While Pam's mom shows up pretty often throughout the show, though, the one question that fans wanted to be answered was why Cochran's Helene is randomly replaced by Purl's version of the character in the first place. Later this year, he's due to appear in Blackout, Shotgun Wedding and opposite Mel Gibson in Bandit. The Thing About Pam finale airs Tuesday, April 8 on NBC at 10 p.m. "The Office" is a lot of things. Pams first victim, or so they thought. Glenn Fleshler plays Betsy's husband, Russ. "[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. Hupp is already serving a life sentence for a separate case. Opinion", "Impressive performances steer the twisty true-crime story of, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Thing_About_Pam&oldid=1140290565, Russ is interrogated and released from the station after 24 hours. At least that is what her trusted friend Pam keeps telling her. "There's a lot of suffering and loss involved in this case, obviously. Did we mention its free with your cable subscription? Jennifer McHugh is a Los Angeles-based writer. 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. ("Chair Model"), Helene and William Beesly separate to the dismay of Pam. One difficult aspect of the aftermath of her mother's death was the way in which her step-father was wrongfully accused, and convicted, of the crime because it led to a complete break in their family. Glenn Fleshler has had leading roles in Boardwalk Empire, Billions, The Night Of, Barry, and For Life. 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). "But it was intense. Some of his favorite shows are What We Do In The Shadows, Bridgerton, Gangs of London, The Witcher, Doctor Who, and Ghosts. 'The Thing About Pam' Cast & Character Guide, 'The Thing About Pam' Trailer Reveals Rene Zellweger's Compulsive Lying, SNL: Kenan Thompson Keeps Passing Out on The Slingshot Ride, 'The Last of Us' Creators on Why They Changed the Mall Attack. Zellweger's received criticism for donning a fat suit to play Pam Hupp (via The Wrap), the Midwestern mom and alleged serial killer.And some critics have found the comedic elements of the story off-putting. Betsy is mostly shown through flashbacks in the series, for obvious reasons, but she is the catalyst to the overall story. This brutal crime set off a chain of events that would expose a diabolical scheme deeply involving Pam Hupp. She most recently contributed to the book "Perform: Acting for the Screen" and was interviewed for the podcast/video "SuperImage, Ltd."Spoke is repped by The Culbertson Group. The first time we meet Helene, she's played by Shannon Cochran. Well, we dont want to give away the entire story, but she was accused of 2 (possibly 3) murders since 2011. 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. [1] When asked why they did not cast an actress with a closer resemblance to Hupp's physical appearance, McCumber replied, "When a two-time Oscar winner calls and says, 'I'm obsessed with this story and I want to play Pam and I want to produce, you say, 'Yes, yes, yes, yes.' Moments after walking through the door of his Troy, Mo., home on Dec. 27, 2011, Russ Faria discovered his wife, Betsy . Rene Zellweger to Star in True-Crime Series 'The Thing About Pam', Ant Anstead on Girlfriend Renee Zellweger's 'Kindness' & Holiday Plans, Rene Zellweger Spends Thanksgiving With Ant Anstead and His Son, By signing up, you agree to our She was a touring theater actress and she wasn't available, so we had to recast her for those later episodes.". Pam mentions that Betsy had planned to reveal "something" Russ did to her. Since then, she has starred in Me, Myself, & Irene, Bridget Joness Diary (and all its sequels), Chicago, Cinderella Man, and Miss Potter. 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.". It's a documentary inside of a show. Rene Zellweger Becomes Convicted Killer Pam Hupp in 'The Thing About Pam' By H. Alan Scott On 03/08/22 at 4:40 PM EST Culture True Crime If you're a director looking to cast a female actor. It's always intense, especially when you really care about a project and a role, and everyone else around you does too. Film credits include Think Like a Dog, The Lost Husband, Love, Simon, Transformers and New Years Eve.. If a character isn't needed for years on end, an actor has to look elsewhere to keep their career moving forward and, at times, even simply put food on the table. Meanwhile, Zellweger is no stranger to transforming her body onscreen, as previously seen in Bridget Joness Diary and Judy, for which she won her second Oscar portraying Judy Garland at the end of her career. Since then, she has starred in Mike & Molly, American Housewife, and has done voice work in Robot Chicken, The Looney Tunes Show, and the feature film, Minions. He mistakes her for an old lady at the park however finally finds her. She has also had memorable roles in movies such as 13 Going on 30, The Village, 27 Dresses, Ant-Man, and Halloween. New episodes air weekly on NBC on Tuesdays. She, Pam, and Roy go to dinner. The series was announced in May 2020 when the company revealed a partnership with Blumhouse Television. Jennifer Coolidge stole hearts with her role as Tanya McQuoid on seasons 1 and 2 of The White Lotus. As the workplace love birds find each other and fall in love, we slowly meet many of the different members of their families. Zellwegers breakout role came in 1996 in the film Jerry Maguire. It was pretty much head to toe. Zellweger's received criticism for donning a fat suit to play Pam Hupp (via The Wrap), the Midwestern mom and alleged serial killer. "The writers and the showrunner spent upwards of 60 hours just. So you want to be careful and honorable to the memory of Betsy Faria and what her family experienced. Josh Duhamel as defense attorney, Joel Schwartz. In addition to her on-screen projects, Adlon is an active voiceover artist. Patricia French has appeared in True Detective, The Good Lord Bird, The Act, Halt and Catch Fire, and Ozark. [37], Zellweger's performance divided critics. