Andrew Garfield was nominated for an Emmy for his performance in “Under the Banner of Heaven.” Variety reported that Garfield was nominated for best actor in a limited series. He plays detective Jeb Pyre, a Latter-day Saint detective who investigates the murders of Brenda and Erica Lafferty. His character has a faith crisis during his investigation.
Was Jeb Pyre a real detective on the case?
No, he was not.
The credits for “Under the Banner of Heaven” read, “This program is inspired by actual true crime events. Some characters in the program are fictional and some scenes and dialogues are invented for creative and storyline purposes.”
Pyre is an invented character who does not exist in real life as one of the detectives who investigated the murders.
The detective who investigated the double homicide was primarily Terry Fox, who was the American Fork police chief.
Why did Dustin Lance Black make up Pyre?
Show writer Dustin Lance Black stated why he created Pyre. “That started as a notion when I was having conversations with an actual investigator who worked on the case, who was very helpful but asked to not be depicted as himself; he didn’t want to have to live through that again, and I understood that.”
This led Black to create detective Bill Taba as well, because he wanted the audience to be an investigator while watching the series. He said, “Well, I’d love to put the viewer there so let’s create an investigator, and in fact let’s create two investigators so that we have one who comes from within, and one who comes from the outside”
What did Garfield say influenced him in that role?
According to Newsweek, Garfield said that conversations with a different detective influenced his portrayal of Pyre.
In an interview with Variety, Garfield also stated, “I traveled to Utah for a little research trip with some friends of Dustin Lance’s and met countless ex-Mormons, current Mormons, future ex-Mormons, cop Mormons, I just asked lots and lots of questions and tried to immerse myself in that culture as much as possible and made sure that there wasn’t a hair out of place in that way.”
FAQs
Detectives Jeb Pyre and Bill Taba are characters that were created purely for the show, Newsweek reports. Actor Andrew Garfield, who plays Pyre, told Newsweek that while the characters aren't based on any real persons involved in the case, he did speak to a Mormon detective to prepare for the role.
Is Andrew Garfield's character in Under the Banner of Heaven real? ›
Andrew Garfield's character in Under the Banner of Heaven, Jeb Pyre, isn't a real person, but the performance is very much rooted in authenticity.
Is detective Jeb Pyre a real person? ›
Pyre is an invented character who does not exist in real life as one of the detectives who investigated the murders. The detective who investigated the double homicide was primarily Terry Fox, who was the American Fork police chief.
How much of Under the Banner of Heaven is true? ›
Though the detectives are fictional, the case is very real. After uncovering a number of secrets of the Lafferty family, the detectives race to capture Dan (Wyatt Russell) and Ron Lafferty (Sam Worthington) and they do so in the show's finale, but that is where the drama ends — the real case was far from over.
What happened to the real people in Under the Banner of Heaven? ›
Dan, who is now in his mid 70s, is serving a life sentence at Utah State Prison. He claimed to have killed both Brenda and Erica, but one of the brother's acquaintances said that Ron had admitted to killing Brenda and had thanked Dan for murdering Erica.
Is Detective Pyre still Mormon? ›
Though he never decisively breaks with the church, by the end of the series it is clear he has grown disillusioned with the beliefs that once anchored his life.
Did Dan Lafferty marry his daughter? ›
In the end, Dan changed his mind about taking Matilda's daughter as his wife and instead married a woman named Ann Randak who he'd met when borrowing a horse from the ranch she worked at.
Are any of the Laffertys still alive? ›
Nov. 11, 2019: Ron Lafferty dies of natural causes after spending 34 years on death row, one of the longest-serving condemned inmates in the country. 2022: Dan Lafferty remains in the Utah State Prison, serving a life sentence.
How do Mormons feel about Under the Banner of Heaven? ›
“Dustin Lance Black Is Ready for Backlash, 'Death Threats' From the Mormon Church Thanks to Under the Banner of Heaven,” read another. As promised, the show has managed to offend or at least alienate most of the Latter-day Saints who have given it a chance, including the most sophisticated viewers.
What happened to Ron and Dan Lafferty's wife? ›
Brenda, who didn't agree with Ron and Dan's fundamentalist views, strongly advised Dianna to seek divorce from Ron. Unable to find any other way out, Dianna officially filed for divorce, which was finalized in 1983. Following their split, Dianna moved back to Florida, taking their six kids with her.
In fact, the case is still considered one of the most notorious and gruesome in the state's history. And while the case is it's based on is real, the show does have some fictionalized elements. Detectives Jeb Pyre and Bill Taba are characters that were created purely for the show, Newsweek reports.
What happened to Brenda Lafferty? ›
Brenda Lafferty was beautiful, intelligent, and assertive. And those were some of the reasons why her brothers-in-law, Ron and Dan Lafferty, decided to murder her and her 15-month-old daughter Erica in 1984. Weeks FamilyBrenda Lafferty and her daughter Erica. Both were murdered by Ron and Dan Lafferty in 1984.
What happened to Claudine Lafferty? ›
“How could someone hear what they were planning and not do anything to warn Brenda?” Brenda's sister Betty Wright McEntire asked Krakauer. “I just can't understand it.” As of 2004, Claudine was reportedly working at the Provo LDS Temple. She died in 2016, at the age of 96.
Is Bill Taba a real person? ›
"Jebediah Pyre and Bill Taba are a fictionalisation," Black explained. "That started as a notion when I was having conversations with an actual investigator who worked on the case, who was very helpful but asked to not be depicted as himself, he didn't want to have to live through that again, and I understood that.
What happened to Detective Pyre in Under the Banner of Heaven? ›
Pyre and Taba locate Ron and Dan in the Circus Circus Casino in Reno, Nevada. The brothers are arrested just as Ron attempts to murder Dan in a bid to become the true "One." Pyre returns home and reconciles with his wife, no longer a believing man but seeing his family as his faith like Allen before him.
Are any of the casts of Under the Banner of Heaven Mormon? ›
So Under the Banner of Heaven is in some ways a milestone for Mormon representation: though none of the main cast members are active or former Mormons, creator Dustin Lance Black was raised in the church and became an industry name as the only writer of Mormon experience in the writer's room for Big Love, HBO's ...
Was Andrew Garfield nominated for Under the Banner of Heaven? ›
Andrew Garfield was nominated for best actor in a limited series for his role in “Under the Banner of Heaven.” Did he win?
Where are the Lafferty brothers now? ›
Nov. 11, 2019: Ron Lafferty dies of natural causes after spending 34 years on death row, one of the longest-serving condemned inmates in the country. 2022: Dan Lafferty remains in the Utah State Prison, serving a life sentence.
