Steve Guttenberg Talks His New ‘Killer’ Role in Lifetime’s ‘Kidnapped by a Killer’

Steve Guttenberg, best known for his roles in the Police Academy franchise, is tackling a new role as a serial killer in the Lifetime Original movie Kidnapped by a Killer: The Heather Robinson Story, premiering June 7 at 8pm EST. “I was about an hour and a half in makeup every day to sort of create the look,” says Guttenberg, explaining part of what it took to inhabit the horrific and chilling character of real-life serial killer John Robinson. “And when you see him, you just won’t believe it. I think it’s hard to believe it’s me, and that’s wonderful.”

It might be hard to believe that an actor who most audiences associate with comedies (like Three Men and a Baby, Short Circuit, or the aforementioned Police Academy) or dramas (Diner, Cocoon), could inhabit a monstrous character like Robinson, whom the actor describes as “a terrible human being,” even if also “quite complicated.” Even though Guttenberg has previously appeared in thrillers, like Lifetime’s How to Murder Your Husband, he hasn’t turned up as the villain before.