This Paramount+ new series has people buzzing with excitement, as it is a true-crime story based on the memoir of the daughter of a serial killer. Fans are even more thrilled knowing that Dennis Quaid, an actor known for his charm in films like The Rookie and The Parent Trap, is stepping into a role unlike any he has taken before. In the upcoming Paramount+ series Happy Face, Quaid will play Keith Jesperson, a notorious serial killer dubbed the “Happy Face Killer.”
Jesperson’s reign of terror in the 1990s left a trail of victims across the United States, and now Quaid will portray the man who taunted the authorities with letters featuring smiley faces. Happy Face, which premieres on March 20, 2025, will offer a chilling perspective into Jesperson’s crimes and the devastating impact they had on his daughter Melissa Moore. The eight-episode series is based on Moore’s real-life experiences and her journey of struggling with the knowledge that her father was a serial killer.
Dennis Quaid will not play his typical heroic character in “Happy Face”
In the series, Moore is depicted as an adult who is forced to confront her father’s violent past. She must come to terms with the knowledge that her father was responsible for the deaths of at least eight women. Viewers will witness Moore’s personal and emotional journey as she fights to ensure that an innocent man is not wrongfully punished for a crime Jesperson committed. Her quest for justice brings her face-to-face with her estranged father, who remains imprisoned for his crimes. Annaleigh Ashford will play the role of Moore in the series.
For Dennis Quaid, this is totally different from the heroic age charming characters he typically plays. As Jesperson, Quaid will portray a deeply disturbed individual. The series will explore not only the killer’s actions but also the psychological manipulation and chilling control he had over his victims and his own family. Fans are eager to see Dennis Quaid’s portrayal of a sociopathic killer.
The true story behind ‘Happy Face’
The series is inspired by Moore’s own story and her autobiography, Shattered Silence, which details her experience growing up as the daughter of a serial killer. Her father, Keith Jesperson, murdered at least eight women throughout the 1990s, though he claimed to have killed as many as 160. He became famous for drawing smiley faces on letters he sent to the police and the media, earning him the nickname “Happy Face Killer.”
The series will also tell Moore’s story as she works to help others who have been affected by similar tragedies.