Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth portrays Michael Peterson in HBO Max's The Staircase. Margaret Ratliff Played by Sophie Turner, Margaret is the eldest daughter of Air Force captain George Ratliff and his wife, Elizabeth, who lived next door to Michael and Patty Peterson in. Making her debut in the 1990s, Collettegainedmainstream recognition for her role as Lynn Sear inThe Sixth Sense. Michael and Kathleen Peterson seemed to live a normal life in Durham, North Carolina, but when she wasfound dead at the bottom of their staircase on the evening of December 9, 2001, the tragedy turned their family upside down. Fact vs Fiction: The Staircase did Michael Peterson kill Kathleen and Published: Thursday, 5th May 2022 at 3:00 pm. Per Todd's Instagram, he's the president and founder of American Industries . It came from a letter sent by Margaret Ratliff, the daughter of Elizabeth Ratliff. Each episode is accompanied by a disclaimer that states it is a dramatization based on certain facts. With respect to the facts that formed the basis for the series, Antonio Campos and [co-showrunner] Maggie Cohn relied on extensive source material, including firsthand accounts of the people involved in the events that took place.. Patricia, Michael's first wife, lived with Michael for several years in Germany, The News & Observer reported. Young is also known for playing Frannie Goldsmith in the recent television adaptation of Stephen King'sThe Stand. Since he is the son of his own mother, he can look like his mom. Kathleen Peterson's Daughter Sued For Millions After Her Mother - Yahoo Following the sudden deaths of Martha and Margaret's parents, Michael became the girls' guardian . Michael Peterson was the guardian of Margaret and her sister Martha, played by The Stands Odessa Young, after their parents George and Elizabeth died. Share. In The Staircase, Caitlin is played by Olivia DeJonge from The Society. The final episodes of the docuseries caught up with most of the kids, but mentions of Todd were minimal. Michael, Kathleen, and their children toast to each otherseeming a happy, loving blended family. Parker Posey stars as Durham County assistant district attorney, the lead prosecutor at Peterson's trial. For me, its like [my] heart beats faster, I cant breathe, and I worry that Im going to pass out. Hence, it was only after matters settled for good that she and her sister were able to grieve the woman they genuinely considered their mother, Kathleen. Authorities presumed Michael was responsible for Kathleens death, believing he beat her with a fireplace blow poke. Sophie Turner as Margaret Ratliff. Petersons sons have always stood by their father, who has maintained his innocence for the past twenty years. Ratliff has been more successful in avoiding it after reporting an ad that popped up in her Instagram feed. HBO's 'Staircase': Who are Margaret and Martha Ratliff and what Lestrades Netflix docu-series examines Kathleens death and Michaels case from a legal standpoint. In charge of styling was Marc Goehring, with creative direction from Alan Prada. Therefore the children of the women he picks can look like him. While Todd and his siblings were of the opinion that Michael did not harm Kathleen, according to AP News they still encouraged him to settle the case instead of having a retrial. Who's Who Between Michael And Kathleen Peterson's Kids In HBO Max's Today, Caitlin goes by her married name, Caitlin Clark. Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 1, A guide to the hidden references in this buzzy anthologys new episodes, from first-season callbacks to what, Colin Firth as Michael Peterson, Sophie Turner as Margaret Ratliff, and Odessa Young as Martha Ratliff in HBO Maxs. Margaret and Martha, Peterson's adopted daughters, were the children of a close family friend, Elizabeth Ratliff, who had also died after falling down a staircase. They just loved each other so much." -- Margaret Ratliff. After over a decade in prison, he submitted an Alford Plea (where a criminal defendant pleads guilty to an offense while maintaining their innocence and acknowledging there is enough evidence to potentially convict) to the reduced charge of manslaughter in 2017. Colin Firth is a well-established actor in the world of film and television. is a fictionalized series based on true events. After that tragedy in 1985, Elizabeths friend Michael Peterson took Ratliff and her younger sister, Martha, into his home, eventually becoming their legal guardian. Ultimately, he was not charged with the death of Elizabeth Ratliff, and her daughtersPetersons adopted daughtersstood by him through his trial. We thought