varies, but one worth checking out is from Marcia Clark, the lead prosecutor in the case, who drew criticism for her performance and ended up leaving the law after the trial. She received $4 million for her 2016 memoir and has since turned to writing fiction and even they created a tv show.
More information on where to find “Without A Doubt” written with Teresa Carpenter can be found on Clark’s site.
In this Sept. 26, 1995 file photo, prosecutor Marcia Clark demonstrates to the jury how the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were committed during her closing arguments in the OJ Simpson double-murder trial in Los Angeles. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Daily News via AP, Pool, File)
“His Name is Ron: Our Quest for Justice”
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 see as a miscarriage of justice over the decades after Simpson’s acquittal, as their attorney said Thursday that Simpson “died without repentance.” The description begins: “This book is not about OJ. Simpson or his “Dream Team”. This book is not another revision of The Trial of the Century. Instead, this is Goldman’s story.
More information on where to find “His Name is Ron” can be found at Penguin Random House site.
“Another City, Not Mine”
The only novel on this list comes from journalist and crime writer Dominic Dunne — it’s fiction, of course, but it’s also a “novel in memoir form,” as it’s subtitled. Dunn covered the Simpson trial for Vanity Fair, and in the book mixes characters from his own imagination—such as reporter Gus Bailey from his previous books—with real-life figures such as the Goldmans and journalists such as Harvey Levin and AP’s Linda Deutsch. It’s loosely fictional, but beyond the trial narrative, the 1997 novel offers a hazy account of the alienating glitz and grime of the Los Angeles of its time.
More information on where to find “Another City Not My Own” can be found at Penguin Random House site.
“Confrontation: OJ Simpson”
Over the course of 10 episodes, Kim Goldman reflects on her brother’s murder and sits down with lawyers, investigators, witnesses and jurors to get “answers to questions that have haunted her since the trial,” according to the podcast’s description. The 2019 podcast covers everything from civil litigation to domestic violence to the ever-haunting specter of grief. “Collision” is an anthology, with the second season focusing on the Columbine school shooting.
“Confrontation: OJ Simpson” is produced by Wondery.
Fred Goldman, father of Ron Goldman, hugs his wife Patty as his daughter Kim walks away, reacts during the reading of the not guilty verdicts in the double murder trial of OJ Simpson on October 3, 1995 in Los Angeles. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Daily News via AP, Pool, File)
“You’re wrong”
Perhaps the most disappointing entry on this list, as the Simpsons series still remains unfinished, but The Wrongs — a podcast dedicated to upending conventional narratives — has produced hours and hours of episodes about the Simpsons case. If you’re looking for a deep dive that dispels popular myths about the case, this is a good listen. The Simpsons episodes were hosted by Sarah Marshall and Michael Hobbs, the latter of whom subsequently left the show.
“You’re Wrong” is available at most podcast platforms.
