Dennis Quaid Cast in Leading Role for Paramount+'s Happy Face

Dennis Quaid stars opposite Annaleigh Ashford in Paramount+'s new drama series Happy Face.

Quaid plays the title role of the real-life serial killer infamously known as Happy Face for the smiling faces he drew on evidence where he bragged about his crimes. Ashford plays his daughter Melissa.

Happy Face is inspired by the true story of Melissa Moore, the Happy Face podcast by iHeartPodcasts and Moore and the autobiography Shattered Silence, written by Moore with M. Bridget Cook.



Happy Face (Quaid, pictured) is an incarcerated serial killer who is also Melissa's (Ashford) once-beloved father. After decades of no contact, he finally finds a way to insert himself into his daughter's life again. In a race against time, Melissa must find out whether an innocent man will be put to death for a crime her father committed. Meanwhile, she discovers the impact her father had on the families of his victims and must confront her own identity.

The eight-episode first season of Happy Face, produced by CBS Studios in association with King Size Productions, iHeartPodcasts and Semi-Formal Productions, will begin filming this spring in Vancouver and premiere exclusively on Paramount+ worldwide in 2025.

Jennifer Cacicio – who also serves as showrunner – produces alongside Robert and Michelle King (Evil, The Good Wife), Liz Glotzer, Melissa Moore, Conal Byrne, Will Pearson, Michael Showalter – who directs the first episode – and Jordana Mollick.

Happy Face expands Quaid's relationship with Paramount+, where he recently had a series regular role in the limited series Lawmen: Bass Reeves. The actor had other series roles in HBO Max's Full Circle (2023), Netflix's Merry Happy Whatever, Prime Video's Goliath, Sky Atlantic's Fortitude and CBS' Vegas (2012).

Quaid recently wrapped production on the role of the 40th President of the United States in the upcoming biopic Reagan, produced by Mark Joseph and directed by Sean McNamara.

Happy Face is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.