Dennis Quaid stars as the iconic President Ronald Reagan in Reagan, which hits theaters August 30. But the actor is generating headlines for taking on another and completely different historical figure in the 2025 Paramount+ series, Happy Face. Quaid is tapped to play the lead role of real-life 1990s serial killer Keith Jesperson, aka “Happy Face,” known for drawing smiley faces on evidence left behind at his horrible crimes. The series culls from the harrowing true-life odyssey of Melissa Moore, Jesperson’s actual daughter, whose podcast and autobiography, Shattered Silence (with co-writer M. Bridget Cook), captured major attention.
“Back in the ’90s, he killed eight women [in] five years,” Quaid told MovieWeb in a recent interview promoting his upcoming Reagan biopic; in fact, Jesperson confessed to nearly 185 murders, but only eight were confirmed. “I wasn’t necessarily interested in playing a serial killer in that respect. But what drew me to it was what it’s about — the relationship of his daughter and himself. She was a little girl back then, and he was a doting father with her at the same time that he was committing these murders.”
Happy Face Is About Reconciliation
In addition to Quaid, Happy Face stars Annaleigh Ashford (Welcome to Chippendales) as Melissa Moore, James Wolk (Mad Men), and Khiyla Aynne. In a surprise pick (considering his lengthy background in comedy), Michael Showalter is expected to direct and producers Michelle and Robert King (both of The Good Wife and The Good Fight) are on board as producers.
Related
Best Biopics Ever Made, Ranked
The silver screen is a faithful servant to good biographical films, as the genre is undisputedly the darling of both the Academy Awards and Hollywood.
In real life, “Happy Face” often bragged about his crimes. The story finds Quaid’s character coming back into his daughter’s life after decades of no contact. Suddenly befuddled, Melissa is determined to uncover if an innocent man will be put to death for a horrible crime her father committed. She also must reckon with her own identity as his daughter. Of the “Happy Face” character, Quaid said:
“When he was caught, she [Melissa] had to reconcile. How do you reconcile in your mind your father being this serial killer? You’ve had this sweet relationship with him up until then. She’s 15 at the time that he was caught. Now, she’s grown, and their relationship is very interesting, very convoluted.
People can relate to it in the sense of having to reconcile the point of view as a child and as an adult
.”
Another Role That Will Stretch Dennis Quaid
Happy Face will be Quaid’s second Paramount+ series, after turning in a winning performance as Sherrill Lynn in the fantastic Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Over the course of five decades, Quaid’s long list of accomplishments have turned him into one of Hollywood’s more reliable talents.
For every Breaking Away, The Rookie, and Great Balls of Fire, there was also The Right Stuff, Far From Heaven, and The Day After Tomorrow. With Reagan and Happy Face, Quaid continues to expand his range as an actor and thoroughly engage his audiences. You can watch the trailer for Reagan below and find showtimes and tickets here: