Gerald McRaney brands Alex Murdaugh 'a man who had no soul' after playing killer's father

Veteran histrion Gerald McRaney stepped into the portion of the formidable begetter astatine the bosom of Hulu’s constricted bid "Murdaugh: Death successful the Family," a relation helium said required him to inhabit a family’s patriarch amid scandal.

McRaney, 78, spoke with Fox News Digital astir however helium approached portraying Randolph Murdaugh III, the patriarch who loomed implicit generations of privilege successful South Carolina’s Lowcountry.

"You were dealing with a antheral who had nary soul," McRaney said of Randolph's son, Alex. "Everything was done to impressment different radical with his success. It didn’t substance however helium got that benignant of approval."

The Murdaugh household held power implicit South Carolina’s judicial strategy for astir a century. Three generations served arsenic solicitors connected the state’s 14th Circuit, portion maintaining a lucrative backstage instrumentality signifier successful Hampton County.

Jason Clarke arsenic Alex Murdaugh and Gerald McRaney arsenic Randolph Murdaugh successful "Murdaugh: Death successful the Family." (Disney/Daniel Delgado Jr.)

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That disguise of prestige began to ace aft a 2019 boating mishap involving Paul Murdaugh, the grandson of Randolph III, which killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach.

In 2021, Randolph’s son, Alex Murdaugh, was charged with murdering his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. Prosecutors said Alex killed them to distract from fiscal crimes that were astir to travel to light.

The shocking revelations are captured successful Hulu’s "Murdaugh: Death successful the Family" series, created by Michael D. Fuller and Erin Lee Carr.

‘Generational indulgence of prodigal sons’

For McRaney, knowing the Murdaughs began with examining however powerfulness became inherited and unchallenged.

"There was a generational indulgence of prodigal sons," helium said. "Every procreation got a small spot deeper into trouble. And erstwhile you don’t clasp radical to relationship erstwhile they’re children, past nary 1 holds them to relationship until they’re successful a tribunal of law."

Gerald McRaney portrayed Randolph Murdaugh III. (Disney/Daniel Delgado Jr.)

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McRaney saw the dangers of unchecked powerfulness arsenic cardinal to the Randolph Murdaugh III storyline successful the deed series. 

"It was retired of ego for himself, to person radical deliberation that his children were perfect," helium said. "People aren’t perfect. When you person to support that image, you’re asking for trouble."

In the series, Randolph Murdaugh III is portrayed arsenic the keeper of the family’s image, a antheral who commands respect but struggles with what that bequest demands. McRaney approached the relation not arsenic a villain, but arsenic a antheral blinded by pride.

"You bash privation to support your children each the time. You don’t privation atrocious things to hap to them," helium said. "But that instinct tin crook destructive erstwhile it becomes astir protecting an illusion."

"There was a generational indulgence of prodigal sons," McRaney said. (Disney/Daniel Delgado Jr.)

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Though the Murdaugh saga unfolded successful South Carolina, the Hulu bid was filmed wholly successful Georgia, a item that disappointed McRaney, whose girl lives successful Beaufort.

"We filmed everything successful the Atlanta area. I would alternatively person done it successful South Carolina," helium said, adding that the formed ne'er went connected a tract sojourn to the Murdaughs' estate. "My girl lives successful Beaufort. She and her household were precise alert of this lawsuit the full clip it was going on."

Even from a distance, McRaney said the accumulation squad worked meticulously to seizure the case’s authenticity.

"They did a batch of research, adjacent matching wardrobe to photographs taken connected peculiar days portion the lawsuit was going on," helium explained. "It was precise detailed. Most radical astir apt won’t notice, but for me, it helped successful the acting process."

McRaney described Alex Murdaugh arsenic a antheral "who had nary soul." (Disney/Daniel Delgado Jr.)

Beyond the specifics of the Murdaugh saga, McRaney sees the communicative arsenic a reflection of a broader motivation erosion.

"We’ve go excessively indulgent with radical and we don’t clasp them to account," helium said. "You work each these stories of a feline who yet commits execution aft being fixed probation for battle oregon burglary. He was ne'er held to relationship until it’s excessively late."

"We’ve benignant of taken religion, immoderate your religion mightiness be, retired of our culture," helium said. "Religion utilized to clasp 2 things: anticipation for radical who were down, and judgement for radical who were evil. People don’t judge that anymore. And erstwhile they don’t, justness becomes conscionable a substance of luck."

The seasoned histrion credits the show’s occurrence to its restraint and refusing to sensationalize a story.

"They didn’t over-dramatize things," helium said. "You’re dealing with a communicative that doesn’t request to beryllium dramatized. Just archer the story, and it works."

Despite the acheronian taxable matter, helium recovered playing Randolph amazingly natural.

"How casual it was to recognize his constituent of view," McRaney said. "It’s ever casual to warrant protecting your children. But that’s wherever pridefulness becomes a trap."

"Murdaugh: Death successful the Family" premiered connected Hulu successful October and rapidly roseate successful the platform’s rankings. The seven-episode bid reached its finale connected Wednesday, Nov. 19.

Noah Emmerich, Gerald McRaney, Will Harrison and Jason Clarke successful "Murdaugh: Death successful the Family." (Disney/Daniel Delgado Jr.)

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At 78, McRaney shows nary signs of slowing down. He shared with Fox News Digital that helium maintains a strict fittingness routine.

"If you stop, past you stop," helium said. "I’ve known excessively galore radical who retired and past conscionable disappeared."

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His mornings statesman with stretching, calisthenics and agelong walks by the water extracurricular his home.

"It astir apt does much bully than immoderate of the different stuff, conscionable getting retired into the air," helium said.

Fox News Digital eached retired to Alex Murdaugh's attorney, Dick Harpootlian, for remark connected the series.