meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
True Crime Today | Daily True Crime News & Interviews

Actor Michael Chernus on Becoming Gacy—and Why It Wasn’t What You Think-WEEK IN REVIEW

True Crime Today | Daily True Crime News & Interviews

Tony Brueski

News Commentary, True Crime, News

4.2612 Ratings

🗓️ 12 October 2025

⏱️ 27 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

For decades, the story of John Wayne Gacy has been sensationalized, flattened into caricature, and spun into horror tropes. But in Peacock’s new limited series Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, that mask is coming off—and in this interview, we go behind the scenes with the team responsible for flipping the true crime genre on its head.

Joining us are series showrunner and executive producer Patrick McManus, actor Michael Chernus—who portrays Gacy with terrifying subtlety—and criminal defense attorney Bob Motta, whose father was on Gacy’s original legal team. Together, we dissect how the show avoids glorifying the killer and instead places the focus exactly where it belongs: on the victims, their families, and the systemic failures that allowed Gacy to operate in plain sight.

This isn’t a glorified biopic. There are no salacious murder scenes. No glamorizing evil. What you get is a chilling, grounded retelling that treats its subject matter—and its audience—with respect.

We also dig into what it takes to play a predator without slipping into caricature, what it’s like to listen to Gacy’s original defense tapes, and why true crime needs to evolve beyond its fascination with monsters and lean into the wreckage they leave behind.

If you care about accuracy, nuance, and storytelling with a conscience, this episode is essential.

 #JohnWayneGacy #DevilInDisguise #PeacockOriginals #TrueCrimeSeries #MichaelChernus #BobMotta #HiddenKillersPodcast #TrueCrimeInterview #GacySeries #VictimCenteredStorytelling


Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video?

Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/
Tik-Tok
https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod
X Twitter
https://x.com/tonybpod

Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

The weather. Tomorrow, expect a biting cold front. Hmm, how naughty. I wonder what I'll be

0:06.9

wearing or taking off. The night will be wild and untamed. Expect heavy, lashing rain that'll soak you

0:13.8

to the skin. By Monday, temperatures will rise slowly but surely reaching their peak in the afternoon.

0:21.3

Not in the mood for miserable weather?

0:23.5

Fly cheaply to Turkey with Sun Express.

0:26.3

Sun Express, non-stop sunshine.

0:30.4

The weather. Tomorrow, expect a...

0:33.2

Biting cold front.

0:34.5

Hmm, how naughty. I wonder what I'll be wearing or taking off.

0:39.0

The night will be wild and untamed.

0:41.1

Expect heavy, lashing rain that'll soak you to the skin.

0:44.9

By Monday, temperatures will rise,

0:47.1

slowly but surely, reaching their peak in the afternoon.

0:51.1

Not in the mood for miserable weather?

0:53.3

Fly cheaply to Turkey with Sun Express. Sun Express,

0:57.4

nonstop sunshine. This is Hidden Killers Week in review. I look back at the most prolific stories

1:04.0

of the week. Is Hidden Killers with Tony Bruske. Here now, Tony Bruske. Today we are digging into a case that has been dissected,

1:14.4

dramatized, and distorted for decades. John Wayne Gasey. But this time it's a little different.

1:20.5

Peacock's new series, Devil in disguise John Wayne Gasey. It strips back the folklore and gets to the

1:26.2

core of what really happened, how a man with 33 confirmed victims was able to operate in plain sight for years.

1:34.6

To do that, we are joined by Siri showrunner and executive producer Patrick McManus, actor Michael Churness, who plays John himself, and attorney Bob Mata, whose father was actually

1:46.8

part of Gacy's original defense team. And I want to set some ground rules for everybody right

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Tony Brueski, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Tony Brueski and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.