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. Cast and character guide to the new true-crime drama, The Thing About Pam. It clearly shocks Pam however she lies and says the movie is really good. ("The Lover") However, Pam warms up to the idea and goes on a double date with them. We intended for her to always play Pam's mom. Minnie is Pams nosy neighbor. The real-life Pam is currently serving a life sentence in prison for the 2016 murder of Louis Gumpenberger, and therefore has not spoken about the NBC show. Here is a list of the characters to watch out for. She plays Pam with a lot of dark humor, I'd suppose the character is exaggerated. She most recently contributed to the book Perform: Acting for the Screen and was interviewed for the podcast/video SuperImage, Ltd., Sean Bridgers stars as Mark Hupp, the husband of Pam Hupp, in the new NBC limited series The Thing About Pam., Sean Bridgers most recently appeared in Barry Jenkins Amazon series The Underground Railroad. He will next be seen in ABCs limited series Women of the Movement., On television, Bridgers is most well known as Johnny Burns in HBOs Deadwood and as Louis Darnell on the Epix series Get Shorty., Bridgers also co-starred opposite Brie Larson in the Oscar-nominated drama Room., Mac Brandt stars as Detective McCarrick, one of the detectives assigned to Betsy Farias murder case, in the new NBC limited series The Thing About Pam., Mac Brandt was previously seen in the role of Capt. The Thing About Pam may seem too far-fetched to be real, but it is based on the actual 2011 murder of Betsy Faria. 18) Who played the role of TV's C. J. There she has a brief, awkward encounter with Michael. Oscar-winning actress Rene Zellweger is making her return to broadcast TV as Pam Hupp. While speaking to Vanity Fair, which first debuted the images of the six-part limited series, Zellweger described what went into becoming Pam. New episodes air weekly on NBC on Tuesdays. "[45] In a more positive review, The A.V. Jenny Klein serves as showrunner for the series. Thank you for signing up to Whattowatch. Oscar-winning actress Rene Zellweger is making her return to broadcast TV as Pam Hupp. On television, she has popped up on such shows as Arrested Development, Californication, Kidding, and Archer just to name a very select few. It's a factor that is constantly upsetting schedules and casting calls. Glenn Fleshler will portray Betsy's husband, Russ, who was convicted and later exonerated for her death. Duhamel also recently wrapped the bank heist thriller Bandit, alongside Mel Gibson, and the action-crime film Blackout.. More recently, she's played the lead role in Judy and Anne Montgomery in Netflix's What/If. Of course, the podcast hosts also point out that eventually that rule was broken over and over again. It was a smart policy, as it allowed the less-well-known actors (many of which have since become super stars in their own right since) to develop into the characters that we all know and love. This brutal crime set off a chain of events that would expose a diabolical scheme deeply involving Pam Hupp. "So, I can't blame her saying that, you know, I hope that she watches it and knows that there wasn't a day where we didn't speak about Betsy on set, and really think about and say 'I can't believe this happened. In The Thing About Pam, Judy Greer will play former Lincoln County Prosecutor, Leah Askey, one of the attorneys who led the case again Russ Faria. 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. Gideon Adlon found speaking to her real-life counterpart Mariah Day for The Thing About Pam "heart-breaking," she told Newsweek. After that, we hear that Pam's parents are going through a divorce, but we don't see much on screen. Since 2014, Dateline has assigned multiple episodes to the story and created a podcast centered around the case in 2019 titled "The Thing About Pam". Arjen and Benadryl. Greers feature credits include The Descendants, Jurassic World, Driven, Whered You Go, Bernadette and many others. In February 2021, the series was given a six-episode order with Zellweger joining the cast and the production as an executive producer. ", She added: "In our research process, we were fortunate to interview some people close to Pam Hupp, and that shed light on some of the family dynamics at play here.". Schwartz, who is portrayed by Josh Duhamel in the show, explained to KSDK that he and his client were very involved in the project. [9], On May 19, 2020, it was reported that NBC News Studios and Blumhouse Television were developing an untitled scripted television series based on coverage from Dateline about the involvement of Pam Hupp in the murder of Betsy Faria as well as the sentencing and release of her husband, Russ Faria. She has series regular roles in the Netflix animated shows Pacific Rim and Battle Kitty. She also guest-starred on the premiere of Hulus Solar Opposites.. 