Podcast Summary

Murdaugh: Death in the Family Official Podcast

Episode: Jason Clarke on the Monster in Alex Murdaugh & The Man Behind The Glass

Date: November 19, 2025
Host: Mandy Matney (Luna Shark), Brittany Snow, Liz Farrell
Guests: Jason Clarke (actor, portraying Alex Murdaugh), Spencer Garrett (actor, portraying Jim Griffin), Rob Morrow (actor, portraying Creighton Waters)

Episode Overview

This episode goes behind the scenes of the Hulu Original series "Murdaugh: Death in the Family" with a special focus on Jason Clarke, whose chilling and immersive performance as Alex Murdaugh left even those closest to the real man shaken. Mandy Matney and Brittany Snow lead a candid roundtable with Clarke, complemented by memorable moments and insights from other cast members, exploring Clarke's transformation, method, and the emotional and psychological landscape behind the infamous crimes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Art of Becoming Alex Murdaugh

• Transformation Process:
  • Clarke discusses the physical and psychological transformation required to become Murdaugh, emphasizing the significance of embodying not just his look but his unsettling duality.
  • He elaborates on the difficulty and physical impact of forced weight gain, "It takes a lot to destroy your metabolism... it put a lot of pressure on my body, my heart... It's not something I'd do lightly again" (12:31).
• Becoming the Character:
  • Hair, makeup, weight, wardrobe, and countless hours studying Murdaugh's speech and mannerisms were crucial.
  • "This is my Alec, you know, and there's no delaying the start. We're on. So this is it. And so it's got to sit." (08:16)
• Emotional Toll:
  • Mandy Matney and Brittany Snow express how intimidating Clarke was on set, with Snow admitting, "You were more intimidating, I think, than [Alex Murdoch] was" (05:28).
  • Clarke acknowledges the uncanny experience: "When I walked in and looked at the full-length mirror, going: ‘Damn, this is my next six months’" (09:03).

2. Alex Murdaugh: A Monster in Wool Clothing

• Capturing Duality:
  • Clarke focused intently on portraying both the magnetic charm and the underlying menace: "He was a very happy, magnanimous, upstanding... thing of the community... and whose wife and son never saw it coming. Not that anybody saw it coming. That's the level of betrayal." (06:21)
• True Crime, Emotional Truth:
  • A recurring goal was not just factual accuracy, but emotional truth. "What Michael [Fuller, showrunner] always talks about is emotional truth. I stand by emotional truth. It's not the real truth, it's the emotional truth." – Brittany Snow (43:50)
• Portraying Addiction & Downfall:
  • Opioid addiction was an ever-present background: "He was addicted to using his name to get away with things... his whole body for so long had just been messed up, and sugar, sugar, sugar, pills, pills, pills, you know, drink, drink, drink, food, food, food." – Clarke (17:22)
  • Clarke made it clear that addiction wasn’t an excuse: "So many people are addicted to drugs that do not murder their wife and son... he made, like you said, a series of bad other decisions." – Brittany (34:01)

3. Immersion and Technique

• Studying Speech, Movement, Mannerisms:
  • Clarke dissected Murdaugh’s voice over different periods, noticed changes during trial, and incorporated physical postures: "His shoulders were just up particularly... when he was really on it and, you know, bloated and probably constipated... full." (15:44)
  • Clarke echoed that these subtle, repeated gestures “bring you into his mind” (18:28).
• Dancing, Humor, and Absurdity:
  • Clarke describes relating to Murdaugh’s absurdity and using dance and humor—even referencing DJ Khaled, Bad Bunny—as psychological preparation: "I always looked at him as like a great white shark... always moving. It’s fascinating to watch too, and it’s dangerous. And if it stops moving, it'll die." (22:43)

