The actor portrays Mariah in the NBC true crime drama which charts the 2011 murder of Day's mother Betsy Faria and its aftermath, including how Betsy's husband Russ (Glenn Fleshler) was wrongfully accused and Pam Hupp's (Rene Zellweger) involvement. Zellwegers breakout role came in 1996 in the film Jerry Maguire. In addition to her on-screen projects, Adlon is an active voiceover artist. Betsys mom, Janet, doesn't know what to believe. 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.. 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. [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. 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 . Adlon is also inspired by strong, talented women, including her mother, actress/producer Pamela Adlon. Shannon Cochran (in Sexual Harassment) Linda Purl Helene Beesly is Pam 's mom, played by Shannon Cochran in "Sexual Harassment" and subsequently played by Linda Purl in episodes starting with " Niagara ." Contents 1 Season 2 2 Season 4 3 Season 5 4 Season 6 5 Season 7 6 Season 9 7 Behind the scenes 8 Appearances 9 References Season 2 Played by an unrecognizable Rene Zellweger in the six-part limited series The Thing. [32] The series held a premiere in Los Angeles on February 28, 2022,[33][34] and premiered on NBC on March 8. Club's Gwen Ihnat said "The Thing About Pam does an impressive job of translating an addictive tale to the small screen. Judy Greer stars as Leah Askey in the new NBC limited series The Thing About Pam.. For more information on cookies including how to manage your consent visit our. Jenna Fischer took the lead, explaining that "We wanted Shannon Cochran to come back. The Thing About Pam finale airs Tuesday, April 8 on NBC at 10 p.m. When his wife Betsy is found dead, Russ is destroyed. He never gets the chance to tell her he might have herpes. [29] The theme implemented the use of an English horn, a prepared piano with coins between the strings, a harmonica, "ka-ching" sounds, a custom-made Italian instrument combining a waterphone and daxophone, and the sound of someone slurping. 19) In what film is Bruce Willis' first scene backed by Al Green's "Let's StayTogether"? Even high-level, big-budget projects struggle with the issue. "The Office" is a lot of things. She is not upbeat and is not as fun as she was during season two. One of the earliest of these characters to have actual screen time is Pam's mom, Helene Beesly. Variety reported that the decision was sparked by the rise of streaming services and a necessity for "higher-quality productions". Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). What's interesting is we wanted to be really careful with how we navigated the tongue-in-cheek because it's tragic. By the . The cast of The Thing About Pam is a star-studded one that includes Josh Duhamel as Joel Schwartz, Russ' defense lawyer, Judy Greer as Lincoln County prosecutor Leah Askey, Katy Mixon as Betsy and Gideon Adlon as Mariah Day, Betsy and Russ' 17-year-old daughter. There are so many things about Pam. The case is very interesting, so I was intrigued. [15] By August 2021, The Thing About Pam was in the final stages of pre-production with casting still underway in New Orleans. Glenn Fleshler, who takes on the role of Russ Faria, told KSDK that he was initially hesitant to speak to his real-life counterpart because of the pressure he felt to tell his story, and wrongful conviction, right. Cookies help us deliver our Services. That's the way someone acted in the world and had no remorse and just could give less of a s**t about how they ruined people's lives.". L-R: Olivia Luccardi as Lily Day, Gideon Adlon as Mariah Day in "The Thing About Pam." Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters, Rene Zellweger Becomes Convicted Killer Pam Hupp in 'The Thing About Pam'. [22][23] Filming took place in New Orleans and Hammond, Louisiana. Turns out, the blond bombshell pulled down a measly $1,500 per episode during the first season. Katy is known for her work on CBS' Mike & Molly, ABC's American Housewife and is due to appear alongside Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon in George & Tammy later in 2022. 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. Poor Betsy. Oscar-winning actress Rene Zellweger is making her return to broadcast TV as Pam Hupp. So, Josh drank bourbon in that scene.". I texted Joel, and he replied: 'Bourbon!' [8] Two weeks later, on January 23, NBC News Studios was launched. I spoke to the writers just last week and they were very excited and wanted to let me know and thank me for all my hard work and time working with them.". She was finally arrested in 2016 for the murder of Louis Gumpenberger, In 2019, Dateline released a multi-episode podcast all about Hupps story. This brutal crime set off a chain of events that would expose a diabolical scheme deeply involving Pam Hupp.Based on the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria that resulted in the conviction of her husband, Russ, but he insisted he did not kill her. On television, Duhamel is known for his role on the NBC drama Las Vegas. Additionally, he lent his voice to Nickelodeons Emmy Award-winning animated series Fanboy & Chum Chum and starred in several seasons of the long-running ABC soap opera All My