Renée Zellweger has been justly celebrated for her astonishingly transformative performance as Midwestern murderer Pam Hupp in the NBC series “The Thing About Pam,” but the key to the show’s greatness lies in the fact that the entire supporting cast is worthy of sharing the screen with her. Showrunner Jenny Klein’s vision for the series, which has the breadth of an Altman-esque ensemble piece with the penetrating complexity of a deep-dive character study, demanded that every role from the day players on up be played with precision, empathy, and wit — all while respecting the gravity of the real-life tragedies being depicted.
“I’ve been in this position [of casting true stories] a couple of times, and I do think there are added responsibilities and challenges,” casting director Terri Taylor told IndieWire. “It goes beyond physical resemblance, because you don’t want to just cast a lookalike. You want to be able to...
“I’ve been in this position [of casting true stories] a couple of times, and I do think there are added responsibilities and challenges,” casting director Terri Taylor told IndieWire. “It goes beyond physical resemblance, because you don’t want to just cast a lookalike. You want to be able to...
- 6/22/2022
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
“I’m probably a nosey neighbor,” admits Judy Greer, who plays District Attorney Leah Askey in the NBC limited series “The Thing About Pam.” “I hope my neighbors I love aren’t listening to this. But I’m always like, the idea that you could be living next door to someone like this! That was what’s so crazy. I was quickly obsessed.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
“The Thing About Pam” is based on the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria that resulted in her husband, Russ’ conviction. This brutal crime set off a chain of events that would expose a diabolical scheme deeply involving Pam Hupp, played by Oscar winner Renée Zellweger.
See Renee Zellweger (‘The Thing About Pam’) on ‘escalating absurdities’ that drew her to 1st network TV show
“I’ve played some dead people, but never living people,” Greer explains about portraying a real person. “I was...
“The Thing About Pam” is based on the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria that resulted in her husband, Russ’ conviction. This brutal crime set off a chain of events that would expose a diabolical scheme deeply involving Pam Hupp, played by Oscar winner Renée Zellweger.
See Renee Zellweger (‘The Thing About Pam’) on ‘escalating absurdities’ that drew her to 1st network TV show
“I’ve played some dead people, but never living people,” Greer explains about portraying a real person. “I was...
- 5/25/2022
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
Judy Greer admits seeing Renée Zellweger for the first time in full makeup, prosthetics and wardrobe as convicted murderer Pam Hupp while shooting “The Thing About Pam” presented a a unique set of challenges.
“We both looked at each other and started laughing,” Greer, who plays controversial prosecutor Leah Askey in the true-crime series, said Wednesday at the NBCU FYC House in Hollywood during a panel moderated by yours truly. “And then she told me not to make her laugh because her face would fall off.”
Asked if her face ever did “fall off,” Zellweger laughed, “Yes.”
Zellweger revealed the prosthetics did cause her to break out in a rash. “The rash didn’t go away. It was itchy,” she said, laughing.
Even so, she the two-time Oscar winner said, “Are there every too many prosthetics? I don’t think so. What a cool process. I didn’t know anything about that stuff…...
“We both looked at each other and started laughing,” Greer, who plays controversial prosecutor Leah Askey in the true-crime series, said Wednesday at the NBCU FYC House in Hollywood during a panel moderated by yours truly. “And then she told me not to make her laugh because her face would fall off.”
Asked if her face ever did “fall off,” Zellweger laughed, “Yes.”
Zellweger revealed the prosthetics did cause her to break out in a rash. “The rash didn’t go away. It was itchy,” she said, laughing.
Even so, she the two-time Oscar winner said, “Are there every too many prosthetics? I don’t think so. What a cool process. I didn’t know anything about that stuff…...
- 5/19/2022
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
In our Q&a series Last Call, we get down to the bottom of every last thing with some of our favorite celebs - from the last time they were starstruck to the last song they listened to. This week, Gideon Adlon takes our call.
NBC's "The Thing About Pam" explores the real-life 2011 murder of Betsy Faria. Based on the "Dateline" podcast of the same name, the series stars Renée Zellweger as convicted murderer Pam Hupp; Glenn Fleshler as Betsy's husband, Russ Faria; Josh Duhamel as criminal defense lawyer Joel Schwartz; Judy Greer as Lincoln County prosecutor Leah Askey; and Gideon Adlon as Betsy and Russ's 17-year-old daughter, Mariah Day.
