‘The Staircase’: Cast of the HBO Limited Series vs. Their Real-Life Inspirations

Jean-Xavier de Lestrade’s docuseries The Staircase has kept viewers hooked for more than two decades.  Released in installments between 2004 and 2018, it chronicles Michael Peterson’s murder trial and its aftermath.

In May 2022, HBO Max debuted its riveting true-crime limited series The Staircase, based on the landmark 2004 docuseries. Starring Colin Firth as Michael Peterson, Toni Collette as Kathleen Peterson, Michael Stuhlbarg as defense attorney David Rudolf, and Parker Posey as prosecutor Freda Black, the series digs into the complexities of the case, the family caught in the middle, and the blurred line between truth and narrative.