Behind Happy Face: Interviews with the Cast & Creators on Reframing True Crime

True crime has long captivated audiences, but rarely has it been told through the eyes of those left to deal with the consequences.

Happy Face, the new Paramount+ series, breaks the mold by shifting the focus from the killer to his family — most notably, his daughter, Melissa Moore. The series dramatizes Melissa’s struggle to reclaim her identity from the shadow of her father, serial killer Keith Jesperson, played by Dennis Quaid.

Featuring a stellar cast and guided by Melissa herself, Happy Face offers a deeply personal and unprecedented look at the far-reaching impact of violent crime.

A Different Kind of True Crime Story

Annaleigh Ashford, who portrays Melissa, was drawn to the project because of its unique perspective. “When I got the script, I was totally overwhelmed by the inner struggle she experienced before she outed herself as being Keith Jesperson’s daughter,” she shared.

Happy Face avoids the sensationalism often seen in true crime by placing Melissa and the victims’ families at the center. “We don’t re-victimize the families,” Ashford explained. “There are no acts of violence against women shown. You feel it, but you don’t see it. That was really important to us.”

That distinction was crucial to Moore, who has spent years advocating for families affected by violent crime. “I hope audience members who have a family member that’s a perpetrator, or have been affected by crime in any way, feel seen in their experience,” she said.

“There’s a sense of responsibility in how I tell my story because inadvertently, when I do, my father gets attention. That can be really difficult for the victims’ families.”

A Killer Who Still Looms Large

Dennis Quaid initially hesitated to take on the role of Keith Jesperson. “I had no interest in just playing a serial killer,” he admitted. “I don’t want anything to do with those guys. But when I realized I wasn’t really playing Keith — I was playing Melissa’s version of Keith — that changed everything.”

Unlike many true crime portrayals that dive into the psychology of the killer, Happy Face only shows Keith when necessary.

“Everything in the story is from Melissa’s perspective,” said series showrunner Jennifer Cacicio. “We didn’t want to glorify him, but he still looms large. Even when he’s not there, his presence is felt.”

For Quaid, the real draw was exploring the complicated father-daughter dynamic. “Melissa had to ask herself, ‘Who am I? What does this make me?’ And the shame of that just upends everything you ever believed in. She’s a hero in my book.”

The Weight of a Legacy

James Wolk, who plays Melissa’s husband, Ben, found himself stepping into a role that balanced love and fear. “Ben is a protector,” he said.

“And then I started listening to the podcast and hearing how heinous Keith’s acts were. That alone made me feel the weight of it. It changed how I carried myself on set — because, as Ben, I wanted to protect my family at all costs.”

As Melissa’s children, Hazel and Max, Khiyla Aynne and Benjamin Mackey had their own challenges. Aynne, who plays Hazel, recognized the emotional depth of her role.

“The real-life Hazel reached out to me and told me she appreciated how I portrayed her. That meant a lot,” she shared. The young actors kept things light between takes, tossing a football with Wolk and playing UNO together.

The Ethics of True Crime

Tamera Tomakili, who plays Ivy, the producer of the fictional Dr. Greg show, wasn’t a true crime fan before taking on the role.

“Being able to step into this was me kind of overcoming my own fears and discomfort with the material,” she admitted. “But I love that this show is centered on the victims and their families. It felt real, communal. It connected to the people who actually have to live past or through these crimes.”

That intentional shift from glorification to accountability is what makes Happy Face groundbreaking.

“People love true crime because it’s so out of their own realm,” Quaid noted. “You ask yourself, ‘How can a human being do this to another human being?’ But this series isn’t about Keith. It’s about the people he left in his wake.”

A Story That Keeps Unfolding

“Melissa’s story continues to unfold, and she’s worked with so many others like her,” Cacicio said. “There are a lot of different roads we could go down.”

If Happy Face proves anything, it’s that crime doesn’t just end with an arrest. It leaves ripples. And for those who survive, the story is only just beginning.

Happy Face drops on Paramount+ on Thursday, March 20. To accompany the release, we’ll have recaps of the first two episodes and a review at 9/8c a.m.

TV Fanatic is searching for passionate writers and contributors to share their voices across a variety of different articles. Do you think you have what it takes to be a TV Fanatic? Click here for more information and next steps.