You may recognize Adlon from 2020's "The Craft," in which she starred as Frankie. Adlon's previous projects also include Netflix's "Pacific Rim: The Black," Netflix's "The Society, and 2018's "Blockers." But her latest project is quite the departure from her previous roles,...
NBC's "The Thing About Pam" explores the real-life 2011 murder of Betsy Faria. Based on the "Dateline" podcast of the same name, the series stars Renée Zellweger as convicted murderer Pam Hupp; Glenn Fleshler as Betsy's husband, Russ Faria; Josh Duhamel as criminal defense lawyer Joel Schwartz; Judy Greer as Lincoln County prosecutor Leah Askey; and Gideon Adlon as Betsy and Russ's 17-year-old daughter, Mariah Day.
You may recognize Adlon from 2020's "The Craft," in which she starred as Frankie. Adlon's previous projects also include Netflix's "Pacific Rim: The Black," Netflix's "The Society, and 2018's "Blockers." But her latest project is quite the departure from her previous roles,...
- 4/4/2022
- by Monica Sisavat
- Popsugar.com
When it comes to Pam Hupp — the small-town Missouri resident currently serving a life sentence for first-degree murder — no one thing defines her. And no one knows that better than the people at NBC. Just a periphery character in the 2014 “Dateline” report titled, “The House on Sumac Drive,” Hupp’s presence steadily grew as NBC News continued to investigate the death of Betsy Faria, resulting in four follow-up episodes over the next five years. The final entry, also titled “The Thing About Pam,” teed up “Dateline’s” first podcast, which is now the basis for NBC’s scripted limited series of the same name.
One could argue audiences can’t get enough of Hupp’s twisted tale — or, just as easily, that Jack Donaghy’s lessons in synergy have not been forgotten at the Peacock. Either way, the quantity of stories derived from one woman’s horrific actions necessitate varied takes on her motivation,...
One could argue audiences can’t get enough of Hupp’s twisted tale — or, just as easily, that Jack Donaghy’s lessons in synergy have not been forgotten at the Peacock. Either way, the quantity of stories derived from one woman’s horrific actions necessitate varied takes on her motivation,...
- 3/7/2022
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
It’s hard, at first, to see what drew Renée Zellweger to the lead role of “The Thing About Pam.”
Zellweger, in an attempt to resemble the real-life convicted murderer Pam Hupp, forces herself to act through a shroud of body prosthetics. The show’s writers have stripped away subtext, dimming Zellweger’s sparky comic timing. It’s only in the series’ third episode that a tie to Zellweger’s past work becomes clear: Rising to take the stand as a witness in a murder trial, Pam sees her name in lights. In the criminal-justice system, she’s found her own kind of stardom.
“Chicago” this isn’t — that movie allowed Zellweger to be as shrewd and sharp as her character was callous and oblivious. But “Pam,” a limited series based on Hupp’s true story, has this much in common with Zellweger’s famous musical role: It attempts to...
Zellweger, in an attempt to resemble the real-life convicted murderer Pam Hupp, forces herself to act through a shroud of body prosthetics. The show’s writers have stripped away subtext, dimming Zellweger’s sparky comic timing. It’s only in the series’ third episode that a tie to Zellweger’s past work becomes clear: Rising to take the stand as a witness in a murder trial, Pam sees her name in lights. In the criminal-justice system, she’s found her own kind of stardom.
“Chicago” this isn’t — that movie allowed Zellweger to be as shrewd and sharp as her character was callous and oblivious. But “Pam,” a limited series based on Hupp’s true story, has this much in common with Zellweger’s famous musical role: It attempts to...
- 3/7/2022
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
Makeup artist Arjen Tuiten’s transformation of Renée Zellweger for NBC’s “The Thing About Pam,” premiering March 8, has been the talk of the internet. Zellweger plays Pam Hupp in the new crime drama, based on the true story of a Missouri woman who is eventually jailed for the murder of her friend. Zellweger donned a padded suit for the role. At TCA last month, the actor mentioned she had opted not to gain weight for the part — as she had for “Bridget Jones’s Diary” — since it had negatively impacted her health. While she had used prosthetics in films before, this was the first time she wore a full suit.
