Photos: Annaleigh Ashford & More Attend World Premiere of HAPPY FACE

On Monday, March 10th, Paramount+ hosted the SXSW world premiere of the highly anticipated drama series HAPPY FACE at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas. Guests viewed a special advanced screening of the new series, which premieres with two episodes March 20 exclusively on Paramount+.

Attendees included series stars Annaleigh Ashford, Dennis Quaid, James Wolk, Tamera Tomakili, Jennifer Cacicio (Showrunner), Melissa G. Moore (Executive Producer), Robert King (Executive Producer), Michelle King(Executive Producer) and Liz Glotzer (Executive Producer). 

HAPPY FACE is inspired by the true-life story of Melissa G. Moore; the critically acclaimed Happy Face podcast from iHeartPodcasts and Moore; and the autobiography Shattered Silence, written by Moore with M. Bridget Cook. At 15, Moore discovered that her beloved father was the prolific serial killer known as “Happy Face.” As an adult, she changed her name and guarded her secret while her father served life in prison. HAPPY FACE for Paramount+ jumps off from Moore’s true-life story. Happy Face (Dennis Quaid) is an incarcerated serial killer who also is Melissa Reed’s (Annaleigh Ashford) once-beloved father.

After decades of no contact, Keith finds a way to force himself back into his daughter’s life. In a race against the clock, Melissa must find out if an innocent man is going to be put to death for a crime her father committed. Throughout, she discovers the impact her father had on his victims’ families and must face a reckoning of her own identity.

Ashford was most recently seen on Broadway in All In: Comedy About Love. Her other Broadway credits include the recent revival of Sweeney Todd, where she played Mrs. Lovett opposite Josh Groban, Sunday in the Park with George, Wicked, Legally Blonde and originating the role of Lauren in Kinky Boots. She won a Tony Award in 2015 for her performance in the production of You Can't Take It With You.

Photo credit: Erika Goldring/Getty Images for Paramount+