Dennis Quaid Confesses Wife Was Creeped Out by His Serial Killer Role

Dennis Quaid has admitted that his wife, Laura Savoie, was visibly unsettled by his latest role—playing real-life serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson in the Paramount+ true-crime drama series "Happy Face."

The 70-year-old actor portrays Jesperson, a Canadian-American truck driver turned murderer, infamous for his gruesome crimes in the early '90s and the unsettling smiley-face signature he left on letters to the media. When Savoie first watched the show, Quaid confessed it led to a few tense hours. "It was a little iffy there for a couple of hours afterwards because, you know, that'd be creepy for me, too," Quaid shared. But, as he put it, "She knows me."

Quaid, who married Savoie in 2020, credits their shared Christian faith as the foundation of their relationship. "God is in our relationship," he explained. "I think that's the real secret of it. Having God in your relationship is essential, I think."

Beyond his chilling new role, Quaid also reflected on his family dynamics. His son Jack Quaid, from his marriage to actress Meg Ryan, has been carving out his own Hollywood path, famously starring as Hugh "Wee Hughie" Campbell in Amazon Prime's hit series "The Boys." Quaid couldn't hide his pride. "The guy is on a trajectory to go way past both me and his mother, I think," he said. "I hope so. And I think he will. He's such a great guy." Jack, determined to make it on his own merit, reportedly declined his father’s offer to help land an agent, insisting, "I want to do it myself."

As for "Happy Face," the series delves into the horrifying duality of Jesperson's life—told largely through the eyes of his daughter, Melissa Moore. The show draws from Moore's memoir and podcast, exploring how she reconciles the loving father she knew with the monster he became. "How do you stop loving your dad even after learning he’s a serial killer?" Quaid mused. He praised Moore’s resilience, noting her efforts to connect with victims’ families and even families of other serial killers to find healing.

Quaid made it clear he had no interest in meeting Jesperson, who is serving life without parole in Oregon. "I didn’t want to give him any kind of entertainment or feelings of excitement," he said, emphasizing that his portrayal was informed by Moore’s perspective, not Jesperson's.

Co-stars James Wolk and Tamera Tomakili highlighted the show’s focus on the psychological toll rather than sensationalizing violence. "It doesn’t glorify the killer," Wolk stressed. "It deals with the trauma and the people who were affected by it."

"Happy Face" premieres March 20 on Paramount+, offering viewers a gripping yet deeply humanized take on one of America’s most chilling true-crime stories.