‘The Act’: The TV Characters vs. Their Real-Life Counterparts (PHOTOS)
Joey King as Gypsy Rose Blanchard
In the Hulu original series, King portrays Gypsy Rose, the daughter of Dee Dee who lives most of her life believing she’s disabled and mentally impaired. As those familiar with the case know, Gypsy eventually plots to kill her mother in an attempt to escape her harmful embrace.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard
After assisting Nick Godejohn in the killing of her mother Dee Dee, Gypsy became a household name in the true crime sphere. Growing up, she was forced to pretend she was younger than she was and that her legs didn’t work. Her mother made her believe she suffered from psychological developmental issues, leukemia and muscular dystrophy, among others.
Patricia Arquette as Dee Dee Blanchard
Onscreen, Arquette takes on the master manipulator as she portrays Dee Dee, mother to Gypsy. She forces her daughter into following her schemes and making Gypsy believe she’s gravely ill.
Dee Dee Blanchard
The mother of Gypsy Rose lied about her daughter’s many illnesses including leukemia and muscular dystrophy. She kept her daughter bed-bound, fed her through a feeding tube and forbade her from revealing she could walk. Ultimately, in 2015, Dee Dee was murdered at the hands of Gypsy’s online suitor Nick Godejohn.
Calum Worthy as Nick Godejohn
In the series, Worthy portrays Gypsy’s online boyfriend who plays a crucial role in the true crime that takes place.
Nick Godejohn
Gypsy met this young man through a Christian dating site in which they made a connection. Her online boyfriend began playing a larger role in her life when he offered to and ultimately killed Dee Dee in order for Gypsy to escape her home and live with him. Godejohn suffers from multiple personality disorder.
AnnaSophia Robb as Lacey
Although Lacey isn’t a real-life person, it is believed that she mirrors Gypsy’s former neighbor Aleah Woodmansee, who hasn’t been shy about sharing what she knows about the Dee Dee/Gypsy story.
Aleah Woodmansee
This former neighbor discussed in shows such as 20/20 that Dee Dee didn’t like her talking with Gypsy. She further detailed that Dee Dee refused Gypsy from dating or having a Facebook.
Margo Martindale as Emma Pitre
Martindale portrays Dee Dee’s mother, Emma Pitre. Emma has been described as “somewhat crazy” by acquaintances in the HBO documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest.
Emma Pitre
The mother of Dee Dee was described by her family as someone prone to shoplifting and other small crimes — compulsions that supposedly made their way into her daughter’s life as Dee Dee became an ultimate manipulator. It is said that Dee Dee served as Emma’s caretaker at the end of her life and is rumored to have starved her, according to claims in HBO’s Mommy Dead and Dearest documentary.
By now, true crime enthusiasts have likely found Hulu’s The Act, but in case you’re not up to date, we’re clueing you in on the real-life story that serves as the show’s source material.
For those unaware, The Act tells the story of Dee Dee (Patricia Arquette) and Gypsy Rose Blanchard (Joey King) — a mother and daughter duo who lived a complete lie for years. Dee Dee forced her daughter to live as a seriously ill individual despite her not suffering from any of the supposed diseases.
The series depicts their life together and the eventual crime that takes place, which brought the story to light. Proceed with caution if you aren’t familiar with the entire story — there’s a lot to digest when it comes to this bizarre case.
Otherwise, click through the gallery above for a look at the characters and their real-life counterparts.
The Act, Wednesdays, Hulu