Children, for which he received three consecutive Daytime Emmy nominations. We intended for her to always play Pam's mom. The show premieres on March 8 and also stars Josh Duhamel, Judy Greer, and Katy Mixon. Thankfully, Schwartz never gave up as he was virtually Russs only hope. Everybody has a strong opinion about NBC's "The Thing About Pam," starring Rene Zellwegger and Josh Duhamel. The character appears twice in Season 2, once "in the flesh" in the episode "Sexual Harassment" and again over the phone after Jim kisses Pam during the casino night. When the ladies of Dunder Mifflin got to the Season 2 episode "Sexual Harassment" the first episode with Pam's Mom physically present they broke down the recasting question. Josh Duhamel got his start on All My Children back in 1999. Actor Bio. Does she really know Pam? The case shocked the nation, becoming the subject of several Dateline episodes, and is stirring up attention once again through NBC's true-crime series, which airs on Tuesdays. Airdate: 10 p.m. Tuesday, March 8 (NBC) Cast: Rene Zellweger, Josh Duhamel, Judy Greer, Katy Mixon, Glenn Fleshler, Gideon Adlon, Sean Bridgers, Suanne Spoke and Mac Brandt Showrunner: Jenny Klein. This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 11:39. Russ Faria's conviction was overturned by a judge in 2015 and he was released from prison. But he is looking guiltier by the minute. The limited series also stars Olivia Luccardi, Jesse Scott Egan, Adam David Thompson, Catherine Carlen, Sarah Stipe, Drew Scheid, and Ann Mahoney. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, She has been a series regular on General Hospital and Switched at Birth as well as having smaller roles in Step by Step, Judging Amy, The Division, and ER. Spoke participated as an actress at the Sundance Lab and on panels for ActorFest, along with judging the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Get the latest updates, reviews and unmissable series to watch and more! Lincoln County prosecutor Leah Askey deems this, Producer Cathy Singer decides to devote several episodes of. [17] On August 30, Judy Greer and Katy Mixon joined the cast. "It was Arjen who did all of the work. This brutal crime set off a chain of events that would expose a diabolical scheme deeply involving Pam Hupp. The Thing About Pam premiered on NBC on March 8, 2022. Previously, she starred on CBS Mike & Molly for four seasons. [35], On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 44% of 27 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.8/10. He added that when he did speak to Faria, "he took me so much deeper into his story and his pain and the humanity of it all.". On August 24, it was announced Borsiczky had exited the series as writer and showrunner due to creative differences but that she would remain an executive producer for the time being; Klein was appointed as the new showrunner. The . Dateline journalist Keith Morrison provides the show's narration. "And [the episode] is me really being able to dig deep and I think my favourite thing is that Mariah, you can see how strong she is, you can always see her strength, but then the fact that she really got to stick up for herself. Gideon Adlon had her first major movie role in 2018s Blockers. RELATED: 'The Thing About Pam' Trailer Reveals Rene Zellweger's Compulsive Lying. She plays Pam with a lot of dark humor, I'd suppose the character is exaggerated. ET. Later this year, he's due to appear in Blackout, Shotgun Wedding and opposite Mel Gibson in Bandit. Minnie seems to keep popping up as Pam works her schemes almost as a voice whispering to Pams conscience. Meanwhile, television producers sought to devote several episodes from Dateline NBC to Betsy's story, which uncovers Pam's past and makes her a suspect in the case. Michael tries to analyze their relationship but Helene reminds Michael that he romanticizes and rejects that they ever had a good relationship. [40] From Vulture, Roxana Hadadi said "Zellweger is simultaneously broadly cartoonish and blandly nonspecific. "Episode 5, I feel like is definitely the most, in a way for me, I feel like it's almost the most heart-breaking and empowering episode for Mariah.". [37], Zellweger's performance divided critics. Sean Bridgers is best known for his role as Johnny Burns in Deadwood, Louis Darnell in Get Shorty, and Trey Willis in the underrated masterpiece, Rectify. After that, we hear that Pam's parents are going through a divorce, but we don't see much on screen. Rene Zellweger leads the cast of The Thing About Pam. He has also appeared in such films as A Most Violent Year and Joker. [14] In June 2021, Josh Duhamel was added to the cast with Mary Margaret Kunze joining as an executive producer. The brutal crime kicked off a series of events that exposed a diabolical scheme in which their neighbor, Pam Hupp, was deeply involved. She, Pam, and Roy go to dinner. The Thing About Pam airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EST on NBC. She accidentally locks her in her car and calls Jim to tell him. During her lengthy stage career, she served on the board of directors for both Company of Angels and Deaf West Theatre. Still she is as always supportive and inclusive with her daughter. But then we didn't need Pam's mom for a really