Sarah Snook was initially hesitant to return to television during the height of her award-winning theater run.
In 2024, while concluding her acclaimed performance in The Picture of Dorian Gray on London’s West End—a role that saw her portray 26 different characters and earn both Tony and Laurence Olivier awards—Snook was focused on a potential Broadway transfer. When All Her Fault creator Megan Gallagher and executive producer Nigel Marchant first approached her, Snook resisted, fearing that balancing a new series with theater would be an impossible ask. Furthermore, she was reluctant to spend extended time away from her family, having recently welcomed a daughter with husband Dave Lawson.
The turning point came when Gallagher mentioned the possibility of filming in Australia, Snook’s home country. This incentive prompted her to read the script, which intrigued her by offering a genre she hadn’t yet explored in episodic television. “I haven’t really done a thriller,” Snook noted, adding that while a strong plot is essential, it was the complex interpersonal relationships and “twisty-turny” narrative that ultimately won her over.
After reading Andrea Mara’s 2021 novel, the basis for the adaptation, Snook signed on for the eight-part series. The project became a massive success, ranking as the most-watched original series in Peacock’s history with 46 million viewing hours in its first three weeks. Snook stars as Marissa Irvine, a wealthy Chicago suburb mother whose life descends into a nightmare when her son, Milo (Duke McCloud), vanishes during a playdate.
The series delivers high tension as detective Jim Alcaras (Michael Peña) leads the search. The investigation exposes deep fractures in Marissa’s marriage to commodities trader Peter (Jake Lacy) and her partnership with Colin (Jay Ellis). Plot twists reveal that a childhood injury suffered by Peter’s brother, Brian (Daniel Monks), was actually a calculated act by Peter—a crime for which their sister, Lia (Abby Elliott), spent years feeling guilty. The season concludes with the revelation that Josie (Sophia Lillis), a nanny for fellow mother Jenny (Dakota Fanning), kidnapped Milo to replace a child she had lost in a tragic accident.
When asked why she chose this specific project following the global phenomenon of Succession, Snook emphasizes that Marissa is the antithesis of Shiv Roy. While both characters navigate worlds of extreme wealth, their personalities are vastly different. “Shiv was just so cold,” Snook says with a laugh. “Marissa is charismatic, fun, and caring. She’s a person who sees through the bullshit.” Snook found the challenge of exploring how such a character handles the surreal trauma of a missing child deeply compelling.
Sarah Enticknap/Peacock
The most demanding aspect of the role was maintaining a state of perpetual panic. Snook worked meticulously to ensure her grief and intensity had nuanced layers to provide a satisfying emotional payoff. She relied heavily on costume designer Gypsy Taylor’s wardrobe choices, using layers and attire to signal Marissa’s emotional state.
Snook admits that her own experience as a new mother made the character’s fear more accessible. Although she doesn’t consider herself an anxious person, motherhood allowed her to tap into the imaginative horror of the situation with greater nuance.
Serving as an executive producer, Snook drew inspiration from the leadership she witnessed on Succession. She admired how Jesse Armstrong and Mark Mylod fostered an environment where there was a clear functional hierarchy but a fundamental equality in the value placed on everyone’s contributions.
While she is unsure of any future plans for the show, Snook remains stunned by its popularity, noting that the series brought in roughly a million new subscribers for Peacock. Reflecting on the success, she suggests that in an era of isolated mobile viewing, there is still a “delicious” appeal to the collective experience of a cultural bandwagon.