in 2003 [her wounds] were due to the scalp splitting when her head hit a flat surface, such as a wall or a floor, as explained by Werner Spitz in Episode 1 [of NetflixsThe Staircase], Rudolf writes. Though there hasn't been a more recent update on how Todd is handling things, it seems as though he has done just that: moved on with his life far from the cameras. During their marriage, Michael and Patricia became close friends with their neighbors at the time, George and Elizabeth Ratliff. Who Are Margaret and Martha Ratliff? Patricia doesn't appear in the HBO Max series. Clayton is the oldest of Michael and Patricia's children. As a guest onThe Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, Turner talked about working onThe Staircase. Clayton and his brother Todd grew up with Patricia after their parents divorced, according to Newsweek. One of his dad's biggest supporters, Clayton has long believed that his step-mom Kathleen died in . The HBO Max miniseriesThe Staircaseis based on a true story, and its all-star castlooks uncannily similar when compared to their characters' real-life counterparts. Record your own trail from the Wikiloc app, upload it and share it with the community. They wouldve suffered more. Her other credits include the United States of Tara and Rachel Getting Married. died in 1985 in Germany at the age of 43. As the series goes on, she grows up and realizes regurgitating your parents or other peoples opinions on things is no good for your mental health, Turner added. Kathleen and Michael married in 1997 and blended their families, living a seemingly happy life. Stranger Than Fiction || Mike Peterson Stairway Murders || Background Margaret and Martha Ratliff were adopted by Michael Peterson after their mothers death, and actually introduced him to his next wife Kathleen, who was their friend Caitlins mother. DeWitt is best known for her roles in television series likeStandoff, in whichshe co-starred alongside her future husband, Ron Livingston, andThe United States of Tara. In 2008, Caitlin filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Michael, which the two later settled for $25 million, Newsweek reported. ), Ratliff says that she was introduced to Campos after he optioned de Lestrades docuseries, occasionally meeting him for coffee over the years. Im 78. Dewitt most recently starred as Linda McCullough in Little Fires Everywhere. Ratliff was Mike Peterson's friend who died in Germany nearly two decades ago. Elizabeth's body was exhumed during Michael's trial, only adding to the layers of evidence that were presented in court. Following Kathleens death, though, Michael could not do much to protect his adopted daughters, then ages 20 and 18. [] It should not be this way that filmmakers can do whatever they want with your lives [onscreen]. In this case, hes destroyed my family. Parker Posey is a veteran actress with a very impressive filmography. Margaret Ratliff only agreed to appear on camera two decades ago, for Jean-Xavier de Lestrade 's documentary series The Staircase, under extreme circumstances. Firth is best known for his roles in Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones's Diary, Shakespeare in Love, The Kingsman, The King's Speech, and Mamma Mia! Colin Firth as Michael Peterson, Sophie Turner as Margaret Ratliff, Odessa Young as Martha Ratliff, Patrick Schwarznegger as Todd Peterson, Dane DeHaan as Clayton Peterson and Olivia DeJonge as Caitlin Atwater. Michael and Patti Peterson had been living in Germany with their sons Todd and Clayton when they became good friends with George and Elizabeth Ratliff. I think she looks so much like him - the eyes, the nose, the mouth. So why does she look like him? Michael loved his wife and children, and for all intents and purposes lived an average life. The December 2001 death of Kathleen Peterson at the bottom of her stairs is a case that is as messy and intriguing as it is brutal and dramatic, especially considering the ambiguous evidence involved. He had publicly attacked local officials on their handling of criminal matters in newspaper columns, and told his children that he felt having cameras document the trial might safeguard the legal proceedings. Michael Stuhlbarg is a well-known character actor with avery successful career. What bothers Ratliff most about HBO Maxs adaptation of The Staircase, she says, is that her family members were not involved in formal conversations about the project, even though they are the shows main characters. Caitlin would go on to file a wrongful death claim against Michael Peterson, and she was awarded $25 million in 2008. The strikes left 34 people injured, including