NEW YORK, NY – October 9, 2025 — Peacock rolled out the red carpet at the Directors Guild of America Theater for the New York premiere of its chilling new limited series, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy. The premiere screening was followed by an exclusive after-party at The Lobster Club, bringing together cast, producers, creators, and guests from across film and television.
Opening remarks came from Patrick Macmanus, the show’s show-runner, writer, and executive producer (Dr. Death, The Girl From Plainville). Macmanus praised the experience of working on this show as a special moment in his career, highlighting the exceptional people involved in bringing it to life and the care that went into its making. The first episode set the tone for a series that tackles one of America’s most infamous crimes without sensationalizing the killer. Instead, the storytelling centers on the victims, their families, and the detectives who worked tirelessly to bring the case to light. The series unfolds as a dramatized reimagining of true events through a cinematic interpretation, capturing both the horror and humanity behind the headlines.
The audience was immediately drawn in by Episode 1, directed by Larysa Kondracki (who also directs Episode 6). Her approach carefully balances tension and humanity as the story unfolds. Meanwhile, Obie and Peabody Award–winning actor Michael Chernus (Orange Is the New Black, Severance, Dead Ringers) delivers an eerily convincing portrayal of John Wayne Gacy. Chernus’s performance kept viewers on the edge of their seats, yet his unique and subtle dark humor managed to elicit a few nervous chuckles — perfectly embodying the series’ very title: the dissonance between charisma and evil in plain sight, as the Devil indeed attempted to remain in disguise.
The premiere drew a crowd of notable figures such as Christian Slater (Mr. Robot), Britt Lower (Severance), Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother), Luke Kirby (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), and Jackie Hoffman (Only Murders in the Building). Series regulars in attendance included Michael Chernus, Gabriel Luna (The Last of Us, Terminator: Dark Fate), and Marin Ireland (The Irishman, The Umbrella Academy), as well as guest stars Colton Ryan, Cricket Brown, Ella Rae Peck, Greg Bryk, Jake Horowitz, Krista Bridges, Kristine Nielsen, R. Austin Ball, Ryker Baloun, Sprague Grayden, and Thom Nyhuus.
Patrick Macmanus and Michael Cherus at The Lobster Club on October 9, 2025 – (Photo by: Ralph Bavaro/Peacock)
From the premiere’s palpable energy to the first episode’s unsettling and cliffhanging tension, it’s clear this series promises a hauntingly human look at one of history’s most notorious crimes — told through the eyes of those who lived it, rather than the man who committed it.
Gabriel Luna at the DGA Theater on October 9, 2025 – (Photo by: Ralph Bavaro/Peacock)
You can watch Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy exclusively on Peacock, with all eight episodes available to stream on October 16, 2025.
