In a perfect world, Van Sant's vicious satire should have inspired "The Thing About Pam." The limited series does put some clever, over-the-top spins on the well-trod story; Hupp is often . Judy has appeared in numerous supporting roles over the years. (1 episode, 2022) "Oh, wow!" she . "There's a lot of suffering and loss involved in this case, obviously. Over the next few years, they would keep coming back to Hupp as her name would continually be linked to several murders. L-R: Olivia Luccardi as Lily Day, Gideon Adlon as Mariah Day in "The Thing About Pam." 1) Do the Right Thing's 2) Pamela Anderson 3) Ellen DeGeneres 4) Judith Ivey. Pam and Mark talk to detectives. The largest collection of bigwig personalities gathers in the two-part finale of Season 7 as Dunder Mifflin looks for someone to replace the irreplaceable Michael Scott. After Peacock Productions was shut down, NBC News Studios was launched with the intention of creating documentary-style content. She was finally arrested in 2016 for the murder of Louis Gumpenberger, In 2019, Dateline released a multi-episode podcast all about Hupps story. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Russ Faria added: "I think they've done a really good job of staying true to the story as much as they could. They are also available the following day on Peacock. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Additional executive producers included Carmella Casinelli, Borsiczky, Noah Oppenheim, and Chris McCumber. It is based on coverage from Dateline NBC and is titled after a Dateline podcast of the same name. Her other TV credits include Psych, Wilfred, My Name Is Earl, Two and a Half Men and Eastbound and Down.. The police suspected Betsy's husband, Russ, as the culprit and arrested him, but when his conviction was overturned, holes appeared in Pam's testimony, revealing a diabolical scheme. When asked how she would respond, Adlon said she could see why Mariah was concerned and would likely feel the same in her position, but she assured that was never their intention. Russ Faria's conviction was overturned by a judge in 2015 and he was released from prison. It stars Rene Zellweger, Josh Duhamel, Judy Greer, Gideon Adlon, Sean Bridgers, Suanne Spoke, Mac Brandt, Katy Mixon, and Glenn Fleshler. And some critics have found the comedic elements of the story off-putting. This brutal crime set off a chain of events that would expose a diabolical scheme deeply involving Pam Hupp. Two-time Academy Award winner Renee Zellweger plays Pam Hupp, the central character in the true-crime story about the murder of Betsy Faria in December 2011 in the small town of Troy, Missouri. Shirley Neumann was 77 years old and living alone in a third-floor apartment of a senior . So you want to be careful and honorable to the memory of Betsy Faria and what her family experienced. She refuses to binge-watch anything. She squints so much that her eyes lose whatever interiority they might have reflected; there is no real difference between her smile or her frown. [30], First-look images and a trailer were released in early February. She plays Pam with a lot of dark humor, I'd suppose the character is exaggerated. ("The Search"), Helene plays a sexy nurse in Michael's movie. Spoke participated as an actress at the Sundance Lab and on panels for ActorFest, along with judging the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. She most recently filmed HBOs limited series White House Plumbers, opposite Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux, and will be co-starring in Reboot from Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan. Her mother was murdered in a very gruesome way and in a very unapologetic way, and what they went through they were being gas-lit for years. The first time we meet Helene, she's played by Shannon Cochran. You will receive a verification email shortly. Suanne Spoke stars as Janet, Betsy Faria's mother and grandmother to Betsy and Russ' two daughters, including Mariah Day, in the new NBC limited series "The Thing About Pam." An award . [40] From Vulture, Roxana Hadadi said "Zellweger is simultaneously broadly cartoonish and blandly nonspecific. Judy Greer has graced us with her presence on screen since the late 90s. The twists and turns of this saga are truly stranger than fiction, said Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, adding, This series will bring a