Fans of Apple TV+’s critically lauded Severance should be prepared to witness the shocking transformation of one of the show’s stars. Michael Chernus, known for his portrayal of Dr. Ricken Lazlo Hale, a quirky motivational author who serves as a source of comic relief in Severance, is stepping into a radically different role. Peacock has just unveiled a first look at Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, an eight-episode scripted series premiering on October 16, where Chernus stars as the infamous “Killer Clown.” The just-dropped teaser for Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy focuses primarily on the crawl space beneath his home, where John Wayne Gacy buried the bodies of 26 of his victims. Chernus’ Gacy is briefly shown towards the end of the teaser. You can check it out below.

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Gacy was a respected community member: he was a successful contractor, involved in local politics, and even volunteered at children’s hospitals, often dressed as his clown alter ego, Pogo. But Gacy was also a predator who kidnapped, raped, and murdered at least 33 young men and boys between 1972 and 1978. He was arrested in December 1978 after police began investigating the disappearance of 15-year-old Robert Piest; Gacy confessed to the crimes shortly after. Gacy was convicted in 1980 and received the death penalty for 12 of the murders, and was executed by lethal injection on May 10, 1994.
‘Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy’ Takes a Victim-Focused Approach to a Horrific Story

According to its synopsis, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy “peels back the twisted layers of Gacy’s life while weaving in heartrending stories of his victims; exploring the grief, guilt, and trauma of their families and friends; and exposing the systemic failures, missed opportunities and societal prejudices that fueled his reign of terror.” Chernus was initially hesitant to tackle the role of Gacy. In a conversation with Vanity Fair, he shared:
“Absolutely in no way did I want to be a part of something that was glorifying John Gacy. [In other true-crime series] the victims, if they’re named at all, only [appear] in their relation to the person who perpetrated the crimes.”
But showrunner, executive producer and director Patrick Macmanus reassured him that the series would focus on the victims, telling their stories through flashback scenes, and that Gacy wouldn’t appear in every scene.
“We really, truly were trying to figure out a way to focus on the victims — what their lives were like and who they truly were, with no connective tissue to John Wayne Gacy at all. The ultimate goal was to ensure that when people left our show, they saw more than a name. They saw more than a number. They saw more than a life associated with this horrendous tragedy, with this absolutely evil man.”
Chernus stars alongside Gabriel Luna (The Last of Us), Michael Angarano (Oppenheimer), Chris Sullivan (This Is Us), and Marin Ireland (The Irishman). The eight-episode series lands on Peacock on October 16. Peacock previously released a true-crime docuseries, John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise, in 2021, which is available to stream now. Source: Vanity Fair