Paramount+ announced today that Dennis Quaid has joined the cast of the new Original drama series Happy Face.
In Happy Face, Emmy® Award and two-time Golden Globe®-nominated actor Dennis Quaid (Lawmen: Bass Reeves, The Rookie, The Day After Tomorrow) will play the titular role of the real-life serial killer notoriously called “Happy Face” because of the smiley faces he drew on evidence where he bragged about his crimes.
Quaid joins the cast alongside previously announced actress Annaleigh Ashford, who is set to star as Melissa, the daughter of Happy Face.
Happy Face is inspired by the true-life story of Melissa Moore, as well as the critically acclaimed Happy Face podcast from iHeartPodcasts and Moore, and the autobiography Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer’s Daughter, written by Moore with M. Bridget Cook.
The series jumps off from Moore’s true-life story. Happy Face (Quaid) is an incarcerated serial killer who also is Melissa’s (Ashford) once-beloved father. After decades of no contact, he finally finds a way to force himself back into his daughter’s life. In a race against the clock, Melissa must find out if an innocent man is going to be put to death for a crime her father committed. Throughout, she discovers the impact her father had on his victims’ families and must face a reckoning of her own identity.
The eight-episode first season will begin production this spring in Vancouver, Canada, and premiere exclusively on Paramount+ globally in 2025.
Happy Face is produced by CBS Studios in association with King Size Productions, iHeartPodcasts, and Semi-Formal Productions. Michael Showalter (The Dropout, The Eyes of Tammy Faye) will direct the first episode. Showrunner Jennifer Cacicio (Sexy Beast, Shooter) executive produces with Robert and Michelle King, Liz Glotzer, Melissa Moore, Conal Byrne, Will Pearson, Michael Showalter, and Jordana Mollick. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
Stay tuned for updates.
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Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer’s Daughter