The show raised an outcry for not casting an actor with the same body type as Pam, but Blumhouse Television’s Chris McCumber explained the producers’ reasoning: “In this era of peak TV, having an artist of Renée’s caliber is an incredible advantage.
The show raised an outcry for not casting an actor with the same body type as Pam, but Blumhouse Television’s Chris McCumber explained the producers’ reasoning: “In this era of peak TV, having an artist of Renée’s caliber is an incredible advantage.
- 3/3/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
To play convicted real-life killer Pam Hupp in “The Thing About Pam,” NBC’s upcoming series based on the wildly popular “Dateline” podcast of the same name, Renée Zellweger underwent hours in the makeup chair.
The limited series about the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria, which debuts on NBC on March 8, also stars Glenn Fleshler as Betsy’s husband Russ Faria, Josh Duhamel as his defense attorney Joel Schwartz, and Judy Greer as Leah Askey, the prosecutor who tried Russ Faria twice for his wife’s murder. All three wore wigs to transform into their real-life counterparts.
The creative decision to put Zellweger in a fat suit has drawn sharp criticism online, as did Sarah Paulson’s recent prosthetics-heavy portrayal of Linda Tripp on “Impeachment: American Crime Story.” However, cast and crew sidestepped the issue during a “The Thing About Pam” TCA panel on Friday.
When asked why producers didn’t...
The limited series about the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria, which debuts on NBC on March 8, also stars Glenn Fleshler as Betsy’s husband Russ Faria, Josh Duhamel as his defense attorney Joel Schwartz, and Judy Greer as Leah Askey, the prosecutor who tried Russ Faria twice for his wife’s murder. All three wore wigs to transform into their real-life counterparts.
The creative decision to put Zellweger in a fat suit has drawn sharp criticism online, as did Sarah Paulson’s recent prosthetics-heavy portrayal of Linda Tripp on “Impeachment: American Crime Story.” However, cast and crew sidestepped the issue during a “The Thing About Pam” TCA panel on Friday.
When asked why producers didn’t...
- 2/11/2022
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
You might just do a double-take at Renée Zellweger‘s transformation into Pam Hupp, as seen in the first trailer for NBC’s limited series The Thing About Pam.
Premiering Tuesday, March 8 at 10/9c, and spanning six episodes, The Thing About Pam chronicles the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria. Though Betsy’s husband, Russ, was initially convicted, that verdict was later overturned, and Betsy’s death set off a chain of events that exposed a diabolical scheme involving Hupp.
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Premiering Tuesday, March 8 at 10/9c, and spanning six episodes, The Thing About Pam chronicles the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria. Though Betsy’s husband, Russ, was initially convicted, that verdict was later overturned, and Betsy’s death set off a chain of events that exposed a diabolical scheme involving Hupp.
More from TVLineTransplant Season 2 Gets NBC Premiere Date, Paired With Weakest LinkAdaptation of A'dam – E.V.A. Acclaimed Dutch Drama Gets Pilot...
- 2/3/2022
- by Rebecca Iannucci
- TVLine.com
NBC has unveiled the first photos and trailer from upcoming true crime drama “The Thing About Pam,” and with it comes an official first look at Renée Zellweger’s shocking transformation into murderer Pam Hupp. The role is Zellweger’s first since winning the Oscar for “Judy” and marks her first regular series role on network television. She previously starred in the Netflix limited series “What/If” in 2019.
“The Thing About Pam” is based on the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria, which resulted in her husband Russ’ conviction despite his insistence that he didn’t kill her. His conviction was later overturned. The brutal crime set off a chain of events that would expose a diabolical scheme deeply involving Missouri mother Pam Hupp. The story was featured in several episodes of “Dateline” and was the focus of the inaugural “Dateline NBC” true crime podcast.
“It was pretty much head to toe. It was prosthetics,...
