Annaleigh Ashford to play Melissa Moore in 'Happy Face' series

Fred Topel
·1 min read
Annaleigh Ashford will play Melissa Moore for Paramount+ series "Happy Face." Photo courtesy of Andrew Brucker
Annaleigh Ashford will play Melissa Moore for Paramount+ series "Happy Face." Photo courtesy of Andrew Brucker
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Paramount+ announced Monday that Annaleigh Ashford has taken the lead role in the series Happy Face. Happy Face begins production this year.

Happy Face is based on the true crime podcast and Melissa Moore's book Shattered Silence, which she cowrote with M. Bridget Cook. Ashford will play Moore.

Moore wrote the book and hosted the podcast about her experience discovering her father was the Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson. The fictional series explores what happens when the character Moore learns her father has killed again.

Moore also hosted the Lifetime series Monster in My Family.

Michael Showalter will direct the first of eight episodes. Showrunner Jennifer Cacicio executive produces with Moore, Showalter, Robert and Michelle King, Liz Glotzer, Conal Byrne, Will Pearson and Jordana Mollick.

Annaleigh Ashford, seen with Josh Groban, will star in Paramount+'s "Happy Face" series. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Annaleigh Ashford, seen with Josh Groban, will star in Paramount+'s "Happy Face" series. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

Ashford is a Tony award winner for You Can't Take It With You who starred in TV series Masters of Sex, American Crime Story and Welcome to Chippendales.

Happy Face will premiere in 2025.

Annaleigh Ashford will play Melissa Moore in a new Paramount+ series. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Annaleigh Ashford will play Melissa Moore in a new Paramount+ series. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI