Josh Duhamel was pictured on the set of the new true crime series The Thing About Pam for the first time. 

The 48-year-old Las Vegas actor transformed into his character, attorney Joel Schwartz, by way of a distinct wig with widow's peak as he began filming in New Orleans, Louisiana on Wednesday.  

The limited NBC series is set to tell the story of the brutal 2011 murder of Betsy Faria, her husband's wrongful conviction and an alleged scheme involving 'serial killer', Pam Hupp, played by Renee Zellweger. 

The Thing About Pam: The true crime series kicked off filming in New Orleans this week with Josh Duhamel and Renee Zellweger, and tells the story of the brutal 2011 murder of Betsy Faria

Duhamel was pictured shooting scenes in a denim shirt with black athletic shorts and simple slides, with an expertly fitted wig and full face of makeup.  

Production shot a scene in which Duhamel was presented with case evidence while playing guitar at home on his porch. 

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His first day on set, Zellweger had been pictured days prior kicking off production in a fat suit to transform into the role of Hupp — a woman who was charged with killing Faria and later a man in 2016. 

In the series Duhamel was tapped to play Schwartz, the defense attorney for Betsy's husband Russ — a man who received a lifetime sentence in 2013 for the murder before it was overturned as a wrongful conviction.  

Getting in character: In the series he was tapped to play Schwartz, the attorney for Betsy's husband Russ Faria — who received a lifetime sentence after being wrongly convicted of her murder before he was acquitted when a twisted scheme was exposed 

In scene: Duhamel was pictured shooting a scene in which he receives case evidence while playing guitar at home

Real life: Schwartz most recently represented Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple who waved guns and threatened Black Lives Matter protesters in July 2020, and they subsequently plead guilty; Schwartz pictured June 2021

Most recently Schwartz represented Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple who waved guns and threatened Black Lives Matter protesters in July 2020, and they subsequently plead guilty. 

With regards to the case of Faria, shortly after Christmas in 2011 Russ came home to find that his wife Betsy — a woman with terminal cancer — was fatally stabbed 55 times in their Troy, Missouri house.  

It was revealed years later, that her death was the result of an elaborate scheme spearheaded by Betsy's friend Pam, the last person to see her alive. 

After driving her home from the hospital following a chemotherapy treatment, Pam repeatedly stabbed her, with court documents alleging she went as far as to dip Betsy's socks in her own blood to spread around the house, in an effort to make it look like Russ killed her in a domestic assault situation.

Unrecognizable: On October 4, Zellweger was pictured wearing a fat suit to transform into her character, Pam Hupp, the woman who was charged with the brutal murder following Betsy's husband Russ' wrongful conviction 

Four days before Betsy's death, Hupp was made the beneficiary of her $150,000 life insurance policy in place of her husband, unbeknownst to him.

In 2012 Russ was charged with murder, and in 2013 he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, with Hupp even testifying against him in court. 

In a 2015 retrial Schwartz pointed the finger at Hupp and argued she had both motive and the opportunity to kill Betsy, and Russ' conviction was overturned. 

In 2016 Pam shot and killed a disabled man by the name of Louis Gumpenberger, in her own home. She claimed he showed up to demand 'Russ's money' (Betsy's $150,000 life insurance money)  and that she killed him in self-defense. 

Scheme: Five years after Hupp stabbed Betsy 55 times and went as far as to dip the victim's socks in her own blood to make it look like a domestic abuse killing, she shot and killed a disabled man in 2016; Hupp pictured 2016

An investigation revealed she plotted the whole thing and used him as a pawn, and she was charged a week later. 

In 2019 she entered an alford plea — meaning she pled guilty without admitting to the criminal act and maintaining innocence — to avoid the death penalty, and she was subsequently sentenced to life in prison with parole. 

Most recently she was charged with the first degree murder of Betsy on July 12, 2021 — a decade after the incident took place. Hupp has repeatedly denied any involvement and on September 13 an armed criminal action charge was also dropped. 

The limited NBC/Blumhouse series also stars Katy Mixon (American Housewife) as Betsy, Glenn Fleshler (True Detective) as Russ, and Judy Greer as Lincoln County prosecutor, Leah Askey who tried Russ twice for the murder. 

Filming was originally slated to start in September, but on account of Hurricane Ida filming was pushed back. It is the first movie to film in Louisiana following the destruction.  

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