“The Thing About Pam” is based on the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria, which resulted in her husband Russ’ conviction despite his insistence that he didn’t kill her. His conviction was later overturned. The brutal crime set off a chain of events that would expose a diabolical scheme deeply involving Missouri mother Pam Hupp. The story was featured in several episodes of “Dateline” and was the focus of the inaugural “Dateline NBC” true crime podcast.
“It was pretty much head to toe. It was prosthetics,...
- 2/3/2022
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Auditions for Meghan McCain‘s spot on The View begin next week.
Before naming a full-time replacement, the ABC daytime talk show will fill McCain’s vacated chair with a parade of guest hosts — starting with former Utah congresswoman Mia Love (during premiere week starting Tuesday, Sept. 7).
More from TVLineOnly Murders in the Building: Grade the Premiere of Hulu's True-Crime ComedyTVLine Items: Pll: Original Sin Adds 3, Young & Restless Recasts Son and MoreMayor of Kingstown: Jeremy Renner and Kyle Chandler 'Bend' the Law, Don't Break It, in Paramount+ Drama Trailer
Additional guest co-hosts appearing in the coming months include Condoleezza Rice,...
Before naming a full-time replacement, the ABC daytime talk show will fill McCain’s vacated chair with a parade of guest hosts — starting with former Utah congresswoman Mia Love (during premiere week starting Tuesday, Sept. 7).
More from TVLineOnly Murders in the Building: Grade the Premiere of Hulu's True-Crime ComedyTVLine Items: Pll: Original Sin Adds 3, Young & Restless Recasts Son and MoreMayor of Kingstown: Jeremy Renner and Kyle Chandler 'Bend' the Law, Don't Break It, in Paramount+ Drama Trailer
Additional guest co-hosts appearing in the coming months include Condoleezza Rice,...
- 8/30/2021
- by Andy Swift
- TVLine.com
Exclusive: Judy Greer and Katy Mixon are set as leads opposite Renée Zellweger and Josh Duhamel on NBC/Blumhouse’s limited series The Thing About Pam.
Based on a true-crime phenomenon — the real-life, stranger-than-fiction story behind the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria that was featured on Dateline NBC — The Thing About Pam is produced by Blumhouse Television, NBC News Studios and Zellweger’s Big Picture Co. The series, currently in pre-production and casting, is based on the murder of Faria (played by Mixon) that resulted in her husband Russ’ conviction, though he insisted he didn’t kill her. His conviction later was overturned. The brutal crime set off a chain of events that would expose a diabolical scheme deeply involving Pam Hupp (Zellweger).
Greer will play Leah Askey, the former Lincoln County prosecutor who tried Russ Faria twice for his wife’s murder.
Betsy Faria had stage 4 cancer when she was...
Based on a true-crime phenomenon — the real-life, stranger-than-fiction story behind the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria that was featured on Dateline NBC — The Thing About Pam is produced by Blumhouse Television, NBC News Studios and Zellweger’s Big Picture Co. The series, currently in pre-production and casting, is based on the murder of Faria (played by Mixon) that resulted in her husband Russ’ conviction, though he insisted he didn’t kill her. His conviction later was overturned. The brutal crime set off a chain of events that would expose a diabolical scheme deeply involving Pam Hupp (Zellweger).
Greer will play Leah Askey, the former Lincoln County prosecutor who tried Russ Faria twice for his wife’s murder.
Betsy Faria had stage 4 cancer when she was...
- 8/30/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Pamela Hupp, the subject of the 2019 Dateline podcast The Thing About Pam, has been charged with the 2011 murder of her friend Betsy Faria. Lincoln County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Wood announced Monday that he would seek the death penalty against Hupp whom he says murdered her friend “for greed,” to claim her insurance money.
“I do not take lightly the decision to pursue the death penalty,” he told reporters. “But this case stands alone in its heinousness and depravity, such that it shocks the conscience.” He cited the aggravating factors that Hupp had mutilated the body,...
“I do not take lightly the decision to pursue the death penalty,” he told reporters. “But this case stands alone in its heinousness and depravity, such that it shocks the conscience.” He cited the aggravating factors that Hupp had mutilated the body,...
- 7/13/2021
- by Andrea Marks
- Rollingstone.com
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