Exclusive Interview: Chris Sullivan, James Badge Dale, and Michael Angarano on ‘Devil in Disguise’ and Telling the Victims’ Stories with Care

Few projects have redefined the true crime genre quite like Devil in Disguise. Anchored by transformative performances from Chris Sullivan, James Badge Dale, and Michael Angarano, the series moves beyond sensationalism to uncover something deeply human. Every frame is deliberate—haunting yet compassionate—as it peels back the darkness surrounding one of America’s most infamous cases to reveal the grief, resilience, and unspoken truths beneath. Rather than glorifying the crimes, Devil in Disguise reclaims the narrative for the victims and their loved ones, proving that empathy, not exploitation, is the most powerful form of storytelling.

From 1972 to 1978, thirty-three young men were kidnapped, murdered, and buried in the crawl space beneath their killer’s suburban Chicago home. For years, no one suspected a thing. John Wayne Gacy was the picture of normalcy—charming, funny, a local contractor who seemed like the guy next door. He even volunteered to entertain children at hospitals dressed as a clown. Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy peels back the layers of his double life, weaving together the haunting stories of his victims, the grief and guilt of their families, and the systemic failures that allowed his crimes to go unnoticed for so long.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Chris, James, and Michael about the profound emotional journey of bringing Devil in Disguise to life. They opened up about the vulnerability required to tell this story with honesty, the care that shaped their performances, and the importance of giving voice to those who were silenced.

PC: Chris, there’s always a fine line to walk in the true crime genre, but this series navigates it with such care—shifting the focus to the victims and their loved ones, and giving them a voice at a time when society was so quick to disregard them. I know you had a lot of conversations with Patrick Macmanus about how to approach this space and what this story could represent. How did those discussions shape your involvement and the emotional truth you brought to each scene?
Chris: It wasn’t even a discussion. From the very beginning, Patrick said, “We’re not here to show people these crimes. We’re here to memorialize these victims. We’re here to remind people that there are still victims who remain unidentified, who have gone nameless—and to honor these very young lives up until the moment they encountered this killer.” He was upfront about that from the start.

It allowed all of us to hand ourselves over to this type of storytelling and to trust Patrick and his team—not only that they would take care of us as performers, but that they’d also take care of the audience.

They weren’t going to put the audience through a trauma festival beyond what was necessary to tell the victims’ stories. That made it easy to show up and open ourselves, at least for me, to the process.

PC: You all brought a lot of care to these stories. James, this series also shines a light on how the system failed these young men—and even those trying to do the right thing face impossible barriers. Your character feels like such a reflection of that, someone who wants to help but knows he’s bound by the same broken system. How did you tap into that inner conflict and bring that struggle to life on screen?
James: It’s on the page. I have to give credit where credit’s due—it’s all there. Patrick, Ashley [Michel Hoban], and their whole team made the work very easy. It carries a lot of weight. For me personally, I have two young boys at home, and you have to believe in that weight. You just go for it.

When you’re working with heavyweight actors like Marin Ireland, who can look into your eyes and see right through to your soul, you immediately understand the gravity of the circumstances.

Chris: I agree. I’m not all the way through the series yet—Michael said this in another interview—but when you’re bringing this kind of subject matter into a house with little kids, you have to pick your moments to watch. I’m only a few episodes in, but Marin Ireland is… the three of us have known her for years, and she’s such a powerhouse. She honors this story in a way that’s truly mind-blowing.

PC: Michael, your character sits at the center of one of the biggest questions this series poses, and he’s constantly living in that gray area. How did you prepare to navigate that duality and the emotional weight that comes with it?
Michael: Sam does carry a duality within the show. There’s the ethical dilemma of defending this person, which he justifies by saying, “Everybody deserves a defense.” Then there are his personal ambitions, which he certainly doesn’t take for granted.

But there’s also the other truth—his disbelief and horror at the crimes Gacy committed and the person he’s defending. All of that is there, and that’s what I spoke about with Patrick. There was something very rich about that inner conflict.

To be fair, I don’t think there was ever a moment when Sam wasn’t going to represent Gacy. Then came the consequences of that choice—what he went through, and what he put his family through. That was always at the center of this character. It’s a really difficult position for anyone to be in, and no matter how he justifies it, there’s a real emotional toll it takes on him.
PC: Chris, the time period plays such a huge role in setting the scene but also deepening the story’s themes. What’s remarkable is how the struggles that community faced still echo today. How did immersing yourself in that time—through the hair, costumes, and world around you—help you connect to both the era and its ongoing relevance?
Chris: That’s a good question. Like Badge said, you get these scripts and the writing makes it so easy. Being put into a certain pair of shoes, a certain cut of suit—or being given a certain hairstyle, or hair at all [laughs]—changes the way you move through the world. Let’s put it this way: any society where everyone’s walking around in polyester has issues. [laughs] The metaphor of that is…

Michael: Deep. [laughs]

Chris: And strong. [laughs] Not that we’ve solved anything, but the reason that era is so fraught—with crime, misogyny, homophobia, and White male–dominated structures and systems—is because it was all so uptight and rigid. It’s not hard to understand that once you’re literally put into that fabric. Everyone was sweating all the time and didn’t know right from wrong. It’s hard to conceptualize today, but it becomes easy when you’re surrounded by it—when you look at Michael’s face, Badge’s face—and just sit in the stew of it all.

PC: James, Detective Joseph Kozenczak wrote a book from his perspective, which gives valuable insight into how he saw the case unfold. It’s interesting when there’s so much material outside of the script to draw from, especially when you’re playing someone as complex as him. Was that something you tapped into while preparing, or did you focus more on how the script portrayed him and build from there?
James: I’m sorry, I’m still caught up on an entire generation stuck in polyester. [laughs] That was amazing.

Chris: It says a lot.

James: Yup, you nailed it. When you’re portraying real-life people—and to get a little actor-y for a second—there’s that question of where the jumping-off point is, where you have to trust your own instrument.
I had this ongoing relationship with my real-life counterpart where, in a way, it almost felt like I was spiritually fighting against him. I’d listen to Joe every day—his voice, his meandering thoughts about the case. Then I’d allow myself to have my own thoughts. Like Chris said, I’d put myself in those shoes, wear that polyester, stand on set, be present, and forget everything else—just let it happen in the moment. Being in that environment, I didn’t have to reach for anything. It was all there; I just reacted to it, pivoted, and moved through the conflict and obstacles in front of me.

And strangely, even though this material is so dark and heavy, I think we all made a conscious effort to take care of our mental health on this job. I actually had a really positive experience.

Make sure to follow Chris (Instagram), James (Instagram), and Michael (Instagram) Devil in Disguise is now available to stream on Peacock.

Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer/Peacock