Melissa McCarthy on why she didn't want to play JonBenét Ramsey's mum
"I was really floored by the lack of humanity that had been shown to that family.”
Melissa McCarthy has spoken for the first time about the challenge of playing controversial mother Patsy Ramsey in the upcoming Netflix drama The Murder Of JonBenét Ramsey.
More known for her comedy roles, McCarthy shared she was conflicted about taking on Patsy - who is now deceased - in the series.
In an interview with Variety, McCarthy admitted that she wanted to turn down the offer to be part of the true crime story of the 1996 unsolved murder of the six-year-old because “it wasn't any of my business to do.”
But, she changed her mind and decided to explore the project further.
“I spent a lot of years not working, and somebody took the time to ask me – I should take the time to look into it,” she said.
“The more I started to, I was really floored by the lack of humanity that had been shown to that family.”
It was enough to change her mind, and agree to be involved in the re-telling of one of America's most notorious unsolved murder cases.
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Melissa McCarthy was conflicted about Patsy Ramsey
McCarthy shared that to play Ramsey, she felt she “had to pick” an opinion on the multiple theories about JonBenét's death.
"Just my personal feeling. My heart says no one in the family could have done that,” she said.
“I don’t have the ability, or probably the right, to say that, but that’s what my gut says. Which I probably am not supposed to say.
“But shooting that, I had to pick. I had to have that for myself, if nothing else.”
What happened to JonBenét Ramsey?
JonBenét was murdered at her family’s home on Christmas Day 1996 in Colorado. She was found in the basement hours after being reported missing.
Local police focussed their attention on her parents, and even her older brother; but a new district attorney in 2002 suggested that she was murdered by an intruder. The case remains an open homicide investigation.
The Netflix series, The Murder Of JonBenét Ramsey, will also star Clive Owen as John Ramsey, and newcomer Emily Mitchell as JonBenét.
The eight-part series will premiere on Netflix on 10 December, weeks short of the 30th anniversary of JonBenét’s death.
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