three children, and caused widespread damage. Both Margaret and Martha appeared frequently in interviews and documentaries in support of their father. The Ripper: Does Netflix's True Crime Series Glorify Serial Killers? She said that her sister Martha Ratliff watched a trailer for the new HBO Max series and that alone traumatized her. The death of his wife Kathleen, however, sent his life into turmoil. Rudolf firmly believed in Michael's innocence, continuing to represent him long after his client could afford his services. Born two years apart to Air Force Captain George Ratliff and military teacher Elizabeth Ratliff in Germany in the early 1980s, Margaret and Martha lost both their biological parents as toddlers. I used to suffer a lot from really bad nightmares; I used to have really bad panic attacks in public spaces because of being in the trial, she said. George Ratliff sadly died two years after his wife, and Michael Peterson went on to adopt the couple's two daughters Margaret and Martha Ratliff. Best known for playing Sansa Stark in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, Sophie Turner has also featured in Barely Lethal, X-Men, Survive from 2020 and The Prince.. Since the trial, she's had twins and moved to Virginia, per The News & Observer. Plus, jurors learn Margaret Ratliff is not biologically related to the Durham novelist. Margaret Ratliff. Those woman can have children not related to him. From the HBO limited series "The Staircase": Sophie Turner as Margaret Ratliff. MP's sexual selection of women explains it. George passed away in 1983, and Elizabeth . Shawshank RedemptionI couldnt do it., Thinking about his possible recourse, he says, I guess you could sue, but whos got the money that Johnny Depp has to defend himself? The four-part series is a dramatic retelling of the 2001 death of Kathleen Peterson and the emotional legal aftermath that followed. It was hard enough to see Kathleen die. Now,The Staircase, like the original 2004 true-crime documentary series of the same name, raises questionsregarding what really happened. Although Margaret Ratliff was not the biological child of either Michael or Kathleen Peterson, she loved her adoptive mother and remained loyal to her adoptive father throughout the trial. Is it really ethically acceptable to take a living person, like my child, and then create this fantasy and fiction about them? He claims that he shut off a trailer for the HBO Max version of The Staircase after seeing characters named for his children screaming at one another. Before patching Michael into the phone call, Ratliff remembers, I thought, Okay, this is going to help my dad. And it's probably better that it remains unknown, because if Todd wanted the general public to know about his daily life he would likely find there was no shortage of publications eager for the information. Todd appeared most often in the earliest episodes of The Staircase, which began filming not long after Michael was indicted for Kathleen's murder in 2001. Margaret Ratliff ( Sophie Turner) attempts to lighten the mood with some encouraging words the night before her father Michael Peterson 's ( Colin Firth) retrial hearing for the murder of his wife . After being released from prison in 2011, he's now fighting to clear his name. Martha Ratliff, 20, will return to classes at the University of San Francisco, and her sister Margaret Ratliff, 21, will return . She can be found on Twitter @ejclute. The Staircase on HBO Max is the latest true-crime drama series on the streaming platform you do not want to miss. Newsweek has everything you need to know about the cast of The Staircase and their real-life characters. Michael joined the phone call on Saturday to say that he believes the dramatized series is especially reckless, considering that his children are not public figures. And I thought, I cant deal with that. At that time, we were afraid he was facing the death penalty, she told the outlet. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 2. Each episode is accompanied by a disclaimer that states it is a dramatization based on certain facts. With respect to the facts that formed the basis for the series, Antonio Campos and [co-showrunner] Maggie Cohn relied on extensive source material, including firsthand accounts of the people involved in the events that took place.. Peterson, a Vietnam War veteran, newspaper columnist, and novelist, hit headlines when he was charged with murdering his second wife Kathleen Peterson on December 9, 2001. Unfortunately, owing to the way everything played out, as per Netflixs The Staircase, Martha began dealing with anxiety. