“View gallery Image Credit: WireImage Dennis Quaid is no stranger to suspense and horror. The actor, 70, has appeared in a number of suspenseful offerings over the years, including The Substance opposite Demi Moore, Beneath the Darkness (2011,) The Intruder (2019,) Jaws 3-D (1983,) and Pandorum (2009,) among others. In 1978, he starred alongside Gwyneth”, — write: hollywoodlife.com
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Image Credit: WireImage Dennis Quaid is no stranger to suspense and horror. The actor, 70, has appeared in a number of suspenseful offerings over the years, including The Substance opposite Demi Moore, Beneath the Darkness (2011,) The Intruder (2019,) Jaws 3-D (1983,) and Pandorum (2009,) among others. In 1978, he starred alongside Gwyneth Paltrow‘s mom Blythe Danner in a little-known TV horror/suspense movie called Are You in the House Alone?
Now, the actor returns to TV with a true crime series based on a buzzy podcast of the same name. Below, find out what the series is about, where to watch, and more.
What is ‘Happy Face’ About?
The series is inspired by the true story of Keith Hunter Jesperson, infamously known as the Happy Face Killer. His case dates back to the 1990s when he took the lives of multiple women. Jesperson was arrested in 1995 and is now serving a life sentence at Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem. He earned his nickname for the smiley faces he included in letters sent to authorities.
When Does the ‘Happy Face’ Series Debut? Not to be confused with the 2014 Lifetime movie The Happy Face Killer starring David Arquette, Happy Face is inspired by the heartbreaking story of Melissa G. Moore, who discovered at just 15 years old that her father was serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson. The eight-episode series delves into the murders and the lasting, devastating impact the crimes had on Jesperson’s family members and family members of the victims.
According to Rolling Stone, in the 1990s, the father of three killed at least eight women over a span of just five years. He then taunted police investigating the case with letters emblazoned with mocking smiley faces. He’s currently in an Oregon penitentiary serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
“Happy Face follows Melissa (Annaleigh Ashford) and her incarcerated father, known as the ‘Happy Face Killer’ (Dennis Quaid),” reads an official logline for the series. “After decades of no contact, he finally finds a way to force himself back into his daughter’s life. In a race against the clock, Melissa must find out if an innocent man is going to be put to death for a crime her father committed. Throughout, she discovers the impact her father had on his victims’ families and must face a reckoning of her own identity.”
Where to Watch the ‘Happy Face’ Series Happy Face premieres on Paramount+ on Thursday, March 20, 2025, with two episodes, and will air weekly on Thursdays until the series finale on May 1.