Imagine discovering at the ripe age of 15 that your father is a serial killer.Melissa G. Moore’s harrowing real-life journey is chronicled inHappy Face, nowstreaming on Paramount +. The series focuses on this woman’s adult years in a dramatized recounting that’s turning true-crime fans' heads far and wide. In the past, Moore has shared her story on different platforms, including the acclaimedHappy Facepodcast and her autobiography,Shattered Silence. MovieWeb recently caught up with Moore to learn about bringing her experiences to a streaming platformin the form of narrative true-crime.
“I think what’s really incredible about fiction and about this kind of medium is that the things that I couldn’t share in a podcast or in the book could be shared in a fictionalized way, even though they’re with the essence of truth,” Moore told us. “So the conversations and the emotions, everything that was experienced, while I can’t, you know, record it in real life, I could relate it to [series creator] Jen [Cacicio], and she can take the essence of it and recreate it, which is fascinating.” Moore continued about Cacicio and the ethical dimension of true crime:
“She did a remarkable job, in the sense that one of the things that I admire about Jen and what she brought to the screen that was unexpected — and a happy surprise — is that she really portrayed what it’s like to be a producer in true-crime content. The ethics and the moral dilemmas, and what it’s like for the victims' families and their turmoil of making decisions to work with the media — it’s same for the perpetrator’s family. So that was a great writing addition that Jen did to the series.”
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Melissa Moore Shared Everything for ‘Happy Face’
Moore isportrayed by Annaleigh AshfordinHappy Face, and the eponymous serial killer is played with a certain intensity by Dennis Quaid. Creator Jennifer Cacicio (Your Honor) joined our interview with Moore and shared about Moore’s level of involvement in the series once production kicked off. “Melissa really gave me complete creative freedom,” explained Cacicio. “Every time I would ask her something or ask her approval, she would be like, ‘It’s your show, girl.’ Like, ‘do your thing,’ you know?” She continued:
“So it was great, but it was also a little terrifying because then, you know, she just watched the whole show all at once at the end. And luckily, she was happy. But it was a little nerve-wracking […] Melissa shared so much with me, including Keith’s letters and so many of her stories. And she came to the writers' room. So when I was developing the show, she definitely had a lot of input, and I would come to her with questions. But then she kind of really let us do our thing.”
Happy Faceis now streaming on Paramount+ through the link below:
Watch Happy Face
Happy Face
Happy Face is a TV Show that explores the true-life story of Melissa Moore, who discovers at fifteen that her father is the notorious serial killer known as “Happy Face.” The narrative follows Melissa as she navigates the impact of her father’s crimes on both the victims' families and her own identity.
