Few serial killers are more notorious in American history than John Wayne Gacy, who killed dozens of young men in the ’70s. As if his heinous crimes weren’t enough to cement his infamous legacy, what made the figure feel all the more disturbing was that he would spend weekends dressed up as “Pogo the Clown,” attending a number of community events all while holding a sinister secret. The upcoming Peacock seriesย Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy is being developed, based on a previously release docuseries, and it has added actors like Gabriel Luna and James Badge Dale to its cast, joining Michael Chernus as the titular killer.
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The series is described, “From 1972-1978, 33 young men were kidnapped, murdered, and buried in a crawl space beneath their killer’s house. And no one was the wiser. Not for all those years. Why? He was charming and funny. Had a good, All-American job. Was a community leader. He even volunteered to entertain sick kids… while dressed as a clown.ย Devil In Disguise: John Wayne Gacyย peels back the twisted layers of Gacy’s life while weaving in heartrending stories of his mostly gay victims; exploring the grief, guilt, and trauma of their families and friends; and exposing the systemic failures, missed opportunities, andย societal prejudices that fueled his reign of terror.”
The new additions to the cast are as follows:
- Gabriel Luna (The Last of Us, Terminator: Dark Fate) as Detective Rafael Tovar
- James Badge Dale (Savant, 1923) as Chief of Detectives Joe Kozenczak
- Michael Angarano (Oppenheimer, This Is Us) as Sam Amirante
- Chris Sullivan (This Is Us, Mercy) as Lead Prosecutor Bill Kunkle
- Marin Ireland (The Irishman, The Umbrella Academy) as Elizabeth Piest
Littleton Road Production’s Patrick Macmanus (Dr. Death, The Girl From Plainville) serves as showrunner, writer, and executive producer alongside executive producer Kelly Funke for Littleton Road Productions, Noah Oppenheim (The Maze Runner, Jackie) and Liz Cole (John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise, The Thing About Pam) for NBC News Studios, Ashley Michel Hoban (Dr. Death, The Girl From Plainville), and Ahmadu Garba (Dr. Death, Halo).
“I’m both excited and humbled by this opportunity. The direction that the writers are taking with this project is important, focusing on the victims and their families as well as those who finally brought John Wayne Gacy to justice,” Michael Chernus shared in a statement when the project was announced. “While Gacy was the perpetrator of these horrific crimes, I’m relieved that he won’t be the main focus of the series. It’s heartbreaking for me to think of what his victims (all young men and boys) could have done with their lives had the system not failed them so tragically. I believe in the power of storytelling and hope that by telling this story, in a thoughtful way,ย we can play some part in preventing this from ever happening again.” ย ย
Stay tuned for details onย Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy.
Are you looking forward to the new series? Contact Patrick Cavanaughย directly on Twitterย orย on Instagramย to talk all thingsย Star Warsย andย horror!ย