completely new perspective to a story that has already captivated millions.. He has also appeared in such films as Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!, When in Rome, and Love, Simon. It took investigators years to finally figure out what she was really up to, but the story of her journey is a fascinating one. [15] By August 2021, The Thing About Pam was in the final stages of pre-production with casting still underway in New Orleans. The mysterious death of Pam Hupp's mom Pam's mother passed away in mysterious circumstances in 2013. It's her mom, it's her family, and it's weird that actors are portraying the worst thing that ever happened to your life.". through the front door as she leaves implying that Helene is inside and is going to look after Cece and Phillip while Jim and Pam are gone. We and our partners use cookies on this site to improve our service, perform analytics, personalize advertising, measure advertising performance, and remember website preferences. This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors. [49], Accolades received by The Thing About Pam, Last edited on 19 February 2023, at 11:39, Best Actress in a Miniseries, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television, "Rene Zellweger Is Unrecognizable as a Midwestern Murdering Mom", "Tuesday Ratings: Sluggish Returns for NBC Comedies, "CBS Leads in Total Viewers Despite Airing Repeats; NBC's, "NBC News Will Shut Down Peacock Productions (Exclusive)", "NBC News Launches Documentary Studio for Streaming-Video Era (Exclusive)", "Keith Morrison's Voice Elevates The Thing About Pam", "NBC News, Blumhouse Set Scripted Series Based on, "Rene Zellweger To Star In NBC True-Crime Limited Series, "Marci Wiseman Exits As Co-President Of Blumhouse Television", "Josh Duhamel Joins Rene Zellweger In NBC Limited Series, "How Rene Zellweger Is Preparing to Play 'Diabolical' Killer Pam Hupp in New True Crime TV Series", "Renee Zellweger spotted in 'fat suit' playing Pam Hupp in true-crime series", "Rene Zellweger Is Unrecognizable as Convicted Killer Pam Hupp on Set of, "NBC Limited Series filming less than one hour from Baton Rouge", "Rene Zellweger on Bringing Murderer Pam Hupp To Life, Why We Love True Crime and How She Physically Prepared for the Role", "Rene Zellweger On Why 'Things' About Pam Lured Her To A Limited NBC Crime Series After Winning A Second Oscar The Actor's Side", "Sonya Belousova & Giona Ostinelli Scoring NBC's, "Why Rene Zellweger Drinking a Slurpee Was Integral to, "Why Can't We Cast Actual Fat Actresses to Play Fat Roles? And they were right, there are some real strange things about Pam. Or is she just as in the dark as everyone else is? While speaking to Vanity Fair, which first debuted the images of the six-part limited series, Zellweger described what went into becoming Pam. "But we just found that it was Pam's choices that she made, the things that are on public record from her interviews, the information that she shared, her personal narrative, it was impossible to tell it without introducing levity, because of the absurdity. Schwartz, who is portrayed by Josh Duhamel in the show, explained to KSDK that he and his client were very involved in the project. But then we didn't need Pam's mom for a really long time. Patricia French has appeared in True Detective, The Good Lord Bird, The Act, Halt and Catch Fire, and Ozark. She is a master of manipulation even to the point of swaying police and attorneys to believe her. Filming was postponed until October 1, 2021. On stage, Spoke has twice won the Ovation Award, the Garland Award/LA Weekly Award for Best Performance in numerous productions and has also been awarded the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award/Garland Award for Best Production/Producer. Watch The Thing About Pam: Becoming Pam Hupp, Watch The Thing About Pam: She's A Killer, Watch The Thing About Pam: She's A Star Witness, Watch The Thing About Pam: She's A Good Friend, Watch The Thing About Pam: Renee Zellweger Is Pam. Mariah spoke about the show in an interview with KSDK News in March 2022 in which she shared some concerns with the tone of the drama, saying that watching the trailer made her concerned it was "kind of making a mockery of" what had happened. [20] At the second annual BlumFest in October, Zellweger spoke with Dateline correspondent Keith Morrison about portraying Hupp, "Truth is stranger