While exploring one of the most infamous crimes of the past decade, Johnny Berchtold was committed to bringing a full spectrum of emotion to his portrayal of Paul Murdaugh.
The Murdaugh: Death in the Family actor told Deadline he even “tricked my TikTok algorithm” into thinking he was a young man from South Carolina while playing the youngest Murdaugh, who was shot dead along with his mother Maggie on June 7, 2021, two years after Paul crashed a boat that killed his friend Mallory Beach.
“It was just about ingesting so much as I could,” he explained. “There was so much research that went into it, that when I signed on, there was a 400-, 500-page binder of research that had, I mean, everything in there, and then, it was about ingesting all of that and then sort of blocking out any opinions, public opinions, opinions that I had, and just focusing on building a really fleshed out full person.”
With seasoned actors like Patricia Arquette and Jason Clarke playing Paul’s parents Maggie and Alex Murdaugh, Berchtold was in good hands during his approach to such a complicated portrayal.
“I had this really incredible conversation with Patricia Arquette, and we were talking about mental health and how important it is to protect our mental health, especially when tackling stories like this. She’s done it so many times,” recalled Berchtold. “And when I went and shot that scene, I had that at the top of my mind, not realizing that she was about to go shoot a very heavy scene herself, and so she really set me up to to approach a scene like that, and honestly, I wanted to honor that remorse and that expression of guilt that Paul never really got a chance to do. So, I felt a lot of responsibility there.”
Johnny Berchtold in ‘Murdaugh: Death in the Family’
Daniel Delgado Jr./Disney
An alum of Philly’s University of the Arts, Berchtold has become known for his performances in movies like The Passenger (2023) and this year’s third season of Prime Video’s Reacher. The young actor and filmmaker has found a balance between roles in big projects and his own indie pursuits.
Berchtold said, “I think that is sort of the dream for me. I love all of it. I mean, I come from film school, indie filmmaking, so I always have a soft spot and a passion for it. And then I love these big projects that really challenged me on so many different levels, but I’m always up for the challenge.”
Read on about how Berchtold approached his portrayal of Paul Murdaugh in Hulu‘s Murdaugh: Death in the Family, now available to stream.
DEADLINE: Tell me about bringing to life such a recent high-profile case. Do you remember your reaction to the trial when it was unfolding?
JOHNNY BERCHTOLD: Oh yeah, I was familiar with the case before I joined the project, and I think I was fascinated by it, like everyone else. There’s so much to it, so expansive, and I was really struck by the people involved in the story. And so, when I joined the project and I knew it was this team, I have been familiar with their work and I knew it was in good hands. It was just about ingesting so much as I could. There was so much research that went into it, that when I signed on, there was a 400-, 500-page binder of research that had, I mean, everything in there, and then, it was about ingesting all of that and then sort of blocking out any opinions, public opinions, opinions that I had, and just focusing on building a really fleshed out full person. I sort of attacked it all angles too, like I even tricked my TikTok algorithm to make it think that I was a young man living in South Carolina, just so I could be immersed in that culture. It was just a full-on experience, and I think the team really allowed that space for me to get in there with it.
DEADLINE: Is this the first real person that you’ve played?
BERCHTOLD: No, I’ve played real people before. In fact, my first union job ever was playing a young Ted Kaczynski [in a 2017 episode of Discovery’s Manhunt: Unabomber]. So, I’ve been in this space before. But this one was completely different on every level, I think because it is so recent, because there is such immediate visceral response to it, and there’s so many strong opinions. It just felt completely different, and so I had to approach it differently.
Johnny Berchtold in ‘Murdaugh: Death in the Family’
Matt Miller/Disney
DEADLINE: That’s another thing I was really struck by, is you really capture his guilt and wanting to be a better person after all of the things that unfolded. Can you tell me about getting into that mindset of Paul after the crash?
