Dennis Quaid is once again stepping back out on the bad-guy limb and embracing another creepy character, this time taking on his darkest role yet. The actor, who is best known for his characters in action movies and as a charming, handsome lead in romcoms, is set to portray real-life serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson in the upcoming, Paramount+ original drama series Happy Face. The streaming giant recently released the teaser trailer for its new true-crime adaptation, and it is seriously twisted, folks. If you’re a fan of true crime, you’re gonna want to watch this.
Happy Face, which premieres Thursday, March 20 with the first two episodes on Paramount+, is inspired by the true-life story of Melissa G. Moore, who, at 15 years of age, discovered her father was the prolific serial killer known as Happy Face. The series is based on her critically acclaimed podcast “Happy Face” and her autobiography “Shattered Silence,” co-written with M. Bridget Cook.
In the trailer, Happy Face forces his way back into his daughter’s life after decades of no contact. In a race against the clock, Melissa must now find out if an innocent man will be put to death for a crime her father committed. In the process, she discovers the painful impact her father had on his victims’ families and, as a result, must face a reckoning of her own identity. "If you stay silent" she says in the trailer, "the ripples of trauma just keep pulling everyone they touch underneath." And she is so right. See for yourselves.
In real life, Jesperson murdered at least eight women in the United States in the 1990s and got his nickname because he often drew smiley faces on his letters to the media and to authorities. As an adult, Moore has changed her name and closely guarded her secret while her father serves a life sentence in prison.
In addition to Quaid, Happy Face features a star-studded cast that includes Emmy-nominated and Tony Award-winning actress Annaleigh Ashford (B Positive) as Jesperson's daughter, Melissa, and series regulars James Wolk (Ordinary Joe), Tamera Tomakili (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), Khiyla Aynne (Trap), and Benjamin Mackey (The Morning Show).
I don't know about you guys, but when I see Dennis Quaid, I don't think bad guy, so I'm really looking forward to seeing him play not just an antagonist, but a serial killer. And I'm curious to see how believable he is as a demented serial killer. Because Jesperson was a sick dude who enjoyed squeezing the life out of living things, then laughing about it.
I don't know how much we'll see of the actual murders given that the story picks up with Happy Face already in prison (and being that it's based on Moore's podcast, not Happy Face's reign of terror). But we might see them in flashbacks. Regardless, true-crime fans are going to love diving into the psychology of Happy Face as he tries weaving himself back into his daughter's life.
As mentioned above, the 8-episode true-crime series premieres March 20 with the first two episodes. After that, the show will release one new episode weekly until the season finale on Thursday, May 1. You can either choose from the Paramount+ Essential or Paramount+ with Showtime subscription options.
Happy Face is produced by CBS Studios in association with King Size Productions, iHeartPodcasts, and Semi-Formal Productions. Jennifer Cacicio (Your Honor) serves as showrunner for the series and executive produces alongside Robert and Michelle King, Liz Glotzer, Moore, Conal Byrne, Will Pearson, Michael Showalter, and Jordana Mollick. Showalter (The Dropout) also directed the first episode. Happy Face is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
Happy Face premieres Thursday, March 20, 2025 on Paramount+.