BEVERLY HILLS, California 鈥 It was a story too delicious to believe. A wealthy career woman living in Southern California met the man of her dreams on the internet.
Their romance rivalled Prince Harry and Meghan Markle鈥檚, though with far less publicity. But the relationship slowly began to unravel when her family noticed disturbing eccentricities in her dashing love.
The story of the fairy-tale romance and its bloody demise first appeared as a podcast by journalist Christopher Goffard and later ran as a series in the Los Angeles Times.
Now Bravo elevates it to high visual drama when Dirty John premi猫res Sunday. Connie Britton plays the elegant Debra Newell, a single mother with a thriving interior design business. Eric Bana is the enigmatic John Meehan in the eight-part series.
Britton (Nashville, Friday Night Lights) says she got to explore the subject with the real Debra Newell.
鈥淲e鈥檝e actually spent a good deal of time together,鈥 she says. 鈥淎nd I really like her a lot. But it鈥檚 been such 鈥 a new experience for me to sit down and really get to ask her questions and get to ask the character that I鈥檓 playing questions. It鈥檚 a very unique, privileged experience. And also it鈥檚 helping give so much insight into the story in a way that maybe we weren鈥檛 able to experience in the podcast.鈥
Britton, 51, says it was critical that she understand how such an intelligent person as Newell could be flimflammed so easily.
鈥淯ltimately, we鈥檙e telling the story of how a con man can be so effective. And so it鈥檚 important to make Debra relatable so that we can all see ourselves in her, and not just say: 鈥極h, well, that鈥檚 because she鈥檚 this,鈥 or 鈥楾hat鈥檚 because she鈥檚 that,鈥 鈥 she says.
To portray the devious Meehan was another story, says Australian actor Bana, who鈥檚 known for movies such as Munich, The Time Traveler鈥檚 Wife and Chopper. 鈥淲hilst there鈥檚 a lot of factual information about John, I actually find him really mysterious,鈥 says Bana.
鈥淎nd so there鈥檚 a lot of stuff about him that I don鈥檛 want to know. Because ultimately, I think, when you鈥檙e dealing with something that鈥檚 based in reality, you can either choose to do something that鈥檚 100 per cent traceable to the exact facts of how they were 鈥 which can potentially be a little bit boring to watch 鈥 or you can try and come up with something that has a sense of that person, that might be more interesting.鈥
The challenge he says, is Meehan was not just one guy who told whopping lies, but a 鈥渢ype鈥 that exists all over the world.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not him individually that鈥檚 fascinating. It鈥檚 his behaviour and that type of character,鈥 says Bana, 50.
鈥淎nd I think that鈥檚 why people find the podcast so interesting because he鈥檚 such an unusual person. So I think there鈥檚 some generalities there. And most definitely, studying how sociopaths behave and think and that sort of thing was more important, or as important to me as it was to just focus on specific events that occurred in his life and kind of put them in some sort of memory bank. Because I think it鈥檚 important to come up with a character for the show that鈥檚 a little bit further developed than what the facts are that are available.鈥
Coming up with a character like the real John Meehan proved daunting. First of all, the audience had to like him, says director Jeffrey Reiner. 鈥淎t the start of the production, I would walk around the production office and tell the whole crew that 鈥業 love John. John鈥檚 a great guy.鈥 And everybody looked at me like I was crazy. But it was our way in, because if we know from the get-go that he鈥檇 be smarmy or swarthy or icky, then we don鈥檛 have a show,鈥 he says.
鈥淎nd I really do think that by the first episode, I hope that people are going to root for this couple to work. Because there is this incredible chemistry between them. And so through Connie鈥檚 character鈥檚 eyes, John 鈥 comes across as just a fantastic, lovable guy. And their chemistry is fantastic. And in casting Eric, it鈥檚 a really hard role to cast, because you need somebody who can bring that kind of sense of good nature and joy and giving her something that she needs. And then, later on, the Dirty John rears his head.鈥
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