The cast and creatives of Paramount+'s new series Happy Face dove into the complexity of telling this story based on true-story events.
Happy Face is a new true crime drama series adapted from Melissa G. Moore's 2018 podcast and her 2009 autobiography Shattered Silence.
Developed by Jennifer Cacicio, along with Robert and Michelle King, the show will premiere globally on March 20, 2025, on Paramount+, with two episodes released initially, followed by weekly drops on the streaming platform.
The series explores Moore's complex journey as the daughter of Keith Hunter Jesperson, the infamous Happy Face Killer. The Direct got the opportunity to speak with some of the cast and dive into recreating this chilling story.
Bringing Happy Face to Life: Behind the Scenes of the True Story Crime Series
There's a Balance to Be Had Between Real Life and Dramatization
Executive producer Melissa G. Moore, the real-life daughter of the Happy Face killer, and showrunner Jennifer Cacicio discussed the delicate balance of blending factual events with dramatization.
- The Direct: "What was the process of blending real-life events with dramatization when creating this eight-episode series?"
Melissa G. Moore: Well, this has been a process of five years, which is incredible to even think of, and a very long relationship and a relationship of trust with Jen to take the helm of it. I surrendered a big chunk of about three years' worth of letters from my father, some open, some unopened, to Jen, and yeah, I think from there, Jen, you want to expand?
Jennifer Cacicio: Melissa just was a dream to work with and really gave me full creative control and was like, 'I told my story my own way through my book and through the podcast and through going on talk shows that I would love for this to take on a life of its own.' And so when I pitched to her to try to convince her I was the right writer, I said from the beginning that I would fictionalize it to some degree. I wanted to protect the privacy of the people who weren't involved in the making of the show.
And also, I think I just saw an opportunity to tell a bigger story about true crime and kind of the role it plays in our culture. Melissa's emotional story is amazing and is the heart of the podcast and the heart of the show, but it's not necessarily a suspenseful engine to carry a crime drama forward. So I knew I wanted to add a fictionalized plot to give us that energy and that would underpin Melissa's emotional story.
- The Direct: "Question for you, Melissa. You just mentioned how you have a book, the podcast obviously was a big hit, now a TV series. Is this kind of the last chapter of telling this story?"
Melissa G. Moore: Well, I think it's a story bigger than myself, which is why I said to Jen, 'You can fictionalize it,' because there are themes that happened, things that happened and themes that happened in my life, that I never felt were portrayed in fictionalized series about serial killers.
You just really see the serial killer. You don't see the relationships between serial killers and their family, the perpetrator's family with the victim's family, and the totality of all crime survivors and their relationship with true crime and the media. And so those were the bigger themes that Jen got to take advantage of showcasing because of the medium of it being fictionalized.
- The Direct: "The relationship between you, Melissa, and the character's father feels central to the series. Was that a significant focus in its creation, and was it emotional for you to see it portrayed on screen?"
Melissa G. Moore: I'm really astonished, in a good way, that it was played out like that because the actors could have just taken the physicality of my father being 6'6" and just intimidating in nature and stature.
But the real threat for me as his daughter and the real fear was just the emotional and the manipulation aspect, the fear of my father, that he was always looming, he was always there in the background, and was always making his presence known to me and my family that I can't escape him. And that, I feel like, was definitely portrayed on screen.
Jennifer Cacicio: And it is definitely at the heart of the show, for sure. I think the center of the show is: can you love a monster, and what that inner conflict is like to have these happy memories with someone who is capable of doing these horrible things? How do you negotiate that, and how do you come to terms with that?
And obviously, very few people have that specific experience, but I think a lot of people can relate to finding out stuff about your parents or other family members and having to make sense of terrible things that happened.
James Wolk and Tamera Tomakili on Their Characters' Emotional Journeys In Happy Face
The Stars Talk About How Melissa's Journey Intersects With Their Own
Actors James Wolk and Tamera Tomakili explored their characters' emotional journeys. Wolk, who plays Melissa’s husband, Ben Moore, explained that his character is driven by a desire to restore normalcy, trying to keep the family intact while Melissa confronts the painful reality of her past.
Tomakili, portraying Ivy, a producer on the show, noted how her character initially starts as a professional observing Melissa's story but gradually becomes more empathetic, acknowledging the trauma that Melissa is processing.