BERCHTOLD: Yeah, I mean it just goes back to wanting to paint a fully realized picture of a human being. I think when we consume stories like this, it’s very easy to point at someone and say, “Well, that’s the villain because they did something bad,” which can be completely true. And at the same time, they can be the victim of harm, and so I really just wanted to bridge that gap. Something that was so striking to me was the fact that he carried Mallory Beach’s and Gloria Satterfield’s obituaries around in his truck. And that said so much because I think there’s been a lot of opinion on, did he even feel guilty? Was there any remorse? But that says so much to me, and so I was like, let’s explore those possibilities. And I think it was written beautifully and just allowed for a fully crafted human being. I think it’s important cause that’s humanity. Nobody is one specific thing but a multitude of things. Put them in a really extraordinary circumstance, and they will explore every avenue, I think.
DEADLINE: What was the most emotional scene to film or most emotionally challenging scene to film?
BERCHTOLD: Maybe because it’s a breakdown moment, there is a moment in episode 6 when Paul breaks down in his car and has a moment to himself that I don’t think we’ve seen from him throughout the show, where he’s expressing remorse and he’s alone. And it’s sort of this culmination of everything that’s happened up until that moment. And right before I shot that scene, I had this really incredible conversation with Patricia Arquette, and we were talking about mental health and how important it is to protect our mental health, especially when tackling stories like this. She’s done it so many times. And when I went and shot that scene, I had that at the top of my mind, not realizing that she was about to go shoot a very heavy scene herself, and so she really set me up to to approach a scene like that, and honestly, I wanted to honor that remorse and that expression of guilt that Paul never really got a chance to do. So, I felt a lot of responsibility there. And you know, it’s always challenging to get into the mode where you’re going to break down and cry and sob, and the body doesn’t know the difference. You start to feel it yourself.
DEADLINE: That’s another thing, you got to work with Jason Clarke and Patricia Arquette. That’s pretty awesome. What was that bond like behind the scenes?
BERCHTOLD: Look, they understood the importance of chemistry and creating our own dynamic, and so, not only did I get to learn from them every single day on set, but I learned what incredible leaders they are on a set like that too. Because they understood the importance of that chemistry. I took them to an escape room, Will [Harrison, who plays Buster Murdaugh] and I took Patricia to a luchador wrestling show. There was such a great bond that was created that only benefited what was happening on camera. And I was so thankful that they allowed that, that they wanted to do that. … I think it’s important, and we got to build genuine relationships from that.
(L-R) Jason Clarke and Johnny Berchtold in ‘Murdaugh: Death in the Family’
Wilford Harewood/Disney
DEADLINE: Did you happen to see Alex Murdaugh’s response?
BERCHTOLD: I did. I mean, I’m not surprised that anyone would have a strong reaction to the show, because it is so visceral. And I think that’s why people are fascinated by it, but I have to say that the show was created with a lot of care and sensitivity and a lot of research. But at the end of the day, it’s a fictionalized show inspired by the actual events. But no, I’m not surprised that anyone would have some sort of strong feelings towards it.
DEADLINE: Can you tell me anything about your upcoming projects?
BERCHTOLD: Oh sure, I love indie filmmaking, and I’ve done two that I’m really excited are gonna come out. One is [Charmers], this sweet dramedy between brothers. I play opposite Igby Rigney, one of my closest friends, and that one’s gonna be really great. And then, I’m a huge horror fan, so I got to do an ’80s creature film [In Case of Fear], with some really fun, incredible people. And then also at the same time, I’m creating my own. I’m really trying to get some projects on my own off the ground, which I’m really excited about, always in the horror space a little bit.
(L-R) Johnny Berchtold, Patricia Arquette, Jason Clarke and Will Harrison in ‘Murdaugh: Death in the Family’
Daniel Delgado Jr./Disney
DEADLINE: That’s awesome. Do you feel like you’ve been getting a good balance of these big projects like Murdaugh, and then being able to go off and do fun indie stuff with your friends?
BERCHTOLD: Oh yeah, I think that is sort of the dream for me. I love all of it. I mean, I come from film school, indie filmmaking, so I always have a soft spot and a passion for it. And then I love these big projects that really challenged me on so many different levels, but I’m always up for the challenge.