Peacock’s ‘Devil in Disguise’ Documentary Addresses John Wayne Gacy Misconceptions

In a groundbreaking approach to true crime storytelling, Peacock’s “Devil in Disguise” has garnered critical acclaim for its deliberate focus on John Wayne Gacy’s victims rather than sensationalizing the notorious serial killer himself.

Michael Chernus, who portrays Gacy in the series, recently detailed his extensive preparation for the challenging role during an exclusive interview with Us Weekly. “The research was as extensive as you’d imagine with something like this,” Chernus explained. “There was so much material available — from books to documentaries to podcasts to YouTube videos.”

Beyond simply studying Gacy, Chernus was particularly interested in understanding the public’s fascination with the killer. “I did want to learn as much as I could about the cultural and public perception of John Wayne Gacy because one of the things we’re trying to do with this show is turn that perception on its head and bust some of the myths about him and this story,” he said.

One significant misconception the series aims to correct involves Gacy’s infamous “killer clown” persona. “A lot of the movies and projects that have been made about him focus on the fact that he was a clown,” Chernus noted. “The whole clowning thing was just a small aspect of who he was. As far as we know, he didn’t kill any of his victims dressed as a clown. He didn’t use his clown persona to lure boys back to his house.”

According to Chernus, the reality was far more disturbing. “It was actually — in a way — even more sinister than that. It was one of many masks that he wore and one of many personalities he constructed to hide, to fit into society and to come off as harmless or non-threatening.”

The 48-year-old actor emphasized how pop culture has distorted Gacy’s true nature. “The clown helped to dehumanize him and make him into this larger-than-life boogeyman, when actually truth is so much scarier than fiction,” he said.

Gacy’s horrific crimes remain among America’s most notorious cases of serial murder. He raped, tortured, and murdered at least 32 young men and boys before being convicted in 1980. After spending 14 years on death row, Gacy died by lethal injection in 1994.

“Devil in Disguise,” which premiered earlier this month, takes a victim-centered approach rarely seen in true crime productions. Each episode is named after one of Gacy’s victims, shifting focus to the devastating impact on families while also examining the investigative failures and systemic issues that allowed Gacy to evade capture for so long.

Chernus initially hesitated to take on the role. “I was hesitant to even throw my hat in the ring for this job, initially. Because I didn’t want to do anything that — in any way — glorified John Wayne Gacy,” he admitted. It was showrunner Patrick Macmanus’s vision of focusing on the victims that ultimately persuaded him to join the project.

The series deliberately avoids explicit violence, a creative choice that aligns with its victim-centered approach. “John Wayne Gacy is a part of the story because he has to be,” Chernus explained. “But I only want people to learn about him in so much as it maybe helps us understand psychopathy and maybe in some small way a TV show could prevent something like this from happening in the future.”

Unlike many actors who speak about finding empathy for difficult characters, Chernus took a different approach with Gacy. “There’s often a thing where actors talk about how to play a character, you have to find a way to love them. You have to have empathy for them. You have to walk 1000 miles in their shoes,” he said. “I really have believed that up until now. I don’t — at least with this character — believe that. I never got to a place where I had real empathy for him.”

This unflinching portrayal, combined with the series’ victim-centered storytelling, represents an evolution in how true crime narratives are presented to audiences, focusing less on killer mythology and more on human impact and systemic failures.

“Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy” is currently streaming on Peacock.