Washington [US], December 22 : Singer-songwriter and actor Mandy Moore wanted to show off a new skill, so she signed on for the second season of the real crime series 'Dr Death', after spending more than five years on 'This Is Us' as matriarch Rebecca Pearson reported People.
"Coming off of six seasons of a show, I wanted to deviate as much as possible and find something that didn't remind me of the past at all," Moore 39, told People. "As an actor, that's where the challenge lies. That's exciting and fun."
According to People, 'Dr Death' season 2, based on the real-life story chronicled in a podcast of the same name, follows Moore's investigative journalist Benita Alexander who became entangled professionally and personally with "Miracle Man" Paolo Macchiarini (Edgar Ramirez), a charming surgeon renowned for his innovative operations. As the pair grew closer, Alexander stumbled into shocking discoveries about Macchiarini's supposedly revolutionary methods.
Moore loved the Peacock show's first season, which chronicled the life of Dallas neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch, who left his victims dead, crippled, or disfigured.
So when the opportunity presented itself to join season 2, "I was like, 'Yes, please,'" says the mother of two. "I love in this particular season how it follows the duality of somebody who's able to be somebody else in both sides of their life, professionally and personally, and how deeply nefarious and terrifying that is."
The "Candy" singer wants viewers to be able to relate to her portrayal of Alexander. "Hopefully I can be a conduit for the audience to see themselves in how somebody like that could still fall victim to this kind of manipulation," Moore says of the TV news producer. "It is fascinating to me."
Despite her fascination with Dr Death, Moore doesn't consider herself a true crime junkie.
"I dip my toe into the true crime pond," she says. "Maybe not as deeply as everybody else, but I love this specific podcast and story because I think the innate trust we give doctors and surgeons and the medical field in general, that's a world that I find endlessly fascinating. It feels slightly different than your run-of-the-mill true crime stuff."
The Emmy-nominated actress calls Dr Death "truly bingey" because "you watch each episode, you're like, 'How does the story ultimately unfold and does this guy get his comeuppance?'"
According to People, overall, though, Moore likes "a healthy balance of some wholesome entertainment" with her true crime intake.
"So this with a side of Great British Bake Off is the perfect situation for me," Moore says of Dr Death. Moore hasn't chosen a performer for if her life ever served as the inspiration for a television series or motion picture, similar to how Alexander Macchiarini's 'Dr Death' was a hit.
"I don't know who I would want to portray me," Moore says. "Maybe it's someone I just don't even know of yet." All eight episodes of 'Dr Death' season 2 are streaming now on Peacock, reported People.