Posted in: Hulu, TV | Tagged: Murdaugh: Death in the Family

Murdaugh: Death in the Family: Berchtold on Casting Paul in New Light

Johnny Berchtold (Reacher) spoke with us about reframing Paul Murdaugh's narrative in Hulu's Murdaugh: Death in the Family, fame, and more.

When Johnny Berchtold took on the role of Paul Murdaugh, son of Alex (Jason Clarke) and Maggie Murdaugh (Patricia Clarke) in the Hulu true crime miniseries Murdaugh: Death in the Family, it would become an opportunity not only redeem Paul, who was dealing with the fallout of a tragic drunken boating accident that claimed the life of a family friend, but also a chance to tell a side of his story that was buried in the headlines due to the controversies surrounding the shady activities of Alex and the attempted coverup of said scandals. With pressure mounting, Maggie and Paul are murdered at the family's dog kennels, and Alex is subsequently arrested and placed on trial. Berchtold spoke to Bleeding Cool about the reception he's had for the Michael D. Fuller and Erin Lee Carr-created series from those discovering the story on Hulu and fans of Mandy Matney's podcast, who was the primary investigative journalist who unraveled much of the Murdaugh family controversy; if the miniseries changed his perspective on fame, and reframed Paul in a new light.

Murdaugh: Death in the Family: Johnny Berchtold on Painting Paul Murdaugh in the New Life and Celebrity Culture

What has been the reception as far as those acclimated to the story from watching the Hulu series versus maybe fans of Mandy Matney's podcast?

It's been interesting. Anytime someone in my life or someone tells me that they're watching the show, they tell me what they think about it. I always ask them, "Were you familiar with the case before the show?" It's been incredible seeing the conversation surrounding this story and the people in the story shift. That was, honestly, our main goal: To offer a fresh perspective on this story. With Mandy's reporting, we were able to keep a conversation going about it in a way that I haven't heard before, and it's incredible to be a part of that dialogue and to see people talking about it in this way. I'm thankful that the response has been enriching.

The series had to leave space for the murder investigation and subsequent trial. If you had an opportunity to expand on and out of curiosity, a narrative that Paul could have had with maybe another character in the story, do you feel that there were any loose ends or something that could have been done a little better, or do you think everything turned out the way it should have?

The team had such a tremendous amount of pressure condensing this story, this massive, expansive story, into an eight-part series. The way they handled it was so beautifully crafted. You see these characters in a new light, or you see events in a fresh perspective. What I loved about Paul's story was that we got to see him between the headlines and took away public opinion, at least for me, while I was filming the show, and tried to understand what someone like Paul, the youngest in a family dynasty, was thinking. How that experience growing up without consequence bled into his adulthood. Again, it was about honoring that for me, especially towards the end, before he was murdered, honoring that possibility of a redemption, of an apology, honoring a future that was taken from him. The way that they handled it was beautiful.

What has the series taught you about celebrity culture and how scrutiny comes with the territory? Did it feel like another job for you, otherwise?

Oh my god! Well, it's certainly not just another job for me. I am so grateful to work whenever I can, especially now. I'm grateful that it's an opportunity that is presented and a possibility for us. If it taught me anything, it's to be kinder to myself. Working in this industry, it's easy to get down on yourself and crawl into a hole. In working with this story, especially with this character, and being with Paul, who is faced with a lot of hardship, something I am separate from. Obviously, we have very different lives and stories. It was about picking up the pieces and making something of our actions, and it taught me to be kinder to myself. There are a lot of nuances I've learned in consuming a story like this, and so this job was so immersive for me. I learned so much across the board, from filmmaking to working with Patricia, Jason, Will [Harrison], and the entire cast that I'm going to take with me forever. It set the bar that's for sure, but I'm excited to keep chasing projects like this, because it was like school.

All episodes of Murdaugh: Death in the Family, which also stars Brittany Snow, Gerald McRaney, J. Smith-Cameron, Tyner Rushing, Kathleen Wilhoite, Noah Emmerich, and Tommy Dewey, are available to stream on Hulu.

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