Grace Van Patten‘s portrayal of Amanda Knox in The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox gave Knox “chills.”
In Hulu‘s new eight-part series, Van Patten plays Knox, who along with her boyfriend Rafaelle Sollecito (played by Giuseppe De Domenico), was accused of killing her roommate, Meredith Kercher, while studying abroad in Italy in 2007. Knox and Sollecito ultimately served four years in an Italian prison after being convicted in 2009, before being released in 2011 and exonerated in 2015.
Knox told People that through watching Van Patten’s portrayal of her in the series, she “felt like [she] could finally grieve the young person that [she] was.”
“Someone recently said that what happened is someone stole my sparkle,” she explained. “They didn’t just steal my freedom, they stole my sparkle. And seeing her bring it back again — I’m just so grateful to her, that she’s honored that for me.”
Knox said she had “chills” watching Van Patten’s performance, said she was not the only one touched by her performance, proceeding to praise the “incredible” actress, who “finally honors that young person that I was and the person I am today.” She also cited the series’ interrogation scene as one they needed to get “right,” describing it as “so complex.”
“The psychological journey that Grace has to go on to arrive where she arrives? I’m so proud of her,” she shared. “Especially when so many people are resistant to that idea of how police can lie and coerce. She just got it and brought it.”
While speaking with People, Van Patten noted that her “main goal was to make [Knox] feel seen, and the fact that she did, that is all I care about.”
While Margaret Qualley was announced to be portraying Knox in the series in March 2024, she exited the series a month later, per Variety. According to the outlet, Van Patten stepped in in June 2024.
The series also stars Sharon Horgan, John Hoogenakker, Francesco Acquaroli, and Roberta Mattei, and is executive produced by Knox and Monica Lewinsky.
The first two episodes of The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox are now streaming on Hulu. New episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays.