Jake Lacy is undergoing a true crime transformation for his next TV role.
The White Lotus alum is taking on the sinister role of real-life kidnapper Robert "B" Berchtold for Peacock's upcoming thriller A Friend of the Family based on the 1970s kidnappings of Jan Broberg (which many true crime fans might know of from the 2017 documentary Abducted in Plain Sight). In the first look photos below, Lacy portrays the "charismatic, obsessed" neighbor of the Broberg family who kidnapped their teen daughter Jan not once, but twice.
The show's description details exactly how he was able to pull off his crimes, noting, "The Brobergs—devoted to their faith, family, and community—were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart, and turn their daughter against them. This is the story of how their lives were permanently altered—and how they survived."
A Friend Of The Family also stars Anna Paquin, Colin Hanks, Lio Tipton, Mckenna Grace and Hendrix Yancey.
Nick Antosca, the limited series' writer and executive producer, said in a statement on Aug. 9, "It's easy to judge the Broberg family's story from the outside. Sometimes when people first hear it, they get defensive: How could these parents have let this happen? I'm not like them. That's understandable. It's a surreal story. When I first heard it, I empathized with the family's vulnerability, and I felt like I understood their story from the outside."
Jan Broberg, Berchtold's victim, is also involved in the project and serves as a producer.
"A Friend of the Family tells our family's story and my story," Broberg said. "We were a loving, trusting, educated family. We were not stupid or careless. So how could this happen in our neighborhood, where we knew everyone, and everyone was a friend? The truth is that most predators are not strangers but people we know—people who can build trust, create special friendships and separate family members psychologically."
"This story will make you talk, shout, cry—and it will make you angry," she continued. "Good. The team of writers, actors, designers, directors and producers led by Alex Hedlund, Eliza Hittman and Nick Antosca have captured the heart of how good people can be manipulated and their children victimized. Our story is relatable because so many families have direct experience with this sort of abuse. I hope that our story will start conversations—because secrets live in darkness and silence."
A Friend of the Family premieres October 6 on Peacock.
Check out the first-look images below.
(E! and Peacock are both part of the NBCUniversal family)
Anna Paquin will play the role of Mary Ann Broberg. Mary Ann is the mother of three daughters, and her life has felt safe, happy and rewarding until recently. She has realized too late that she may have missed warning signs and made a terrible mistake by becoming close to her charismatic neighbor Robert Berchtold—and trusting him around her oldest daughter, Jan.
Jake Lacy will play the role of Robert "B" Berchtold, a charming local businessman who appears to be a genial Mormon father and husband. An expert in manipulation, he puts everyone around him at ease as he carefully plots the abduction of Mary Ann’s daughter.
Colin Hanks will play the role of Bob Broberg, Mary Ann’s husband and Jan’s father, Bob is big-hearted, kind, and everyone’s best friend, the very model of a suburban patriarch. As his family gets closer to neighbor Robert Berchtold, Bob begins to fear that something is amiss.
Mckenna Grace will play the role of Jan Broberg in the later years. Jan is the oldest daughter of Bob and Mary Ann Broberg and leads a happy, traditional life in an idyllic American city. Jan trusts family friend and neighbor Robert Berchtold, though he has plans for her abduction that she doesn’t suspect.
Hendrix Yancey will play the role of Jan Broberg in the early years. Jan is the oldest daughter of Bob and Mary Ann Broberg and leads a happy, traditional life in an idyllic American city. Jan trusts family friend and neighbor Robert Berchtold, though he has plans for her abduction that she doesn’t suspect.