This story contains major spoilers from Peacock’s limited series All Her Fault. In a recent interview, Jake Lacy discussed how he approached playing a morally ambiguous and unsettling character in the twisty thriller, explaining the psychological footholds he used to bring complexity and credibility to the role.
Finding the character’s inner logic
In the Hollywood Reporter interview, Lacy described his process for entering the mindset of a character whose actions become increasingly troubling as the series unfolds. Rather than default to caricature, Lacy said he sought the character’s own internal rationale — the way someone justifies poor choices to themselves. As he put it, the role could “be a white knight in his own mind,” a perspective that allowed him to explore a blend of self-righteousness and denial.
Empathy without endorsement
The actor emphasized that finding empathy for a character is not the same as endorsing their behavior. By looking for the human impulses and vulnerabilities that inform the character’s decisions, Lacy aimed to create a portrayal that felt believable and unsettling in equal measure. This approach is common among performers tasked with playing morally complicated figures in contemporary television, where nuance often drives viewer engagement.
Serving the story’s twists and revelations
All Her Fault is structured as a limited series designed around escalating revelations and narrative reversals. Lacy acknowledged the challenge of maintaining continuity in tone and motivation while navigating a plot that reveals darker elements over time. His performance was guided by an awareness of the series’ broader arc, ensuring each scene contributed to the unraveling mystery without tipping the hand too early.
Collaboration and restraint
According to the interview, collaboration with the show’s writers, directors and fellow cast members was critical. Lacy noted that restraint and specificity in performance help protect the impact of a twist-driven story. By anchoring choices in truthful, character-driven behavior, he sought to honor the script’s surprises while keeping the audience invested in the character’s outward charm and hidden contradictions.
Audience response and ethical reflection
Performances that humanize morally compromised characters often prompt viewers to grapple with discomfort. Lacy’s portrayal encourages audiences to confront how charisma and self-justification can mask harmful actions — a subject that the series explores through its narrative reveals. The actor’s commitment to portraying complexity contributes to the series’ ability to provoke discussion about intent, accountability and perception.
Acting as a tool for exploration
For Lacy, roles of this nature are an opportunity to examine how ordinary-looking people can become entangled in consequential decisions. By treating the character as fully realized rather than purely villainous, he enabled a performance that supports the show’s thematic focus on moral ambiguity and the consequences of self-deception.
Readers who want the full context for Lacy’s comments can find the complete interview in The Hollywood Reporter. Source: Hollywood Reporter interview with Jake Lacy on All Her Fault.
All Her Fault continues to prompt conversation for its narrative risks and the performances that sustain them, with Lacy’s depiction of a character who sees himself as a rescuer offering one of the series’ most unsettling focal points.
