When Happy Face premiered on Paramount+, its story marks a new path to the true crime genre, told through the eyes of the serial killer’s daughter.
Based on the life of Melissa Moore, Keith Jesperson’s daughter, the series quickly drew attention to rejecting glorious violence and its emotional footage on the impact.
While the initial headlines focused on the premise of the show, the actors and creative team shared with TV fanatics what it means to enter the world and how it personally affects them.
Melissa Moore connects with other families
“While I have my own story to tell, it connects with other families,” Moore said.
“So, there is a sense of responsibility for how I tell my own story because when I accidentally tell my own story, my dad got the attention, which means the killer of the person they love got the attention, and then that could feel resentful. We are not single storytellers; we are all connected to each other.”
Jennifer Cacicio Go to the screen
“I always feel like this is Melissa’s story, and I really don’t want to get over into Keith’s POV,” explains Showrunner Jennifer Cacicio. “We’re actually only when we’re related to Melissa’s story, or if we’re influencing Melissa’s story one way or another, we’re really getting into his POV.”
She added: “Everyth in the story comes from Melissa, just like she shared her father’s letters, so that’s how I wrote Keith in books and podcasts and everything she wrote. We’ve tried our best to not honor him, but yes, he’s in the story, he’s a big part of it, and he’s even in the scenes in the story.”
Dennis Quaid chooses role
“Really, it’s easy for him to tell you the truth,” Quaid said of Jaceson. “Because he thinks he is the master operator, but it’s easy psychologically. Because the serial killer does what he does, he doesn’t have real emotions.”
Quaid didn’t meet Jespers’ character and noted: “It’s her story told from her perspective, mostly right. I think she knows him better than he knows himself.”
He found the scene between Melissa and her father the most powerful: “What happened back and forth with them was just crazy.”
Melissa’s inner struggle Annaleigh Ashford
“She has a wonderful gift of sympathy and openness, and people open to her and talk to her because she is so open and open, it’s ironic because she’s so scared of being like her father or his DNA,” Ashford said.
“She is afraid of any traits that appear in her or her family.”
This fear emphasizes the key theme of the show: “Is it natural or nurtured? Right. What does that feel and look like?”
Ashford added: “While Melissa knows she is not like her father, throughout the series, it’s a struggle we’ll see her checking. I think she will always bear the burden of the crimes her father committed.”
James Wolk plays Ben
Volker said of Melissa’s husband Ben, “He is a protector, right?”
“I started listening to podcasts and hearing how outrageous it was to hear Keith doing it, just to get my body to accept it, which allowed me to carry myself some way when I was trying to protect her while dealing with Melissa.”
“It actually scares me and wants to protect my children on the show. So the source material allows me to make up the cost, and he is this protector, who will do his best to protect his family.”
Tamera Tomakili dabbles in real crime
Tomakili, who plays the Ivy, said: “I’m not the biggest true crime fan to be honest, but what I can step into is that I kind of overcome my fear and discomfort with this material.”
“There are a lot of real crime worlds that people try to understand about, and there is a sense of security in studying these characters.”
“I like this show… because it’s centered on the victims and the families of these murderers. It feels more real, feels more citizen, feels connected to people who actually have to live past or live through many of these crimes.”
Benjamin Mackey takes it seriously
When asked how he prepares for the emotional scene, Benjamin Mackey, who plays Melissa’s son Max, shared: “Just start the moment in the trailer. I’m preparing.
Even at a young age, McGee understood the severity of the subject. “For real people, that’s the story, and that’s already a lot.”
A series that doesn’t move
A happy face may be part of a true criminal boom, but it refuses to follow the usual formula. Its power lies in who told the story, how it was composed and who it really was.
As Melissa Moore points out: “It’s easy [than telling my own story directly] Because I feel the essence is there and the freedom to show that I can never show others behind the scenes in any other medium. ”
Happy Faces redefine a true crime series as they expand the voices of the affected persons (rather than those who cause harm).
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