“A Friend of the Family” is an American TV show about real crimes. It tells the story of Robert Berchtold, who hurt Jan Broberg in the 1970s. Jake Lacy plays Berchtold, while Hendrix Yancey and Mckenna Grace play Jan at different times. Colin Hanks, Lio Tipton, and Anna Paquin also act in the series.
Nick Antosca made “A Friend of the Family” after reading a book and watching a documentary about Jan’s life. He felt her story needed more time to be told properly.
In this post, we’ll explore the cast of “A Friend of the Family”.
Cast of “A Friend of the Family”
1. Jake Lacy as Robert “B” Berchtold
Robert Berchtold seems like any other neighbor, but he’s actually someone who kidnaps children. Jake Lacy is famous for funny TV roles, like Pete in The Office and Shane Patton in The White Lotus. He also acted in movies like Obvious Child and Carol.
2. Anna Paquin as Mary Ann Broberg
Anna Paquin acts as Mary Ann, the mom in the Broberg family. She’s been famous since she was young, playing Rogue in X-Men and Sookie Stackhouse in True Blood. People liked her acting in The Piano, which got her an Oscar when she was only 11.
3. Colin Hanks as Bob Broberg
Bob Broberg, Jan Broberg’s dad, gets worried about Berchtold being too close to his daughter. Colin Hanks, Tom Hanks’ son, is an actor too. He’s been in Jumanji, Fargo, and Impeachment: American Crime Story.
4. Lio Tipton as Gail Berchtold
Gail is Robert’s wife, who doesn’t seem to know about his bad plans. Tiptold used to model and then acted. They’ve been in small parts in shows like The Big Bang Theory and Murphy Brown.
5. McKenna Grace and Hendrix Yancey as Jan Broberg
Jan is the girl who gets kidnapped by Berchtold. In real life, Jan Broberg later became an actress and singer. She introduces the series too. McKenna Grace acts as the older Jan. She’s a young actress and singer who recently played Phoebe Spengler in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Mary Adler in Gifted. The younger Jan is played by Hendrix Yancey, known for being Thirteen in Stranger Things.
The Supporting Cast of “A Friend of the Family”
In the show “A Friend of the Family,” there are some actors who play important roles. Here are some of them:
1. Mila Harris and Maggie Sonnier Plays Karen Broberg
Karen is one of Jan’s younger sisters. Mila Harris acted as the younger Karen before in a show called Hulu’s No Exit. This is Maggie Sonnier’s first time acting in a show.
2. Ella Lisic and Norah Murphy Plays Susan Broberg
Susan is Jan’s other sister. Norah Murphy, who acted as Sarah in another show called Karen, plays the older Susan. Ella Lisic is new to acting and this is her first time appearing on screen.
3. Austin Stowell Plays Peter Walsh
Walsh is an FBI Agent who is investigating the case in A Friend of the Family. Austin Stowell acted in movies like the Dolphin Tale series and played Francis Gary Powers in Bridge of Spies.
Plot of the Episodes of “A Friend of the Family”
E01: Jan’s family friend takes her horse riding after school. Night falls, they’re not back. The fun day turns scary.
E02: Jan’s family asks the FBI for help finding her. Jan faces a tough choice to save a life.
E03: Jan’s family gets close to their neighbors. But Jan’s dad sees the neighbor as a threat.
E04: Jan’s family fights to get back to normal. Jan worries about her task. Jan’s mom has doubts and makes a hard choice.
E05: Jan’s parents’ marriage is in trouble. They face the bad results of their mistakes. Jan’s captor tightens his grip.
E06: Jan feels overwhelmed. Her parents try hard to bring her back.
E07: Jan disappears again. FBI can’t help. Jan’s family keeps looking. Pete learns dark things about Jan’s captor. Jan adapts to a new place.
E08: Jan’s mom gets ready for a big fight. Pete searches for Jan against orders. Jan feels scared and alone.
E09: Jan comes home. Her parents try to heal. Jan’s birthday and her mission’s end loom, bringing fear.
Final Thought
Here you go! We hope you now have a better understanding of the cast of “A Friend of the Family” that we discussed. The series came out between October 6 and November 10, 2022, on Peacock. People liked it and appreciate Eliza Hittman’s directing and Lacy’s acting.
In our honest opinion, it begins a bit slowly, keeping you interested but also making you wonder when things will pick up. Remember to keep in mind the time period of the series to avoid getting frustrated with the characters. Overall, it was fantastic! We suggest it to anyone who enjoys crime documentaries.
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