The series is executive produced by Melissa Moore, the daughter of Jesperson, who draws inspiration from her autobiography “Shattered Silence” and her podcast “Happy Face Presents: Two Face.” Melissa’s character in the show is portrayed by Annaleigh Ashford.

Quaid revealed his decision to avoid meeting Jesperson himself, stating, “I would have just gotten a bunch of sh*t.” He further remarked on the richness of Melissa’s perspective, noting, “Melissa wrote a book. That’s her father. She knows him better than I think he knows himself, really.”

In preparing for the role, Quaid found it straightforward to embody Jesperson, explaining that “serial killers don’t have emotions.” He felt his task was to strip away emotion instead of tapping into it, emphasizing Jesperson’s detached demeanor. “There’s this distance, there’s this kind of like it was another person who did it,” he elaborated.

Quaid highlighted the unique narrative of the series, particularly the relationship between Melissa and her father. He stated, “What makes our story unique is that from any other true crime thing that I’ve ever seen is that she had a loving relationship, a sweet relationship with her dad. From a little girl’s point of view, you know, idolized her dad and then at 15, he got caught. She found out he was the serial killer.” The challenge of reconciling that duality—of love for her father and horror at his actions—is central to the narrative.

Through his conversations with Melissa, Quaid recognized the importance of focusing on the victims and their families. He remarked, “The attention is put on the victims, to shine a light on what they’ve been through, what they put up with and, you know, their memory and what people like him bring in terms of devastation.”

Melissa also reflected on the emotional journey prompted by the series, coinciding almost three decades since her father’s arrest. She expressed, “This has been really a time of reflection. I still have work on talking to my children and it’s not comfortable, for sure. I think now I understand why my mom didn’t want to have the tough conversations because they’re just absolutely uncomfortable.”

She praised Quaid’s portrayal, particularly regarding her father’s manipulation, stating, “I felt that Dennis Quaid did an excellent job of portraying the manipulation… He knew my vulnerability… and then just went I start to trust, he betrays my trust.”

“Happy Face” is set to stream on Paramount+ beginning March 20, providing viewers with a gripping exploration of a chilling true crime story.

Source
extratv.com