See another take on the Richard Jewell story in clips from Manhunt: Deadly Games
'Manhunt: Deadly Games': Cameron Britton stars as accused Olympics bomber Richard Jewell
Watch an exclusive clip from 'Manhunt: Deadly Games'
Richard Jewell is returning to screens — and that's the person, not the Clint Eastwood film.
The true-crime series Manhunt: Deadly Games is coming to CBS after debuting on Spectrum Originals earlier this year, starring Mindhunter's Cameron Britton as the real-life security guard who helped save hundreds of lives during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing. You can see part of the show's depiction of the event in the exclusive clip above, as Jewell springs into action when he realizes something is wrong.
Jewell was later wrongly accused of planting the bomb himself, and faced intense scrutiny from the media and the public while attempting to clear his name. These events were previously dramatized in Eastwood's eponymous biopic last year, but Britton says the series explores plenty of dimensions of the story and characters that a two-hour film couldn't delve into.
"We see more of the characters’ thoughts and opinions of each other and of themselves, and of course, we have the real bomber, Eric Rudolph, and the fascinating difference between him and Jewell," the actor says. "Rudolph is a brilliant man with movie star looks. Jewell was a blue collar worker with low self-esteem and a gut. Jewell is a hero and lawman and Rudolph is a psychopath who hates the law, and that is a great reminder to not judge a book by its cover."
Manhunt also stars Judith Light as Jewell's mother, Bobi — who you can see in the clip below — Jack Huston as Rudolph, and Carla Gugino as journalist Kathy Scruggs. But it's a true showcase for Britton, who has now gone from an Emmy-nominated performance as a monstrous real-life figure (serial killer Ed Kemper) on Mindhunter to playing a heroic real-life figure on this series.
'Manhunt: Deadly Games': Cameron Britton and Judith Light stars as accused Richard Jewell and his mom Bobi
Watch an exclusive clip from the series ''Manhunt: Deadly Games'
“Prepping to play Richard Jewell was different than any prep work I’ve ever done," Britton says. "I usually focus on what a character’s strengths and beliefs are, and build the character through that. With Jewell, it was just the opposite — I focused on his doubts and beliefs. Starting there felt accurate to what was going on with the real Jewell. Then, as he gets thrown into a media trial-by-fire, Jewell grows into a man who believes in himself and stands up in his own defense, which was accurate to the actual events. He’s so inspiring to folks who need to learn to get their own back, and I love playing roles with an interesting arc like that.”
Manhunt: Deadly Games premieres Monday at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.
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