Quote from Oladosun Joshua Segun on September 6, 2023, 10:56 PM

Bill Pullman is no stranger to playing complex characters, but his latest role might be his most challenging yet. The actor, best known for his roles in Independence Day and The Sinner, will portray Alex Murdaugh, the South Carolina lawyer who was involved in a series of scandals and tragedies that rocked his family and the state.

Lifetime has announced that it is developing a movie based on the Murdaugh Murders, the sensational story that made national headlines in 2021. The movie will follow the events that led to the shooting deaths of Alex's wife Maggie and son Paul in June 2021, as well as Alex's own mysterious shooting in September 2021, which he later admitted was a suicide attempt orchestrated with the help of a former client.

Pullman will star alongside Ginnifer Goodwin, who will play Maggie Murdaugh, and Josh Stamberg, who will play Curtis Edward Smith, the man who allegedly shot Alex at his request. The movie will also explore the unsolved 2015 death of Stephen Smith, a young man who was found on a rural road with a severe head wound, and whose case was linked to the Murdaugh family by some investigators.

The movie is currently in production and is expected to premiere on Lifetime in early 2022. The network has released the first look at Pullman's transformation into Alex Murdaugh, which involved prosthetics, makeup, and a wig. Pullman said that he was drawn to the role because of the complexity and mystery of Alex's character.

"I think he's a fascinating person to try to understand," Pullman said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "He's someone who had a lot of power and influence in his community, but also had a lot of secrets and vulnerabilities. He was involved in some very dark and tragic situations, but he also had a lot of love for his family. He's a very human and flawed person, and I wanted to explore what made him tick."

Pullman said that he did a lot of research on Alex Murdaugh's background, personality, and behavior, as well as the legal and social aspects of the case. He also consulted with experts on addiction and mental health, as Alex Murdaugh had confessed to having a substance abuse problem and checked into rehab after his shooting.

"I wanted to be respectful and accurate in portraying his struggles," Pullman said. "I think he was someone who was under a lot of pressure and stress, and who made some very bad decisions that had terrible consequences. But I also think he was someone who was trying to find a way out of his pain and despair."

Pullman said that he hopes that the movie will shed some light on the Murdaugh Murders case, which is still under investigation by multiple agencies. He also said that he hopes that the movie will spark some conversations about the issues of justice, privilege, corruption, and family that the case raises.

"I think this is a story that has a lot of layers and nuances, and that touches on some very important topics," Pullman said. "I think it's a story that deserves to be told with care and sensitivity, and I hope that we did that with this movie."