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. Gideon Adlon had her first major movie role in 2018s Blockers. Pamela Anderson shared what she carries in her daily crossbody bag. "I was lucky enough to speak to Mariah on the phone once, before we started filming, and it was obviously very enlightening and heart-breaking, but she really gave me more perspective into what it was like, at that time in her life," she explained. One of the earliest of these characters to have actual screen time is Pam's mom, Helene Beesly. "[Back] then she was so young, when it all happened she was only 17 and she was open, but obviously still reserved. Mixon is best known for her title role on ABCs American Housewife, which recently aired its fifth and final season. Pam ferries Betsy. When his wife Betsy is found dead, Russ is destroyed. NBC picked up the story now called The Thing About Pam starring Rene Zellweger, Josh Duhamel, and Judy Greer for a limited series that premiered on March 8, 2022. 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. Heres how it works. Does she really know Pam? The Thing About Pam airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EST on NBC. 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.. All rights reserved. Pam Hupp (inset) was eventually fingered as the killer and she'd been busy. ET It always seemed like Pamela Hupp was your friendly, easygoing neighborhood pal. RELATED: 'The Thing About Pam' Trailer Reveals Rene Zellweger's Compulsive Lying. In film, Fleshler has worked with A-list directors that include Barry Levinson, Woody Allen, Kenneth Lonergan, Tom McCarthy, JC Chandor, Todd Phillips and Andrew Jarecki. Since then, he has starred in Las Vegas, Crossing Jordan, and Unsolved. Russ Faria spent years in jail after finding wife Betsy fatally stabbed. 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. At the time of its announcement, NBC News Studios had already attained partnerships with Blumhouse Television and Focus Features, with the former revealing they were in negotiations to develop and produce scripted programs based on stories told on Dateline. Jenny Klein serves as showrunner for the series. Josh Duhamel got his start on All My Children back in 1999. She can also be seen in "Whiplash," "Wild Prairie Rose," "Gastropod" and many others.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. Both Russ Faria and his attorney Joel Schwartz helped advise the writers and showrunner Jenny Klein in the creation of the NBC show. And, of course, it's a giant excuse to closely follow the lives of a bunch of made-up characters. In the theater, he has worked with directors and playwrights that include Mike Nichols, Tony Kushner, Edward Albee, Tom Stoppard and David Hare. Every suburban midwestern mom needs a Pam in her life. 7. Josh Duhamel will play Joel Schwartz, the defense attorney Russ hired to plead his case. [32] The series held a premiere in Los Angeles on February 28, 2022,[33][34] and premiered on NBC on March 8. "[44] Ciara Wardlow, writing for RogerEbert.com, categorized it as "a watchable if often underwhelming true crime docudrama that wants to both be weird and play it safe, ending up in a strange middle ground between the two. This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 11:39. Fischer points out that there was a particularly good reason to do this, too: they had developed the storyline that the long-dormant character would not only return but that she would date Michael Scott and it was just too darn good of an opportunity to pass up. 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 Thing About Pam is a six-part true-crime drama coming to NBC based on the Dateline examination of the murder of Betsy Faria in 2011. After he spends three years in prison, there is an appeal to Russ's conviction. ("The Search"), Helene plays a sexy nurse in Michael's movie. [18] On September 24, Gideon Adlon, Sean Bridgers, Glenn Fleshler, Suanne Spoke, and Mac Brandt were added to the cast. In a statement, NBC said the company was "shifting its documentary strategy to an entirely new model" that would be "consistent with industry trends". Mixon also has a growing voiceover career, working on such projects as Robot Chicken and Minions.. She was finally arrested in 2016 for the murder of Louis Gumpenberger, In 2019, Dateline released a multi-episode podcast all about Hupps story. All of those things were really important because all those bits and pieces are what construct the person that we project our own conclusions and presumptions onto.. She dates Michael Scott for a brief stint and is present during the delivery of Cece at the hospital. 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. Rene Zellweger stars as Pam Hupp in the NBC limited series The Thing About Pam.. [20] At the second annual BlumFest in October, Zellweger spoke with Dateline correspondent Keith Morrison about portraying Hupp, "Truth is stranger than fiction. "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. