The controversial Showtime actuality collection Gigolos discovered itself again within the headlines for all of the mistaken causes in 2020 when one of many present’s male escort stars was charged with a stunning homicide.
Now the brutal killing is the topic of a brand new three-part docuseries Sin Metropolis Gigolo: A Homicide In Las Vegas which premieres March 4 on Paramount+.
Gigolos ran for six seasons from 2011-2016 and adopted the lives of 5 male escorts in Las Vegas. Among the many hard-bodied hunks providing sexual providers within the present was Ash Armand (actual identify Akshaya Kubiak). He was arrested after first responders answered a 911 name to his residence the place they found the bruised and bludgeoned physique of a 29-year-old lady, Herleen Dulai.
Grotesque particulars emerged, resulting in many questions, scrutiny regarding the Las Vegas Police Division’s dealing with of the case and what went on that led to the loss of life of Dulai, who was working as a private coach on the time of her killing.
Armand argued throughout testimony that he “blacked out” and had no reminiscence of what unfolded after the 2 had taken psychedelic mushrooms. He pleaded responsible to voluntary manslaughter and mayhem, and was sentenced to serve eight-to-20 years in a Nevada jail.
Over three episodes, viewers are given an inside take a look at who Armand is thru the lens of household, buddies, exes, and former Gigolos forged members. Regulation enforcement who labored on the case additionally weigh in with their perspective of occasions. Take a look at TV Insider’s unique video, beneath.
Forward of the premiere director Barbara Shearer additionally sits down with us to speak in regards to the making of the present and divulges particulars that shocked her.
How a lot of this story do you know earlier than diving in?
Barbara Shearer: I knew nothing. Not solely that, I’m primarily based in Toronto and am a Toronto filmmaker. Though I do most of my work within the U.S., I’d by no means seen the Showtime collection Gigolos. I had no thought what this collection was about. I didn’t know any of the characters. I hadn’t heard of the crime, which was an excellent factor I believe from a filmmaking perspective. I got here in with no agenda, no preconceived notions. Additionally, as a result of I’ve accomplished a lot true-crime and there may be a lot crime on the market, I assumed, “How do I make this minimize by way of the noise? How will we make a totally completely different present right here?” That was what drove the narrative for me.
Herleen Dulai (Picture Credit score: De La Vega High quality Artwork)
Whenever you hear gigolo or intercourse employee, that may garner preconceived notions. How a lot would you say that performed into the investigation and the way in which issues unfolded? Additionally, had been you shocked in any respect how bungled the preliminary investigation was once they misidentified the sufferer.
We do make a case for that very purposely. It’s why I introduced in Whitney Wester. She is a working towards protection lawyer and a buddy of Ash. She had accomplished such an intensive investigation on her personal, approach earlier than this grew to become a challenge. In episode 3, we undoubtedly pitted the DA versus the protection lawyer. She was not the protection lawyer in any respect. It didn’t go to jury. He pleaded out, simply be clear. Had it gone to jury, what would have been each side of the argument in that? Extra like that as a result of after diving into this case and happening the rabbit gap, there was a rush to judgment. Backside line is that they obtained the proper man. I’m not in any approach saying that didn’t occur. We’ve the proper man, however had been corners minimize? Sure. Was there a rush to judgment? Sure. I undoubtedly make that evident all through the collection with the twists and turns of what occurred.
(Picture by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Division by way of Getty Photographs)
How was it getting the Gigolos forged members on the present?
Jay Blumenfield and Tony Marsh had been the producers of the Gigolos present on Showtime. They had been all the time on board. They got here in as government producers and had been going to take a seat down for the interviews as a result of they know the characters. Then we went to every of the Gigolos. You notice in Episode 3 how a lot they had been concerned within the story. Brace [Land] was all the time on board. Nick [Hawk], who now has some kind of retreat in Sedona, was a bit tough. I satisfied him to come back on board, and he ended up being nice. We obtained these two.
