First Look at Michael Chernis as a Serial Killer in Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy

This fall, Peacock brings the true-crime series Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, starring Michael Chernus as the infamous serial killer.Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, from showrunner and executive producer Patrick Macmanus (Dr. Death, The Girl From Plainville), focuses not on Gacy himself, but on the victims and their families.

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The creators explicitly avoid glorifying Gacy or sensationalizing violence: there are no murders depicted. Instead, the series tells the victims' stories through flashbacks and explores how systemic flaws and societal prejudices concealed Gacy's crimes for years.

Between 1972 and 1978, 33 young men were abducted, murdered, and buried in the crawl space of Gacy's home. Meanwhile, he led a seemingly perfect life as a charming neighborhood resident, businessman, and volunteer clown who entertained sick children. Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy reveals the layers of his double existence, the unfathomable pain of the families, and the failed system that made this tragedy possible.

In addition to Michael Chernus (Severance, Orange Is the New Black), the series stars Gabriel Luna (The Last of Us), Michael Angarano (This Is Us), Chris Sullivan (This Is Us), and Marin Ireland (Sneaky Pete).

Gacy was sentenced to death in 1980 and executed by lethal injection in 1994.

All eight episodes of Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy will air on Peacock on Thursday, October 16. Watch the trailer below.