Mary Ann Broberg: Last News

Emily Longeretta As someone who “makes documentaries as a side hustle,” Colin Hanks is used to telling true stories. That said, he wasn’t aware of Jan Broberg’s abduction and assault before he received the scripts for Peacock’s “A Friend of the Family.” And when he did, he still wasn’t sold. “I was just instantly judging a book by its cover, saying, ‘I don’t want to play a super nice Mormon that goes through a bunch of stuff.’ There’s so much about it that just made me, at first, say ‘No, thank you,'” Hanks tells Variety. But after reading the first three scripts, he watched Netflix’s 2017 documentary, “Abducted in Plain Sight.” “I just could not get their story out of my head — I talked about it with so many people. It ended up dragging me in. And coming out of the pandemic, two years of sitting around, I really wanted to do work that scared me and pushed me in a new direction, and made me challenge myself,” says Hanks. “I really looked at the story as that challenge, and so I just jumped off the cliff and got to work.”

Emily Longeretta Jan Broberg is telling her story again, with hope that this time, she’ll be able to help others. In 2019, she was the subject of Netflix’s documentary “Abducted In Plain Sight,” which told the story of how she was abducted twice in the 70s — first at age 12, and again at 14 — by Bob “B” Berchtold, a close family friend. At the time, he brought her to Mexico and brainwashed her into believing that she had been kidnapped by aliens and had to have sex with him in order to save her family. Her parents, Bob and Mary Ann Broberg, also had sexual experiences with “B,” as they were both groomed as well. (For clarity, Variety will refer to the Brobergs by their first names.)

EXCLUSIVE: Joe Chrest (Stranger Things) has been tapped for a heavily recurring role in A Friend of the Family, Peacock’s limited series From Nick Antosca and UCP.

Peacock’s limited drama series A Friend Of The Family continues to build its cast, adding Austin Stowell (The Hating Game), Patrick Fischler (American Crime Story: Impeachment), Bree Elrod (Red Rocket) and Philip Ettinger (First Reformed). They will join previously announced stars Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Lio Tipton, Mckenna Grace and Hendrix Yancey. A Friend Of The Family comes from Nick Antosca, who serves as showrunner, writer and executive producer.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterHendrix Yancey has been cast in a main role of the Peacock true crime series “A Friend of the Family.”She joins previously announced cast members Mckenna Grace, Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, and Lio Tipton. The series is based on the true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.”Yancey will play Jan Broberg in the early years. Jan is the oldest daughter of Bob (Hanks) and Mary Ann Broberg (Paquin) and leads a happy, traditional life in an idyllic American city.

Peacock has given a straight-to-series order to A Friend of the Family, a true-crime limited drama about the Jan Broberg kidnapping case, from Nick Antosca (The Act, Channel Zero) and UCP, with Oscar winner Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks and Lio Tipton attached to star. Eliza Hittman (Never Rarely Sometimes Always) is set to direct and executive produce multiple episodes, including the pilot.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterPeacock has given a straight-to-series order to the true crime series “A Friend of the Family,” which tells the story of the multiple kidnappings of Jan Broberg.Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, and Lio Tipton will all star in the series, which hails from “The Act” co-creator Nick Antosca. The show was originally announced as being in development back in May 2020.“A Friend of the Family” is based on the true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family, and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart, and turn their daughter against them.