Bradley [Lords] kind of disappeared. We’re undecided the place Bradley is true now, however throughout growth Bradley did a growth interview. That’s what we used there. Positively, now we have the voices. Brace and Nick interviews had been accomplished actually months in the past, so these are recent. It was nice to have these characters in there to offer somewhat bit extra. I noticed them because the refrain or the courtroom jesters in what I used to be attempting to painting as this Las Vegas fashion Greek tragedy. We’ve the opposite characters just like the detectives, the DA, mom and individuals who signify the sufferer and protection lawyer to clarify the way it might have gone. These guys kind of weigh in, which to me, that’s what makes the present completely different. I actually wished to lean into that.
(Picture Credit score: Showtime/Paramount+)
How was it getting Ash’s mother concerned? Was she simply attempting to get his facet of the story on the market?
Completely. It’s that simple.
What was your takeaway from her perspective? Ash appeared to have a really distinctive upbringing.
It was a really unconventional upbringing. There isn’t any query. Very open sexually, which is unconventional by way of sexuality. And I don’t imply that in a nasty approach. I don’t need that to be misconstrued. I simply imply very unconventional upbringing. Very unconventional family, which I’m surmising why it wasn’t a giant leap to enter being a intercourse employee. The best way Ash noticed it was fairly completely different than how some individuals see it.
(Picture Credit score: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police )
Have you ever gotten an thought of what Ash thinks of this docuseries?
We wished to interview him. We completely got down to interview him. I wished his voice in it for positive. We’ve the telephone calls. He’s a presence due to the Showtime collection, but in addition due to the telephone calls had been capable of get. There are a few ones the place he’s on the telephone with his mother and aunt and the courtroom footage too. He’s undoubtedly a powerful presence all through the collection, which was essential. We had been unable to interview him. That was extra the jail name on that. We couldn’t get cameras in, so it was actually tough. We felt by the top of it we had sufficient the place he maintained a powerful presence all through the collection.
What about Herleen’s household? It was so troublesome to see the courtroom footage and listen to the anguish of their voices. They had been fully damaged from this tragedy.
I’ve been doing true-crime for the final 20 years. I all the time attain out to the sufferer’s household. It was actually necessary to have that. It was met with silence. I get it. I actually perceive it. I believe it was so necessary we had that courtroom footage of them as a result of it actually drives residence the tragedy. It reminds the viewers and reveals how tragic and actual it’s for a lack of the household. It is a actually horrible crime on the heart of it. It was so poignant to have that footage.
What stunned you about this challenge?
To me, on the floor it appeared like a really open and shut case. I used to be with the detective. Then after we heard the investigation Whitney did. It was such an extremely thorough investigation. I used to be shocked at what she got here up with. Additionally, her theories had been such that there had been a trial that maybe a powerful protection lawyer would have hypothesized for a jury. Would there be sufficient cheap doubt? I assumed that was actually an fascinating facet of the story, which is strictly why I made it the top of the storyline in Episode 3.
What do you suppose was probably the most difficult a part of this challenge?
I made positive the sufferer had a voice in it. That was difficult. We did get a buddy who skilled her and who additionally labored along with her on the gymnasium. He was undoubtedly near her. That was actually necessary to get, so we don’t overlook the sufferer on this craziness of all these wild characters of ex-girlfriends, Instagramers, intercourse staff and gigolos and Las Vegas itself. That was a problem, and I’m tremendous grateful we obtained that particular person. We additionally had some video of her to carry her alive and present who this lady was. I used to be simply attempting to interrupt by way of the noise of each true-crime collection on the market.
What do you wish to say to viewers earlier than watching this?
I need them to know this isn’t your common true-crime collection that they’re seeing come out each week. It is a bit completely different. We labored actually onerous to make it distinctive and get the characters onboard who make it distinctive. It appears somewhat larger-than-life in locations, however on the core of it’s a brutal murder. We will’t overlook that. And we don’t. I believe this one is a bit completely different in how we strategy the story. I actually hope viewers come away with that.
Sin Metropolis Gigolo: A Homicide In Las Vegas premiere, March 4, Paramount+