It’s difficult to grasp that Amanda Knox was jailed for murder almost 20 years ago.
The image that Knox conjures even today is one of a young American co-ed, clad in jeans and billowy skirts, winding the ancient paths of Perugia, Italy during a study abroad term. After the brutal killing of her roommate Meredith Kercher, Knox and boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were vilified then jailed vilified for years for a crime they didn’t commit — while bloodthirsty media consumers dissected their (at times quite odd) dynamic.
GRACE VAN PATTEN, GIUSEPPE DE DOMENICO in “The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox”
Courtesy of Disney
Grace Van Patten, a 28-year-old rising star whose subtle confidence and emotional poker face has propelled her to acclaim on the Hulu series “Tell Me Lies” had been anxious to play Knox since 2016. That’s when Netflix released “Amanda Knox,” a documentary that specifically examined the expectations for how women behave in public spaces (inspired in part, the filmmakers previously said, by Hillary Clinton’s lost bid for the White House). Van Patten contacted her agents, only just having dipped a toe in show business, and said if the opportunity ever arose she’d like to play Knox. Nearly a decade later, that call came — and Van Patten now stars in the Hulu original series “The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox,” which premiered on Aug. 20.
A riveting tick-tock of Kercher’s slaying and Knox’s real-time response — and the serious consequences that came afterward — play out across eight anxiety-riddled episodes. Van Patten caught up with Variety to discuss the truth about Knox, learning Italian in less than two months and the important lesson she took about judging public figures.
I know this came together very quickly, with you getting the part after some previous cast dropped out. How did that feel?
I was scared about it in the moment, but I’m thankful, looking back, because if I had more time — let’s say less time was better, because it pushed me to work extra hard. I had about two months that was filled with learning Italian every day, speaking to Amanda and then my own research — reading, watching and listening to everything I possibly could about her.
Courtesy of Victoria Stevens
What was your familiarity with this case before landing the part?
I was around 11 at the time it became [a news sensation]. Her name stuck with me, and then a documentary came out on Netflix in 2016, and that was my first insight into this whole tragedy. I’m sure I was shielded from the details as a kid, but I remember this doc vividly. It was fascinating, seeing how much more there was to her story. She’s a pretty distinct person, Amanda, and I was at a loss for how all of this happened to her. The doc released at the time I had just started acting. I called my agents and said, “If there’s every anything made about Amanda Knox, that would be a dream part for me.” It’s a full circle moment that this job came up. It feels right.
It’s remarkable how much work a simple pair of contact lenses does for you in this series. You look eerily like Amanda at times.
I really don’t recognize myself, and that’s something I’ve never felt before watching my work. It was nice, in a way, because I feel like I can watch the show without being mean to myself. It’s not me. I can watch it more objectively.
Courtesy of Disney/Adrienn Szabó
Was that feeling instant, like as early as your hair and makeup tests?
For sure, the blue eyes really did something. The haircut, a little contour on the nose. Just trying to make my face feel more like hers without doing an impression. I was more specific with her mannerisms, something small like a laugh. That always helps get to the essence of someone.
I wonder if being thrown into this part was helpful for the character — Amanda, obviously, is someone plunged into the chaos of a global crime sensation.
The thing about Amanda is, she is who she is in every single moment. Learning this personally, it felt like such a shame that was she villainized for certain personality traits and quirks. All of that used against her in a crazy moment where any 20-year-old wouldn’t know how to act. I played someone who was very present and impulsive, fully who she is. So, yes, the speed probably helped me subconsciously.
Talk about the first time you met Amanda.
I remember shaking. I was so nervous, waiting on Zoom. I didn’t know what she would think of all this – or of me. Obviously, I knew she was a producer and wanted to be a part of the process. What I didn’t know was her level of desire to speak about her [real life experience]. When she popped up on Zoom, it was a very emotional moment. I can’t explain it, but I felt instantly connected to her and protective. She could not have been more open or vulnerable.
About halfway through, I had to stop and acknowledge how fucking crazy our situation was. She’s Amanda Knox, and I’ve known of her and read about her forever, and she’s talking to this random actress about to play her. She answered my million questions, and it felt like an instant collaboration. She’s someone who could very easily have a distrust in humanity, someone whose narrative has been created for her most her life. The fact that she was willing to trust me felt great.
Courtesy of Disney/Andrea Miconi
Did you get a sense of what her relationship is now with that part of her life? Does she still have nightmares? Is she healed in any way?
I don’t want to speak for her, but from what I’ve witnessed, I’m really inspired by how she lives now. She’s someone who has gone through having her roommate be murdered, to being accused of it, to spending four years in prison, to being out of it and continuing to be scrutinized. That’s a recipe for disaster, but she’s somehow has maintained positivity and hope and has not given up on trying to take her life back. You really see that in this show.
You have great chemistry with your love interest — or ill-fated love interest in Amanda’s case, Giuseppe De Domenico. I’m sure he helped with your Italian?
The whole cast did, they were encouraging and supportive. But Giuseppe, who plays Raffaele, is so unbelievable. He was just so present and locked in and dedicated. He’s just such a beautiful person.
Courtesy of Disney/Adrienn Szabó
We are all obsessed with your show “Tell Me Lies,” and now with this Knox series, your profile is getting bigger. Did anything in Amanda’s story feel foreboding about your own relationship to fame?
I don’t think it compares to what Amanda went through, but that’s something that’s always put me off about celebrity. The fact that people get into a job because they love acting or directing or whatever it may be, and you’re faced with a kind of scrutiny and suffer the loss of a personal life. You have zero control over what’s being said about you.
I remember shooting the first scene where Amanda is let out of the prison van for her first trial date. It’s the first time she’s seeing this sea of people who are angry at her or obsessed with her. The extras were really giving it on the day, and I could not believe that someone had to go through this, that this was something that really happened.
This interview has been edited and condensed.