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Candace has remained outspoken about her beliefs, appearing in frequent interviews and documentaries to tell her side of the story. Oh, really? says Michael. Margaret Ratliff and her young sister Martha Ratliff were adopted by Michael Peterson after . Olivia DeJonge began a career in the world of film and television starting withher 2014 feature film debut,The Sisterhood of Night. "The Staircase" revolves around the death of Petersons wife Kathleen Peterson, who was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in their Durham, North Carolina home in 2001. Michael Petersonappeared to be a happy and successful man. According to Michael Peterson, on the night of December 9, 2001, a balmy 50-something degrees, he and Kathleen were enjoying drinks by their pool after dinner. As the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick Schwarzenegger is no stranger to Hollywood. Soon after that, Michael and Patricia split up. The gripping HBO Max true crime series The Staircase follows the 2001 death of Kathleen Peterson. In The Staircase, she'll be playing Michael's adoptive daughter, Margaret Ratliff.. Margaret is one of two daughters to Elizabeth and George Ratliff, who were friends with Michael and his . Although Margaret Ratliff was not the biological child of either Michael or Kathleen Peterson, she loved her adoptive mother and remained loyal to her adoptive father throughout the trial. MP's sexual selection of women explains it. I understand if you dramatize. Clayton Peterson. Find the best Off Road trails in Charancieu, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes (France). In 2002, she filed a wrongful death lawsuit against him, which they settled for $25 million in 2007. Since then, shehas appeared inmovies across a wide variety of genres, such asRian Johnson's KnivesOut, as well asLittle Miss SunshineandHereditary. Soon after that, Michael and Patricia split up. Like his older brother Clayton, Todd Peterson stood by his father's side during the trial and today. Testimony Complete In Mike Peterson Trial - wral.com Together, they raised Clayton and Todd Peterson, Michael's sons from his previous marriage; Caitlin Atwater, Kathleen's daughter from her previous marriage; and Margaret and Martha Ratliff . He was released on time served. Black played an instrumental role in securing the murder conviction, playing on Peterson's bisexuality to create a strong motive that won over the jury. HBO Max. The biological parents of Margaret and her sister, Martha,died when the girls were young, and they were taken in by Michael and his then-wife, Patricia Peterson, while the couple was living in Germany. First of all, if we are to accept the paternity test, then they are not genetically related. Caitlin Atwater is the daughter of Kathleen Peterson and her first husband, Fred Atwater. Is it really ethically acceptable to take a living person, like my child, and then create this fantasy and fiction about them? Making matters even more complicated for Ratliff: She had been interested in documentary filmmaking before Kathleens death. Theincident and its subsequent murder trialdrew media attention as Michael was eventually convicted ofkilling his wife. After her death, Peterson raised Ratliff's two girls. Ad Choices, Peterson and Margaret Ratliff feel that their family tragedy was perverted for profit with HBO Maxs dramatized adaptation of, TVs Streaming Bubble Has Burst, a Writers Strike Looms, and Everybody Is Freaking Out. Peterson blames Jean-Xavier de Lestrade for working with HBO Max: We feel that Jean pimped us outsold OUR storyfor moneywhat word other than pimped describes what he did?. But in the final episode, which was filmed the most recently, Michael remarked on the phone to his daughter Margaret that Todd "doesn't want this," seeming to refer to the attention that came with the court case. PSA: Our Carb-Loving Keto Cookbook Is 32% Off for a Few More Hours, This Dynamic Warm-Up Will Help You Prep For Your Best Workout Yet, These Before-and-After Photos Show How Much Your Body Can Change From Drinking Less Alcohol. Lauren Kranc is the assistant content strategy editor at Esquire, where she runs the brands social media accounts and covers pop culture and television, with entirely too narrow an expertise on true crime shows, .css-gk9meg{display:block;font-family:Lausanne,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;padding-top:0.25rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-gk9meg:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.15;margin-bottom:0.25rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 