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Veteran actor Gerald McRaney stepped into the part of the formidable father at the heart of Hulu’s limited series “Murdaugh: Death in the Family,” a role he said required him to inhabit a family’s patriarch amid scandal.
McRaney, 78, spoke with Fox News Digital about how he approached portraying Randolph Murdaugh III, the patriarch who loomed over generations of privilege in South Carolina’s Lowcountry.
“You were dealing with a man who had no soul,” McRaney said of Randolph’s son, Alex. “Everything was done to impress other people with his success. It didn’t matter how he got that sort of approval.”
The Murdaugh family held influence over South Carolina’s judicial system for nearly a century. Three generations served as solicitors on the state’s 14th Circuit, while maintaining a lucrative private law practice in Hampton County.
Jason Clarke as Alex Murdaugh and Gerald McRaney as Randolph Murdaugh in “Murdaugh: Death in the Family.” (Disney/Daniel Delgado Jr.)
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That mask of prestige began to crack after a 2019 boating accident involving Paul Murdaugh, the grandson of Randolph III, which killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach.
In 2021, Randolph’s son, Alex Murdaugh, was charged with murdering his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. Prosecutors said Alex killed them to distract from financial crimes that were about to come to light.
The shocking revelations are captured in Hulu’s “Murdaugh: Death in the Family” series, created by Michael D. Fuller and Erin Lee Carr.
‘Generational indulgence of prodigal sons’
For McRaney, understanding the Murdaughs began with examining how power became inherited and unchallenged.
“There was a generational indulgence of prodigal sons,” he said. “Every generation got a little bit deeper into trouble. And when you don’t hold people to account when they’re children, then no one holds them to account until they’re in a court of law.”
Gerald McRaney portrayed Randolph Murdaugh III. (Disney/Daniel Delgado Jr.)
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McRaney saw the dangers of unchecked power as central to the Randolph Murdaugh III storyline in the hit series.
“It was out of ego for himself, to have people think that his children were perfect,” he said. “People aren’t perfect. When you have to maintain that image, you’re asking for trouble.”
In the series, Randolph Murdaugh III is portrayed as the keeper of the family’s image, a man who commands respect but struggles with what that legacy demands. McRaney approached the role not as a villain, but as a man blinded by pride.
“You do want to defend your children all the time. You don’t want bad things to happen to them,” he said. “But that instinct can turn destructive when it becomes about protecting an illusion.”
“There was a generational indulgence of prodigal sons,” McRaney said. (Disney/Daniel Delgado Jr.)
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Though the Murdaugh saga unfolded in South Carolina, the Hulu series was filmed entirely in Georgia, a detail that disappointed McRaney, whose daughter lives in Beaufort.
“We filmed everything in the Atlanta area. I would rather have done it in South Carolina,” he said, adding that the cast never went on a site visit to the Murdaughs’ estate. “My daughter lives in Beaufort. She and her family were very aware of this case the whole time it was going on.”
Even from a distance, McRaney said the production team worked meticulously to capture the case’s authenticity.
“They did a lot of research, even matching wardrobe to photographs taken on particular days while the case was going on,” he explained. “It was very detailed. Most people probably won’t notice, but for me, it helped in the acting process.”
McRaney described Alex Murdaugh as a man “who had no soul.” (Disney/Daniel Delgado Jr.)
Beyond the specifics of the Murdaugh saga, McRaney sees the story as a reflection of a broader moral erosion.
“We’ve become too indulgent with people and we don’t hold them to account,” he said. “You read all these stories of a guy who finally commits murder after being given probation for assault or burglary. He was never held to account until it’s too late.”
“We’ve sort of taken religion, whatever your religion might be, out of our culture,” he said. “Religion used to hold two things: hope for people who were down, and judgment for people who were evil. People don’t believe that anymore. And when they don’t, justice becomes just a matter of luck.”
The veteran actor credits the show’s success to its restraint and refusing to sensationalize a story.
“They didn’t over-dramatize things,” he said. “You’re dealing with a story that doesn’t need to be dramatized. Just tell the story, and it works.”
Despite the dark subject matter, he found playing Randolph surprisingly natural.
“How easy it was to understand his point of view,” McRaney said. “It’s always easy to justify protecting your children. But that’s where pride becomes a trap.”
“Murdaugh: Death in the Family” premiered on Hulu in October and quickly rose in the platform’s rankings. The seven-episode series reached its finale on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
Noah Emmerich, Gerald McRaney, Will Harrison and Jason Clarke in “Murdaugh: Death in the Family.” (Disney/Daniel Delgado Jr.)
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At 78, McRaney shows no signs of slowing down. He shared with Fox News Digital that he maintains a strict fitness routine.
“If you stop, then you stop,” he said. “I’ve known too many people who retired and then just disappeared.”
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His mornings begin with stretching, calisthenics and long walks by the lake outside his home.
“It probably does more good than any of the other stuff, just getting out into the air,” he said.
Fox News Digital eached out to Alex Murdaugh’s attorney, Dick Harpootlian, for comment on the series.