than fiction. [47] By the end of its run on April 12, 2022, The Thing About Pam had become NBC's highest-rated freshman series of the 20212022 television season. For more information on cookies including how to manage your consent visit our. Every suburban midwestern mom needs a Pam in her life. All rights reserved. "[41] Variety's Daniel D'Addario criticized the "uncanny" prosthetics and the appearance of a Dateline producer as a character, writing, "It'd be a shame if Zellweger's first acting gig after her Oscar-boosted return to Hollywood were, ultimately, little more than NBC cross-promotion. She can also be seen in Whiplash, Wild Prairie Rose, Gastropod and many others. In The Thing About Pam which is based on the Dateline podcast of the same name Katy Mixon plays warm, non-confrontational, easily manipulated Betsy Faria. Minnie is Pams nosy neighbor. It's always intense, especially when you really care about a project and a role, and everyone else around you does too. In 2021, the real Pam was charged with first-degree murder for the fatal stabbing of Betsy Faria in 2011 she has pleaded not guilty and is still awaiting trial. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. . "[45] In a more positive review, The A.V. [8] Two weeks later, on January 23, NBC News Studios was launched. The District Attorney who failed to fully investigate Pam Hupp wound up prosecuting Russ Faria twice for the murder of his wife. In the first official trailer and images, audiences get a peek at the Oscar-winning actress' dramatic . Heather Magee as Chris Mennemeyer, the judge in Russ's trial. Drew Scheid as Travis Hupp, the son of Pam and Mark. On the TV side, Greers many credits include Archer, Kidding, Lets Go Luna, Married, Arrested Development, Casual, Two and a Half Men and Masters of Sex.. It was also reported that NBCUniversal Chairman of Entertainment Content Susan Rosner Rovner would oversee the series and that Jessika Borsiczky would write and serve as showrunner. The actress plays a murderous mother in the NBC true-crime series. * Available content may vary through participating service providers. The Thing About Pam may seem too far-fetched to be real, but it is based on the actual 2011 murder of Betsy Faria. As the defense attorney for Russ Faria, Joel Schwartz had his work cut out for him. During her lengthy stage career, she served on the board of directors for both Company of Angels and Deaf West Theatre.Spoke currently serves on the faculty at the California Institute of the Arts, where she teaches acting in the Film Directing Program and in Character Animation. Film credits include Think Like a Dog, The Lost Husband, Love, Simon, Transformers and New Years Eve.. ", Helene visits Pam in the hospital after their baby is born. Pam Hupp is a wife and mother of two, a neighbor, a "nice lady"and a suspected murderer in mom jeans. Each episode of the series Barnes? She dates Michael Scott for a brief stint and is present during the delivery of Cece at the hospital. Glenn Fleshler stars as Russ Faria in the NBC limited series The Thing About Pam., Fleshler recently played Randall in The Joker, opposite Joaquin Phoenix, and continues to recur on Showtimes Billions. Previously, he portrayed the terrifying Yellow King on the first season of HBOs True Detective., Other TV roles include Barry, Boardwalk Empire, For Life, Watchmen, Waco, The Twilight Zone and The Night Of.. Still she is as always supportive and inclusive with her daughter. Her family reported her missing that day. [38] John Doyle of The Globe and Mail said the actress "brings an equal amount of vinegary exuberance to the work. The Thing About Pam details the murder of Betsy Faria, a cancer-stricken woman found dead in her home in Troy, Missouri, in December 2011. In the upcoming series co-starring Josh Duhamel as defense attorney Joel Schwartz, Judy Greer as prosecutor Leah Askey and Katy Mixon as Betsy Faria, Zellweger plays Pam, whose deeply diabolical and deadly scheme was exposed by a chain of events following the overturning of Russ Farias conviction in the 2011 murder of his wife. L-R: Olivia Luccardi as Lily Day, Gideon Adlon as Mariah Day in "The Thing About Pam." Adlon spoke to Newsweek about. Even high-level, big-budget projects struggle with the issue. It also had a positive impact on Dateline, especially on the viewership of the episodes about Hupp that inspired the series.