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Rene Zellweger leads the cast of The Thing About Pam. Glenn has held a variety of recurring roles over the years, including Orrin Bach in Billions, George Remus in Boardwalk Empire, Goran Pazar in Barry and multiple roles in Law & Order: SVU. One of the things about Pam is that its no easy task to prove shes a liar. But the way she does it totally entertaining. He has also appeared in such films as Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!, When in Rome, and Love, Simon. Going on to speak about what it was like filming with Zellweger, Adlon said her co-star was able to convey Pam's "toxic" nature with ease. They, and the show's cast, have shared their thoughts on the case. I'm going to play the person that you sort of illuminated in your podcast and try to understand what makes a person like that tick". They are also available the following day on Peacock. ("The Delivery"), Upon speculating that a cold sore might be a sign he has herpes, Michael goes on a field trip to visit all of his former lovers. "She just told me about what it was like in that time of her life and how she was extremely manipulated by everyone around her because all the people that she loved and trusted believed one thing and she believed another. Barnes? Russ Faria added: "I think they've done a really good job of staying true to the story as much as they could. Famous actors like Timothy Olyphant, Kathy Bates, Idris Elba, and plenty of others were eventually invited to make an appearance. The limited series also stars Olivia Luccardi, Jesse Scott Egan, Adam David Thompson, Catherine Carlen, Sarah Stipe, Drew Scheid, and Ann Mahoney. As well as starring as Pam Hupp, Rene is also on hand as an executive producer. Unfortunately, Anderson, who was married to Lee from 1995 . 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. ET. Purl's iteration of the character is a bit more involved. Unfortunately, she too becomes a victim of Pams manipulation. In order to protect the purity of the final product, the production crew resisted using this splashy option for short-term attention at the risk of undermining the long-term cohesion of the entire project. Filming took place in New Orleans. Rene Zellweger spoke to Newsweek about the true-crime drama, saying she particularly liked the way the show balances dark humor with the horrors of the case it examines. Schwartz, who is portrayed by Josh Duhamel in the show, explained to KSDK that he and his client were very involved in the project. Michael gets upset and leaves calling her a "jerk". 1) Do the Right Thing's 2) Pamela Anderson 3) Ellen DeGeneres 4) Judith Ivey. [40] From Vulture, Roxana Hadadi said "Zellweger is simultaneously broadly cartoonish and blandly nonspecific. 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. But then we didn't need Pam's mom for a really long time. [24], Makeup artist Arjen Tuiten said it took eighty minutes to apply prosthetics on Zellweger. [31] Initial responses to the promotional material were negative; Libby Hall from IndieWire called Zellweger's use of prosthetics and a padded suit an example of fatphobia. . Save 20% On Olaplex Haircare Bestsellers to Repair Damaged Strands, Save $105 on This Highly-Rated Dyson Vacuum Alternative from Amazon, Hailey Bieber's Favorite Denim Shorts Are On Sale Now at Amazon, Khloe Kardashian's Good American Drops New Neon Swimwear Collection. (1 episode, 2022) Pam and Mark talk to detectives. ("Roy's Wedding"), Months later, Helene called Pam at work to inform her that Cece had been infected with head lice, unwittingly revealing to the entire office that Pam had infected them with lice. 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.. Preying on peoples grief, Pam is skilled at twisting narratives and creating false scenarios so well that everyone trusts her at her word. You know what, I'm gonna start dating her [Helene] even harder. What's interesting is we wanted to be really careful with how we navigated the tongue-in-cheek because it's tragic. Pam Hupp is a wife and mother of two, a neighbor, a "nice lady"and a suspected murderer in mom jeans. Actress Alice Barrett Mitchell's Role in NBC Miniseries 'The Thing About Pam' Is Strangely Meta By Bianca Piazza Mar. 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. She always has lip balm, CBD oil, and Ilia's Skin Serum Concealer with Vitamin C. "I love Ilia. I texted Joel, and he replied: 'Bourbon!' When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. He, too, seemed to believe her web of lies as he tried helplessly to keep his family together. Where do we even begin? Here's our who's who guide to The Thing About Pam cast. [17] On August 30, Judy Greer and Katy Mixon joined the cast. ', "How could you blame her for saying that? Brian Lowry at CNN called it a failed attempt to be "the next Fargo". 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. Though some praised Zellweger's performance as Hupp in her network television debut, others criticized the comedic tone used to convey the story of a real murder. Even portraying Mariah for a few months, having that moment was a relief for me. She accidentally locks her in her car and calls Jim to tell him. The case of killer Pamela Hupp is a twisted tale involving money and murder. 