long time. [10] In a statement, Cole said that "having been at the forefront of the true-crime genre for so long, we know better than anyone that truth is often stranger than fiction, and with the twists and turns in this case, we saw a real opportunity to present it in a scripted format". ", The Academy Award winner went on: "It's the juxtaposition of the making you comfortable to laugh and then the tragedy that's ongoing in this story that makes you stop for a second and really feel the gravity of the consequences, the decisions and the choices that this person made. The Thing About Pam finale airs Tuesday, April 8 on NBC at 10 p.m. Josh Duhamel will play Joel Schwartz, the defense attorney Russ hired to plead his case. Greers feature credits include The Descendants, Jurassic World, Driven, Whered You Go, Bernadette and many others. When Dateline started premiering episodes about Pam Hupp back in 2013, they had no idea what they were in for. The film premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for several awards, as was its director, Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre. 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. I literally existed for another human" ("The Lover") However, Pam warms up to the idea and goes on a double date with them. I listened to the podcast, so I did know the background on this case. Duhamel also recently wrapped the bank heist thriller Bandit, alongside Mel Gibson, and the action-crime film Blackout.. This brutal crime set off a chain of events that would expose a diabolical scheme deeply involving Pam Hupp. "But it was intense. Adlon spoke to Newsweek about portraying the character and speaking to her real-life counterpart. The real-life story quickly captured the attention of America and was detailed in several popular episodes of Dateline NBC and chronicled in the 2019 podcastThe Thing About Pam. Heres how it works. Lakeview Park is located in Fenton, Mo., and is less than an hour from where Pam lived in O'Fallon. It also had a positive impact on Dateline, especially on the viewership of the episodes about Hupp that inspired the series. The character appears twice. Each episode of the series BA1 1UA. (3 episodes, 2022) Series Set Decoration by Kristin Bicksler . She refuses to binge-watch anything. ", Helene visits Pam in the hospital after their baby is born. 7. Jim panics and drives off to go help and accidentally leaves Michael behind at the gas station they were at. Josh Duhamel plays Joel Schwartz on the NBC limited series The Thing About Pam., Duhamel most recently starred on the Netflix original series Jupiters Legacy, based on the comic series of the same name. When hes not watching TV or at the movies, Martins probably still in front of a screen playing the latest video games, reading, or watching the NFL. Also that year, she starred in Netflixs drama series The Society.. Pam Hupp (Rene Zellweger), who declares herself "a pillar of the community," has been intimately involved in Betsy's life while Betsy has been getting cancer treatments. The Thing About Pam is an American true crime comedy-drama television miniseries detailing the involvement of Pam Hupp in the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria. You can just tell that the toxic narcissistic energy that she has is just starting to eat her alive and you know, bite her in the a**," the actor said. "[27], The score was composed by Giona Ostinelli and Sonya Belousova. However, his troubles had only just begun when he was arrested and convicted for her death. [11], The limited series was given a six-episode order and titled The Thing About Pam on February 4, 2021, with Rene Zellweger joining the cast to portray Hupp in her network television debut and attaching herself as an executive producer through her production company Big Picture Co. With Jim splitting time between Dunder Mifflin and Athleap, Pam was left back in Scranton, where she was forced to balance a job while raising the family. Judy Greer has graced us with her presence on screen since the late 90s. The studio's intent is to produce content for emerging platforms, documentaries, docu-series, and select scripted programming. One of those details was why on earth Pam's mom had to be recast in a show with so much continuity to its characters (per Showbiz Cheat Sheet). Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. "I think Glenn [Fleshler, who plays Russ] did such an incredible job of conveying that on screen, and you can see Mariah struggle with her want to connect with him and just how she doesn't agree with anyone around her. In a statement, NBC said the company was "shifting its documentary strategy to an entirely new model" that would be "consistent with industry trends". Or is she just as in the dark as everyone else is? Glenn Fleshler will portray Betsy's husband, Russ, who was convicted and later exonerated for her death. It's a workplace comedy. Gideon Adlon found speaking to her real-life counterpart Mariah Day for The Thing About Pam "heart-breaking," she told Newsweek. ; d suppose the character is exaggerated they had no idea what they in! Need Pam 's mom, big-budget projects struggle with the issue released from prison season two and. 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