You’ve probably seen the headlines or caught the Netflix hit by now. Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, Woman of the Hour, is one of those movies that makes you want to double-lock your front door. It’s creepy. It’s stylish. But mostly, it’s deeply unsettling because it actually happened. The cast of Woman of the Hour true story brings to life a moment in 1978 that sounds like a bad urban legend: a serial killer winning a televised dating show.
Honestly, the real story is arguably scarier than the film. While Kendrick takes some creative liberties to make a point about 70s misogyny, the bones of the narrative are chillingly accurate. Let’s break down who these people were in real life and how the actors handled the weight of playing them.
The Real People Behind the Cast of Woman of the Hour True Story
When you’re looking at the cast of Woman of the Hour true story, the most famous face is obviously Anna Kendrick. She plays Sheryl Bradshaw. In real life, her name was spelled Cheryl. She was a drama teacher and a part-time actress looking for her big break. Kendrick has been pretty open about the fact that her version of Sheryl is a bit of a "fantasy version."
In the movie, Sheryl is sharp, witty, and starts dismantling the sexist questions on the show. The real Cheryl Bradshaw was definitely smart, but she didn’t necessarily have a feminist showdown on stage. However, her "spidey senses" were 100% real. After the cameras stopped rolling, she famously refused to go on the date. She told the producers that Rodney Alcala gave her "weird vibes." That gut feeling likely saved her life.
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Daniel Zovatto as Rodney Alcala
Daniel Zovatto plays Rodney Alcala, and he captures that "chameleon" energy perfectly. Alcala wasn’t some basement-dwelling weirdo; he was a photographer with a high IQ who could charm his way into almost any room. By the time he walked onto the set of The Dating Game, he had already killed several people.
The movie shows him as "Bachelor Number Three." In reality, he was "Bachelor Number One." It’s a small change, but it’s interesting how the film shifts the order to build tension. Zovatto plays him with a simmering menace that feels very close to the real-life footage you can still find on YouTube.
Tony Hale as the Host (Jim Lange)
Tony Hale plays Ed Burke, the host of the show. If you’re a trivia buff, you know the real host was Jim Lange. Lange was a legendary broadcaster, and while the movie paints the character as a bit of a sleazy symbol of the era's sexism, people who knew the real Lange generally remember him as a professional. Hale has said his performance was less of a biography of Lange and more of a representation of the "disconnection from reality" that defined 70s media culture.
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The Victims and Survivors in the Cast
One of the most powerful parts of the film is how it centers the women Alcala targeted, rather than just glorifying the killer.
- Autumn Best as Amy: Her character is basically a composite, but she's most closely based on Monique Hoyt. In 1979, Alcala picked up 15-year-old Monique while she was hitchhiking. She managed to escape when he stopped at a gas station.
- Kathryn Gallagher as Charlie: This character is based on Cornelia Crilley, a flight attendant killed in New York in 1971. The movie uses her story to show how long Alcala had been active before the show.
- Nicolette Robinson as Laura: Here is where the movie leans into fiction. Laura is the woman in the audience who recognizes Rodney and tries to warn the producers. In real life, this didn't happen. It’s a narrative device used to highlight how women's voices were often ignored during that time.
Why This Story Still Sticks With Us
The cast of Woman of the Hour true story works because it doesn't treat the murders like a puzzle to be solved. It treats them like a tragedy that was avoidable. Rodney Alcala was actually a convicted child molester who had been on the FBI's Most Wanted list before he ever appeared on TV.
How did he get through the background check? Well, there basically wasn't one. The 1970s were a wild west of paper records and disconnected police departments.
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Fact vs. Fiction: The Bar Scene
One of the tensest moments in the movie is when Sheryl goes for a drink with Rodney after the show. It’s dark, uncomfortable, and ends with a confrontation in a parking lot.
In the real world, this never happened.
Cheryl Bradshaw never went to a bar with him. She felt sick to her stomach just being near him backstage. She called the contestant coordinator, Ellen Metzger, the very next day and said, "I can't go out with this guy." She chose a tennis lesson over a date with a killer.
Actionable Insights for True Crime Fans
If you're fascinated by the cast of Woman of the Hour true story, there are a few things you can do to get the full picture without the Hollywood polish:
- Watch the actual footage: You can find snippets of the 1978 Dating Game episode online. Watching the real Rodney Alcala say, "I'm called the banana and I look good... peel me," is far more haunting than any scripted line.
- Read the court transcripts: If you want to understand the scale of his crimes, look into the testimony of Tali Shapiro. She was a survivor who testified against him decades later, and her bravery is what finally secured his conviction.
- Trust your gut: The biggest takeaway from Cheryl Bradshaw’s story isn't about the killer—it's about the survivor. She couldn't explain why he was creepy; she just knew he was. In a world that often tells women to be "polite," her refusal to play along is the most important lesson of the film.
The movie ends with a somber note about Alcala's eventual death in prison in 2021. He died of natural causes while on death row. While the film gives us a sense of closure through Sheryl’s escape, the real-life aftermath involved decades of pain for the families of his many victims.