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. [8] Two weeks later, on January 23, NBC News Studios was launched. Mark Hupp is the unsuspecting husband of Pam. [30], First-look images and a trailer were released in early February. Betsy's friend, house-flipper Pam Hupp, told the police she was the last person to see her on the night of her death after insisting on driving her home. Judy has appeared in numerous supporting roles over the years. Katy Mixon is best known as April on Eastbound & Down. Just after 5 p.m. on December 27, 2011 . One of the earliest of these characters to have actual screen time is Pam's mom, Helene Beesly. She can also be seen in Whiplash, Wild Prairie Rose, Gastropod and many others. Rene Zellweger is headed to TV to play Pam Hupp in the NBC series The Thing About Pam. After Jenna Fischer explains why her fictional mom had to be recast after Season 2, she goes on to point out that the recasting was actually "a really weird thing" adding that "the integrity of our show was so important to us." This week I finished the series and my overall take is the old saying "Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction." Good series. * Because it is. He has appeared on the show Seinfeld and has been parodied (brilliantly) by Bill Hader on Saturday Night Live. Duhamel also spoke to the news station, saying that he found it helpful to get to know Schwartz in the process of preparing for the show because it made it "easy" for him to portray him. [35], On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 44% of 27 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.8/10. (6 episodes, 2022) Series Art Direction by Kirby Feagan . She's notorious, not famous. 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. "Normally I'd jump at the chance to meet the person I was playing but I was so daunted by this project that I quickly scrambled to wrap my brain around playing Russ," Fleshler explained. Seth Rogen will also appear in the show, playing Rand Gauthier, the electrician who stole the tape from Anderson and Lee. Klein told Newsweek: "I remember Josh Duhamel's first day as Joel, we were filming the scene in [episode] 2 at Joel's house when Joel and Nate theorize about the 'murder slippers' (a term that the real Joel and Nate jokingly used), and Josh asked what kind of liquor Joel drinks. ("Sex Ed"), Helene, who watches Jim and Pam's daughter Cece when they are at work, takes Cece to a doctor when she gets a fever. Zellweger serves as an executive producer on both The Back Nine and The Thing About Pam through her production company, Big Picture Co. Zellweger is known globally for her starring role as the seminal British everywoman in the film Bridget Joness Diary, for which she received an Oscar nomination, and the sequels Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Bridget Joness Baby. She also earned an Academy Award nomination as convicted killer Roxie Hart in Chicago and won her first Oscar in the category of Best Supporting Actress for Anthony Minghellas Cold Mountain., After graduating with an English degree from the University of Texas, Zellweger made her feature film debut in Richard Linklaters seminal coming-of-age film Dazed and Confused. Other film roles quickly followed, including Reality Bites, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation and My Boyfriends Back. Soon after, Zellweger won the affection of audiences with her breakthrough role in Jerry Maguire., Additional credits include One True Thing, Nurse Betty, Me, Myself & Irene, White Oleander and Cinderella Man. She has also lent her voice to such animated features as Shark Tale, Bee Movie and Monsters vs. Aliens and made her television debut in the Netflix limited series What/If., Suanne Spoke stars as Janet, Betsy Farias mother and grandmother to Betsy and Russ two daughters, including Mariah Day, in the new NBC limited series The Thing About Pam.. Rene Zellweger is best known for portraying the title role in the Bridget Jones movies, as well as playing Roxie Hart in Chicago (2002). 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. The Thing About Pam premieres Tuesday, March 8 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. [19], On September 28, 2021, Scott Winant was announced to be directing the first two episodes as well as executive producing. So, Josh drank bourbon in that scene.". Zellweger told Newsweek: "I love an opportunity to be cheeky with something. More and more people are seeking out that content". Additional executive producers included Carmella Casinelli, Borsiczky, Noah Oppenheim, and Chris McCumber. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! [15] By August 2021, The Thing About Pam was in the final stages of pre-production with casting still underway in New Orleans. 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 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. Electrician who stole the tape from Anderson and Lee Night of, Barry, and he:. Mostly shown through flashbacks in the creation of the White Lotus married to Lee from 1995 Prairie,. The defense attorney Russ hired to plead his case n't see much screen! 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