Colin Firth’s performance as a convicted murderer in HBO Max’s Sophie Turner, who plays Peterson’s daughter, Dane DeHaan, who plays Peterson's son, and Parker Posey, who plays a district attorney involved with the case.
While Firth is a prolific actor who has worked in a variety of genres, he is probably best known for his romantic and comedic roles in movies like Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Love Actually, and the Mamma Mia movies. Since he often portrays charming and slightly awkward characters, Firth playing such an unsettling figure has impressed many who are taken by his disturbing performance; specifically, his voice. Not only did Firth have to take on Peterson's American accent for The Staircase, he also had to master Peterson’s specific mannerisms and speech patterns.
According to an interview with Posey in The New Yorker, it’s not just viewers who are creeped out by Firth’s performance, but his fellow cast feel genuinely disturbed as well. At the pre-production read-throughs, Posey says the cast would momentarily forget that Firth was just an actor temporarily stepping into a character. His acting was even so convincing that they gained empathy for Peterson. Check out quotes from Posey’s interview, below:
“We all freaked out at the Zoom readings. I just got creeped out because he was so uncanny. He just really stepped it up ... Every weekend, we got together and talked about it. You go up and down the staircase, and think, Is he guilty? Is he innocent? Did he do it? Did he? I don’t want to think that he did something like that. He’s such an interesting person. He’s such a character."
Considering Peterson is such a complex figure, it speaks volumes to Firth’s skills that other seasoned actors would feel such strong emotions about his portrayal of Peterson. The critical response for The Staircase has been generally positive, with many reviews singing Firth’s praises. Interestingly, Harrison Ford was originally cast to play the role, before he was replaced by Firth. Based on how well Firth’s performance has been received, it seems like the creators and casting directors made the right decision. Perhaps this will open the door for Firth to be cast in more villainous roles. However, his next big role seems to follow his typical pattern of romantic movies. Firth is set to play the lead in Empire of Light, a love story set in 1980s England, directed by Sam Mendes.
Since the 2004 docies about Peterson was released, there have been developments in the case. In 2011, a new trial was ordered after a judge ruled that testimony a blood analyst gave in the original trial was misleading. Six years later, Peterson reportedly pleaded involuntary manslaughter and was released from custody. explores material from the docies as well as what’s happened since 2004. HBO Max released the first three episodes of The Staircase just last week on May 5 and it will have eight episodes total, with its finale releasing on June 9. Until then, viewers can tune in to The Staircase to see Firth’s truly eerie performance.
Source: The New Yorker