Jennifer Cacicio
Appearances
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
Yes, always. I always had Melissa front of mind. And, you know, that was also part of the reason I wanted to fictionalize, you know, her kids have different names, they have different ages, you know, the kids are 100% invented, her husband is 100% invented, Dr. Gregg is invented, even though yes, she's been on Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz, we wanted to create just someone brand new.
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
And then in addition to all of those concerns, there's also the concern about Keith's victims and their families. It's just I take it really seriously. You know, it's really important to me that we do right by everybody. And yes, it's entertainment. But you know, I never forget that it's people's real lives.
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
I hope that it's entertaining to watch. And I hope it starts a conversation about true crime and kind of its role in culture. And just that the show provides a new lens through which to view these questions. kinds of violent crimes and a new way of understanding the nuanced layers that exist for so many people involved.
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
So I hope people walk away thinking like, huh, I never really thought about that aspect of it.
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
Thank you. Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure.
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
Yeah. First of all, I never knew that he said you should change your last name. You never told me that. Season two. I'm going to put that in the flashback. So I just listened to the podcast like any other fan. I was working on a show called Your Honor at the time and I had a long commute, like an hour each way.
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
And so I listened to podcasts every morning in the car and I listened to, you know, tons of true crime. And so I I listened just to the first episode and called my agent immediately and said, you know, does someone have the rights to this? I want to write it. It would be such a good show. You know, I have to have it.
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
And the producers on Your Honor were Liz Glotzer and then Robert and Michelle King. And so I had gotten to know them and I was looking for a project to develop with them. So I went into work and I said, I'm going to try to get this podcast. And so I I was lucky enough that Melissa trusted me with it in the end.
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
Yeah, that was one thing that we definitely took a bit of liberty with. I knew that he brought change and little trinkets and candy, but the idea that it linked to a murder is...
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
invented why did you choose to include it so in any places where we took liberties I always kind of checked in with myself to make sure that we were still sticking to the spirit of each and every character and the spirit of the story and you know it's one of those things where I know that in real life Melissa has felt extreme guilt and shame and connectedness to her father's crimes and
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
And so it was a way of kind of linking those things in a visual way and in a concrete way for the audience.
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
Yeah, I think that's how I see him. And obviously, I haven't met him. But, you know, when Melissa didn't know what to do with all those letters, she gave them to me and I read them all. And they're really what informed Keith's character. His character is really Melissa's version of him and who he is to her.
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
And to me, really, season one is about, you know, can you love a monster or what it means to love a monster? And that's really the question that we're exploring.
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
Yeah, I definitely see this as a fictionalized, inspired by story. And I think it could ask some bigger questions about true crime. And I think there's just been plenty of serial killer shows where you're just... It's all about the killer, you know, and it's all about the psychology of the killer. And we're all interested in that for obvious reasons.
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
But I just hadn't seen a show that's exploring everybody and everything around that, you know, and how can we get at some of these more nuanced things.
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
elements of these crimes and all these other people that are affected in different ways I always tell people you know yes it's about generational trauma and the daughter of a serial killer and facing your demons and but like it's not a bummer it's fun to watch you know
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
Yeah. I mean, from the beginning, I always knew I didn't want to cast an actor who always played a bad guy. I really wanted someone who was known more as a lovable dad. Because I felt like it was important. You buy that he's a loving dad. You get Melissa's connection to him. And, you know, Dennis, not only is he a movie star, but he's parent trap dad.
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
And he definitely was hesitant to take the part. He was really flattered because I don't think he gets bad guy offers that often. And he was intrigued, but he was saying, you know, this guy's still alive and we're the same age. So he knows who I am. And I hate the idea of him walking around prison saying Dennis Quaid's playing me in a TV show. And I just don't want to give him the satisfaction.
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
And I said, I totally get that, you know, but this show is really about Melissa. It's about your relationship with your daughter. And we're not glorifying Keith's character. We're not showing the murders. You're not going to have to do anything horrific in any flashbacks. You're not going to see extensive violence against women on screen anymore. And I was really adamant about that.
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
And I just said, you know, it's more about the psychological toll on your relationship with your daughter. And so he was like, OK, let me think about it. And then the next day he said yes. And I was shocked. And he said, you know, I've realized that I'm not playing games. Keith, I'm playing Melissa's version of Keith.
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
And I think that gave him the freedom to do what he wanted because he had asked me, you know, should I try to meet Keith? And I said, no. And he said, I don't really want to and I don't really want to. So he just decided to do his own thing. And I shared some of the letters with him and I shared some of my notes from what Melissa had told me. and answered his questions.
48 Hours
Growing Up with the Happy Face Killer | Post Mortem Special
And then he kind of just did his own thing.