“Murdaugh: Death in the Family,” Hulu’s new true crime drama series centered on South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh and the murders of his wife and son, premieres Wednesday with its first three episodes.
Starring Jason Clarke and Patricia Arquette as Alex and Maggie Murdaugh, the limited series unravels the high-profile controversies that roiled the low country region of South Carolina following the death of 19-year-old Mallory Beach in a 2019 boating accident. The drama also covers the death of the family’s housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, and Murdaugh’s financial crimes against his legal clients; he pleaded guilty to 22 federal charges in 2023, including bank and wire fraud.
The Hulu series was inspired by the popular “Murdaugh Murders” podcast created by Mandy Matney. (Matney serves as executive producer of the series.) Three episodes debuted this week, and the rest of the limited series will roll out weekly until its finale on Nov. 19.
The Murdaugh family firestorm has been covered in several documentaries, including Netflix’s “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal,” HBO Max’s “Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty,” and “Discovery+’s “Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynasty.”
The cast of “Murdaugh: Death in the Family” is stacked with big-name actors and some relatively new stars in Hollywood. See who portrays whom in the list below.
Alex Murdaugh
From Left: Alex Murdaugh is portrayed by Jason Clarke in “Murdaugh: Death in the Family.”
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Alex Murdaugh, who was born to a powerful legal dynasty in South Carolina, was convicted in 2023 of the murders of his wife, Maggie, and their son, Paul. The family was embroiled in controversy after 19-year-old Mallory Beach was killed in a 2019 boating accident involving Paul, who was awaiting trial when he was murdered. Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to life without parole for the murders of his wife and son. He was also convicted of bank and wire fraud.
Jason Clarke, who stars as Alex, has starred in several films and television series, including “Lawless,” “Zero Dark Thirty” and “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.”
Maggie Murdaugh
From Left: Maggie Murdaugh is portrayed by Patricia Arquette in “Murdaugh: Death in the Family.”
Maggie Murdaugh is the matriarch of the family. She was a stay-at-home mom and homemaker who loved spending time at the family beach house in Edisto Beach, South Carolina.
Patricia Arquette is no stranger to true crime dramas. She starred in Hulu’s “The Act,” which portrayed the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard (Joey King), who murdered her mother, Dee Dee (Arquette), after discovering her mother had fabricated several of her illnesses. Arquette won an Emmy for the role. She is also known for “Boyhood” and the recent hit “Severance.”
Paul Murdaugh
From Left: Paul Murdaugh is portrayed by Johnny Berchtold in “Murdaugh: Death in the Family.”
Paul Murdaugh was at the center of controversy surrounding the death of Mallory Beach in a boating accident in 2019; the boat crashed at a bridge with six people on board. Beach was the only fatality. Paul was indicted for boating under the influence in April; he pleaded not guilty.
Johnny Berchtold, who portrays Paul, has appeared in “Reacher” and “Tiny Beautiful Things.”
Buster Murdaugh
From Left: Buster Murdaugh is portrayed by Will Harrison in “Murdaugh: Death in the Family.”
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Buster Murdaugh is Alex and Maggie’s only surviving son. He was named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the mother of Mallory Beach; Paul allegedly used Buster’s ID to purchase alcohol before the boat crash that killed Beach.
Buster’s name was also mentioned in the investigation of the death of 19-year-old Stephen Smith, a classmate of Buster’s who died not far from the Murdaugh home in 2015. Buster has denied any involvement in Smith’s death.
Will Harrison has appeared in “Madam Secretary,” “Daisy Jones and The Six” and “A Complete Unknown.”
Gloria Satterfield
From Left: Gloria Satterfield, the Murdaugh family housekeeper, is portrayed by Kathleen Wilhoite in “Murdaugh: Death in the Family.”
Eric Bland and Hulu/Disney
Gloria Satterfield, 57, died in 2018 on the Murdaugh’s property. She had been the family’s housekeeper for more than 20 years. Satterfield’s son said they never received settlement funds after Alex Murdaugh allegedly orchestrated a scheme to steal the insurance money, Michael Satterfield testified, according to CNN.
Satterfield is portrayed by Kathleen Wilhoite, best known for her roles on “ER” and “Gilmore Girls.”
Curtis Edward Smith
From Left: Curtis Edward Smith, the man allegedly hired to murder Alex Murdaugh, is portrayed by Mark Pellegrino in “Murdaugh: Death in the Family.”
Curtis Edward Smith was allegedly hired to murder Alex Murdaugh in a conspiracy to collect on a life insurance policy for Murdaugh’s son, Buster. Smith was indicted for presenting a firearm, conspiracy, assisted suicide, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, and a false claim for payment. Murdaugh didn’t have any severe injuries after the incident.
Mark Pellegrino has appeared in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” “American Rust” and “Chicago P.D.”
Marian Proctor
From Left: Marian Proctor, Maggie Murdaugh’s sister, is portrayed by J. Smith Cameron in “Murdaugh: Death in the Family.”
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Marian Proctor is the sister of Maggie Murdaugh. She testified that Alex had been acting strangely after the murders of Maggie and Paul. “We never talked about finding the person who could have done it,” Proctor said, according to The New York Times. “It was just odd.”
Proctor is portrayed by Emmy-nominated actor J. Smith Cameron, who is best known for her roles on “Succession,” “Divorce” and “Search Party” and for a number of Broadway productions, including “Our Country’s Good” and “Juno and the Paycock.”
Dick Harpootlian
From Left: Dick Harpootlian, a lawyer on Alex Murdaugh’s defense team, was portrayed by Jim O’Heir in “Murdaugh: Death in the Family.”
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Dick Harpootlian was a part of Alex Murdaugh’s defense team during his trial for the murders of Maggie and Paul; he still believes there are a number of unanswered questions in the case and hopes that Murdaugh will get a new trial, he told Fox News Digital.
Jim O’Heir, known for his role as Jerry Gergich in “Parks and Recreation,” portrays Harpootlian.
Mallory Beach
From Left: Mallory Beach is portrayed by Madeline Popovich in “Murdaugh: Death in the Family.”
Mallory Beach, 19, died in a February 2019 boating accident. Beach’s aunt, Lynn Reavis, said “everybody loved” Mallory. She had a boyfriend, Anthony Cook, who appeared in Netflix’s “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal” and HBO Max’s “Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty.”
The Beach family reached a $15 million settlement with Parker’s, the convenience store chain where Paul bought alcohol before the boating accident. Buster and Alex Murdaugh also reached settlements with the family.
Beach is portrayed by Madeline Popovich, who has appeared in “The Christmas High Note” and “Vincent’s Vow.”
From Left: Morgan Doughty is portrayed by Jessi Case in “Murdaugh: Death in the Family.”
Morgan Doughty is Paul’s ex-girlfriend, and she was good friends with Mallory Beach. She appears in Netflix’s “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal” where she talks about her allegedly abusive relationship with Paul.
Jessi Case has appeared on “The Resident,” “CSI: Vegas” and “9-1-1: Lone Star.”
Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell
From Left: Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell are portrayed by Brittany Snow and Alicia Kelley, respectively, in “Murdaugh: Death in the Family.”
Mandy Matney is the creator of the “Murdaugh Murders” podcast, and Liz Farrell writes and edits the episodes; the Hulu series is based on their reporting. Matney is an executive producer on the series.
Brittany Snow (“The Hunting Wives,” “Pitch Perfect”) portrays Matney in the series; Alicia Kelley (“Will Trent,” “Tulsa King”) portrays Farrell.
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