4. Portrayal of the Courtroom and Climactic Moments

• Showdown with Prosecutor Creighton Waters:
  • Rob Morrow shares the challenge and thrill of playing Waters going “toe to toe” with Clarke’s Murdaugh, describing the importance of grounding the performance in Creighton’s controlled, diligent advocacy for truth (54:42–55:59).
  • Iconic scene recreation:
    Morrow (as Waters): "You lied to your clients?"
    Clarke (as Murdaugh): "Some of them."
    Morrow: "Did you lie to Tony and Brian Satterfield...?"
    Clarke: "Yes, I did." (52:58–53:07)
• Intensity and Unpredictability:
  • Spencer Garrett describes how Jason’s choices—especially in high-stress holding cell scenes—created a "visceral" and "sinister" atmosphere, adding, "When you see him take the newspaper and kind of slap it at me and I kind of recoil like that, that was real... I didn't expect that... we're in it now." (49:21)

5. The Real Murdaugh, the Narrative, and Audience Perception

• Indecipherable Monstrosity:
  • Clarke and the hosts agree: you can never truly “know” Alex Murdaugh. "That’s what makes him so interesting to people... We're all poking around here, but there's just something. Then you tell he's down there doing burpees and things. I guess it’s not surprising, is it?" (67:15)
• Empathy and Accountability:
  • Mandy Matney closes by emphasizing the power of truthful storytelling: "If there's one thing I hope that you take away from this series, it's that truth matters, storytelling matters, and when done with integrity, storytelling can instill empathy, demand accountability, and maybe even drive real change." (68:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Murdaugh’s Manipulation:
  • "He was the type of person who needed to know the rules so that he could break them." – Mandy Matney (03:11)
• On Alex’s ‘Truth’:
  • Clarke (as Murdaugh): “There’s what’s true, what’s not, and a whole bunch of in-between. But the only real truth in this world is what you can get others to believe." (04:29)
• On Portraying Addiction:
  • "His pyramid got pear-shaped... The death of his father and I was, you know, I was just constantly looking for ways to justify my behavior.” – Clarke (31:54)
• On Performance Challenges:
  • "You know, doing the crying scene at the opening, you know, coming up to that, it's just like, man, you don't want to... I do not want to be doing this for too long." – Clarke (61:19)
• On Never Truly Knowing Murdaugh:
  • "You're never gonna know him. That's what Judge Newman said... I'm going to close the book on this and on you in my life." – Clarke (64:43)
• On Emotional Aftermath and Community:
  • "Their portrayals... each performance gave faces to emotions that many lived in real time... It is not enough to quietly disagree with the wrongdoing around you. The wrongdoers are counting on that silence." – Mandy Matney (68:20)

Important Timestamps

• 01:02 – Mandy introduces Jason Clarke, highlights his transformation and performance.
• 04:29 – Clarke as Murdaugh: "The only real truth in this world is what you can get others to believe."
• 07:43–08:16 – Clarke reflects on seeing himself as Murdaugh in the mirror for the first time.
• 12:31 – Clarke details the physical toll of weight gain for the role.
• 15:44–18:28 – Clarke on studying Murdaugh’s speech and physical habits.
• 22:43 – Clarke compares his method to being a "great white shark."
• 29:03–34:21 – Clarke dissects addiction, accountability, and the psychological puzzle.
• 43:50 – Brittany Snow and Clarke discuss "emotional truth" vs. courtroom truth.
• 52:23–53:42 – Key courtroom exchange: Waters (Morrow) vs. Murdaugh (Clarke).
• 61:19–63:24 – Clarke’s most challenging scenes and reflections on the toll of the role.
• 64:43 – Clarke: "You're never gonna know him... that's exactly what I wanted."
• 68:20 – Mandy’s closing appeal for empathy, accountability, and the real importance of telling these stories.

Tone & Takeaways

The episode balances the gravitas of true crime drama with raw, sometimes dark humor and personal insight. Clarke is methodical, candid, and often haunting in his description of becoming Alex Murdaugh. The conversation pulls back the curtain on both the technical and emotional challenges of transforming horror into empathy and fact into compelling storytelling. Ultimately, listeners are left with a tenacious sense of the unknowable—the reality that some monsters, no matter how closely observed, remain enigmatic.

For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In

This episode is required listening for fans of the Hulu series, true crime aficionados, actors, and anyone interested in the intersection of real-life tragedy and dramatized narrative. The honest, unflinching exploration of the monster behind the glass is more than just behind-the-scenes gossip. It’s an anatomy of the human capacity for delusion, harm, and, ultimately, storytelling itself.