- The Direct: "It seemed like Ben, as Melissa's husband, is trying to pull her one way while Ivy pulls her another, almost like an investigative producer. Did you both notice that dynamic, and how did you approach exploring both perspectives in the series?"
James Wolk: "Yeah, I think that you really hit the nail on the head, and we've actually been talking about that a little bit today, is that Ben's whole mission in this show is to pull her back to what he sees as normalcy and to pull her back into the family unit and to try and keep it intact. And so I think that's really interesting because in juxtaposition in your world."
Tamera Tomakili: Yes, Ivy is very much witnessing someone who has done her job and done it very well, but the moment that her father is brought up, she sees a completely different side of Melissa that is not as confident, that is afraid, that is scared. And even though she is trying to get that story, it's like you are not the only person that is a part of this.
Yes, this is your family, this is your trauma, but there is another person connected to it, and I think Ivy does very well to pull her out and say, 'Hey, it's more than just you. It's more than just you.'
Remember, you can sit and wallow in it or you can find a way to heal yourself and other people with this. And it's hard. It's hard being pulled in one way where you're trying to protect the life that you formed and also wanting to help another person out and heal other people. And I feel like that journey that Melissa goes through is the reward of where she is now.
- The Direct: "It seems like Ivy starts off just doing her job but eventually becomes more of an ally or friend. How did you approach that character development, and how did the script shape it?"
Tamera Tomakili: Yes. In the beginning, she's very much trying to get the job done. I mean, true crime is her career and I think she sees this as an opportunity to push in a new sector or just be able to get a lot more close to it and unfolded a lot more than probably previous segments.
And I think what I love so much about the journey is that being so close to the person who is experiencing this firsthand, who is literally in connection to this person and going through the journey with them allows her to kind of unfold and let go and say, 'Hey, I can shape this story as much as I can, but this is another person that is learning to process and deal with it, and I have to have a level of empathy. I have to allow her to heal. I can't heal for her.'
And what does that mean? Does that mean she steps into interviews and takes a little bit more of the reign? Does that mean she connects with the other victims? How does Ivy allow her to become who she is?
Happy Face Stars Khiyla Aynne and Benjamin Mackey Talk On Set Dynamics and Hazel's Character Journey
"This Set Specifically Was Amazing."
Benjamin Mackey, who portrays Max, Hazel's younger brother, also mentioned the importance of creating a genuine family atmosphere on set.
- The Direct: For both of you, what was your experience like on set, especially compared to other sets you've been on as childhood actors?
Khiyla Aynne: Yeah, this set specifically was amazing. The crew was phenomenal. It was really special to work with them. They were all great and we really formed special relationships with a lot of them. The people were amazing, especially because the subject matter was pretty heavy. We liked to keep it light in between scenes and our crew and cast really made that easy for us.
- The Direct: Benjamin, how'd you like it?
Benjamin Mackey: Yeah, I like it too because off set, we go in this little booth and we talk and it feels like a real family. We feel like all a real family. And then on set, we have a lot of fun and it feels like a real family and then we hang out and stuff.
- The Direct: You have one of the best subplots of the first season. As Melissa's daughter, your character is a vessel for a lot of the storytelling. Can you talk a little about Hazel's character arc and how you approached each day on set?
Khiyla Aynne: Hazel's character arc was pretty big. She's a very layered character and she goes through a lot of experiences, like you said, with romance and difficult times at school, like bullying, of course, finding out that her grandfather is the Happy Face killer and she really goes through a self-discovery in a way and really finds her identity and who she is near the end of the series, which was a really beautiful moment.
- The Direct: One last question for you, Benjamin, how does this show compare to your past work, especially given its serious subject matter?
Benjamin Mackey: I think I like this show based on the true story. It's pretty cool and it's pretty crazy to think that this was the true story and I just like the story.
- The Direct: "Same question for you, Khiyla. How did this experience compare to your past work, especially with the eight-episode arc and working with multiple directors?"
Khiyla Aynne: Yeah, this series was definitely different from anything I had ever done. It's very serious and it was really important to me that I did a project like this, especially within true crime and how the series is through Melissa's point of view. It was also really nice to work with so many different directors, which is something that I had never done before. We had seven different directors in our eight-episode series, which was pretty special. They were all phenomenal and really great to work with, so that was pretty cool.
The full interviews can be viewed here:
Happy Face is streaming now on Paramount+.
