JOEY KILLS IT CAUGHT IN THE ACT!

The actress takes on a deadly role

True-crime stories are at the centre of many TV addictions right now. From MakingaMurderer and TheTedBundyTapes to The Assassination of GianniVersace and The Staircase, these sinful tales have streamers hooked.

The latest series following the trend is The Act, which tells the real-life story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who murdered her mother Dee Dee in 2015. The show kicked off earlier this month on Lightbox and was so popular, it broke the company’s record for the most streamed new programme, previously held by The Hand maid’ s Tale.

Dee Dee – played by Oscar-winning actress Patricia Arquette – had Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a condition in which a caretaker creates a fake illness for someone they’re looking after, often a child.

The unstable mother mentally and physically tortured Gypsy for years, keeping her trapped at

home in a wheelchair while putting her through operations and medical procedures she never actually needed.

“Her story is beyond comprehension!” tells Joey King, who plays Gypsy in the drama. “The physical transformation was really, really huge for me. I shaved my head and wore four different sets of fake teeth for the role. With the costumes, the wheelchair and the voice, everything seemed to fall into place.”

The real-life Gypsy is now serving time in prison and although she’s complained she wasn’t consulted, Joey’s acting was acclaimed.

“It was one of the hardest roles I’ve ever taken on – the hardest, I would definitely say,” tells the KissingBooth actress. “It’s crazy, though, because with a role like Gypsy, no matter how much prep you do, no matter how much research you do, no matter how much script work you do, nothing will prepare you until you’re on that set.”