73.75rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}Bella Ramsey Sorts Out 'The Last of Us' Finale, 'The Diplomat' Season 2: Everything We Know, Woody Harrelson Opens Up About His 'SNL' Monologue, Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux Open Up, The Spookiest Urban Legend in Every State, 'Succession' Showed It's Not Fun Ruling the World, Eight Shows to Watch After 'The Diplomat', The True Story Behind HBO's 'Love & Death'. In Episode 1, Todd described what he was feeling when he arrived at his father's home the night Kathleen died. At first, Candace believed Peterson's innocence, but as viewers will come to see in HBO Max's The Staircase, she changed her view and became one of his strongest opponents. The filmmakers began filming Peterson and his family shortly after he was indicted for murder. Thats especially because while Elizabeths death was initially ruled to be from an intracerebral hemorrhage, a second autopsy (from her exhumed body) in 2003 updated her manner of death to homicide. Michael was coincidently the last person to see Elizabeth alive, leading many to speculate an affair or some conflict between the two once Kathleens case came around over 15 years later. His daughter Margaret Ratliff told Vanity Fair that she is upset that her relatives were not involved in formal conversations about the project. When a lifetime of fandom met a journalism degree, a ScreenRant writer was born. Did Michael Peterson kill Kathleen Peterson? 9 - Cosmopolitan Ready for the full breakdown? In the HBO Max seriesThe Staircase, Sophie Turner plays Margaret Ratliff, one of Michael Petersons adopted daughters. Kathleen Peterson was a loving mother and had a successful career. Who are Michael Peterson's Children and Where Are They Now? - MSN and I was super qualified, really excited, says Ratliff. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. In November of 1985, Michaels family had dinner with Elizabeth and her daughters, Margaret and Martha. Discover the best of Charancieu so you can plan your trip right. And the same way with prisonafter I spent eight years in prison and got out, the last thing I wanted to watch was a prison movie. He was eventually released on bail and wore an ankle monitor in 2011 after the validity of the trial was brought into question. Anyone else notice this. Kathleen died in her Durham, North Carolina home at the bottom of a staircase. The Staircase Cast: Who Each Actor Is Playing In The HBO - CINEMABLEND She was neighbors with Peterson and his ex-wife and they adopted the girls after her death. Dane DeHaan has appeared in a variety of films and television series throughout his career. A combination of biology and psychology. It looks like Todd eschews the public eye, so there isn't much information available about him on the internet. The Staircase Michael Peterson's Family Tree - POPSUGAR Surreally, the Saturday premiere of Subject nearly coincided with the finale of HBO Maxs series, which was released on Thursday. We felt so strange going to breakfast because people would just stare at us, Ratliff remembers.) The Staircase viewers may also recognize her from Call My Agent!, Chocolat, and The Unbearable Lightness of Being. A grim, beguiling adaptation of the popular documentary takes a meta approach to a popular genre. In short, that means he accepted that it would be possible to convict him based on the evidence, even though he insisted he did not do the crime. MP picks women in his life who look like his mother (probably more common than many people are willing to admit). If I had not taken the Alford plea but gone on with another trial, it wouldve been years more. Author Diane Fanning writes in her book Written in Blood that Todd supposedly told police officers he thought Kathleen's death was alcohol-related, per Newsweek. How the HBO Max series reenacted one of the most outlandish theories in true crimeand made it pretty believable. Next:How Catching Killers Differs From Other True Crime Shows. They dont want to live this all over again, which is pretty much the reason why I took the Alford plea, says Michael. Today, Caitlin Atwater lives in northern Virginia with her family. The Staircase Editor Sophie Brunet on Her "Painful" Michael Peterson Guinee is best known for his role as the United States Air Force Major Allen in Iron Man and Iron Man 2. This show is about [the Michael Peterson case], but its not another telling of the same thing, Turner explained. Schwarzenegger has also been cast to appear as Golden Boy inThe Boys'spinoffseries. In the series, Michael is played by Colin Firth, while Kathleen is played by Toni Collette.

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