‘A Friend of the Family’: Jake Lacy and Lio Tipton Reveal How They Became the Berchtolds and How Much Gail Knew [Exclusive]

Peacock adds to its true crime catalog in October with A Friend of the Family, featuring Jake Lacy as Robert Berchtold and Lio Tipton as his wife, Gail Berchtold. The nine-episode miniseries recounts the horrific abduction and sexual assault of 12-year-old Jan Broberg by a close family friend, Robert. The story becomes more appalling when viewers realize that Jan’s family did not press charges. Then Robert kidnapped and sexually assaulted Jan again at age 14. In an exclusive interview with Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Lacy describes how he became the villain. Meanwhile, Tipton reveals how much she believes Gail Berchtold knew about her husband and Jan.

How did Jake Lacy become Robert Berchtold in ‘A Friend of the Family’?

Jake Lacy portrayed a belittling husband in The White Lotus; however, he took the role to the next level with his portrayal of Robert Berchtold in A Friend of the Family. He dotes on the children and Broberg family while demeaning his wife so subtly that viewers barely catch it. Lacy’s portrayal of Brother B is so convincing; it lets the audience in on why young Jan went with the real Berchtold in the 1970s. So, how did Lacy become Bob Berchtold?

“We had a lot of research and information because Jan and Mary Ann [Broberg] are producers,” Lacy began in an interview with Showbiz. “So, they were able to offer up diaries, recordings, letters, court documents and a number of things to really hammer down the facts and logistics. Then the scripts from Nick [Antosca] and the writing team, too. I felt nuanced and really engaged in the psychology of grooming, manipulation and what it is to live in 1970s Idaho in an LDS [Latter Day Saints] community.” 

Between the extensive research and reading the incredible scripts created by Nick Antosca, Lacy felt well prepared for his role as Bob Berchtold. A Friend of the Family dives deep into the kidnapper’s mind, giving viewers more than they understood from the documentary — Netflix’s 2019 Abducted in Plain Sight.

“How this perfect storm of circumstances came to be that Robert Berchtold could insert himself into a family and divide people off and isolate them,” Lacy added. “I leaned into the research I had done prior to this, and then the scripts because they were so good and so layered and we knew they were built out of factual truth was enough of a guide.”

Lio Tipton reveals how she became Gail Berchtold in ‘A Friend of the Family’

For Lio Tipton, becoming Robert’s wife, Gail Berchtold, was more difficult in A Friend of the Family. The media heavily covered Bob, plastering his face everywhere. However, Tipton only had a tiny photo of Gail and one recording. How did she become the wife of Brother B?

“Gail wasn’t directly involved with this [project],” Tipton began. “I did get the letters she had sent back and forth between her and Bob.” The actor also used information from the FBI, “and a voice recording of her speaking, which is the only time that I heard her speak.” So, I studied that for cadence and I didn’t see a single picture of her, not on purpose. There was one photo that the wardrobe had hanging up. [It’s] really little, and it’s the only thing that I could see. It was a bit of trying to go off the little bit I had while doing a real person, hopefully decently.”

Did Gail Berchtold know about Robert Berchtold’s kidnapping of Jan Broberg?

“So that was a big question, in every scene,” Tipton responded when Showbiz asked if she felt Gail knew what was going on with her husband and Jan Broberg. “We actually ended up playing many scenes in different ways because so much of Gail is open to interpretation. The way that I ended up deciding was best to play her was with one filter to process everything through — which is family. Do everything, everything I can to just make sure my family is safe. That was the answer because I didn’t want to decide or know because I never will. Neither will the audience know if she knew or didn’t [about Bob’s infatuation, abduction, and assault of Jan].”

Tipton and the producers agreed that no one would ever know whether Gail Berchtold knew what Berchtold was doing. So, they planned to show the audience the character of Gail as authentically as they could.

“[Whether she knew] didn’t matter to my process as a character,” Tipton added. “I wanted my family safe. And that’s kind of all I let myself think about.” 

A Friend of the Family will premiere on Peacock on Thursday, October 6, with four episodes. The remaining five episodes will drop weekly on Thursdays through November 10.

How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.