Candy Cast & Character Guide: What The Real People Look Like

Hulu's Candy mini-series has a solid cast - but how close do the actors look compared to the real-life figures involved in the court case?

Warning: This article contains potential spoilers for Hulu’s Candy.

Hulu’s Candy mini-series has a talented cast, with many of the characters looking strikingly similar to their real-world counterparts. Candy is a true crime show based on the story of Candace “Candy” Montgomery, a woman who was charged with murdering the wife of a man she was having an affair with in 1980, leading to a controversial trial that lasted eight days. Hulu’s 5-episode nightly event chronicles the case, which stars Jessica Biel as Candy, Melanie Lynskey as Betty Gore, Pablo Schreiber as Allan Gore, and Timothy Simons as Pat Montgomery.

Candy is based on the true-crime book “Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs” by John Bloom and Jim Atkinson. The mini-series was created by Robin Veith and Nick Antosca, who previously worked on the true-crime project The Act, with Joey King and Patricia Arquette. In addition to the Hulu streaming service mini-series, HBO Max is preparing their own limited series adaptation of the book, called Love and Death, which will debut later in 2022 and star Elizabeth Olsen, Lily Rabe, Patrick Fugit, and Jesse Plemons.

Candy follows on the heels of Hulu’s recent true-life tale, Pam and Tommy, as well as their other real-world dramas, including The Dropout with Amanda Seyfriend and The Girl From Plainville with Elle Fanning. Here’s a cast guide to the actors and who they’re portraying in Candy, as well as a look at their real-life counterparts.

Jessica Biel as Candy Montgomery

Candy Montgomery is a Texas homemaker and businesswoman who had an affair with her friend Betty Gore’s husband, later murdering Betty with an axe when the affair was discovered. Jessica Biel plays Candy and is best known for her early role as Mary Camden in the TV series 7th Heaven, before branching out into features films, starring in movies like Summer Catch, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Blade: Trinity, The A-Team, Powder Blue, and The Sinner TV series.

Melanie Lynskey as Betty Gore

Betty Gore was a schoolteacher and homemaker who was murdered by her friend Candy, after confronting her about having an affair with her husband. Melanie Lynskey plays Gore, who is best known for her work in films like Flags of our Fathers, The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Castle Rock, and Yellowjackets.

Pablo Schreiber as Allan Gore

Allan Gore was the husband of Betty Gore, who had an affair with her friend Candy for a number of years before being exposed, forcing a confrontation that led to Betty’s death. Pablo Schreiber plays Gore, who is currently playing Master Chief on the Paramount Plus series Halo, and has been seen in American Gods and Orange is the New Black.

Timothy Simons as Pat Montgomery

Pat Montgomery was the husband of Candy, who began an affair with Betty Gore’s husband before later murdering Betty in a confrontation. Timothy Simons plays Montgomery, who is best known as Jonah Ryan in Veep, as well as Home Sweet Home Alone and voice work in Rugrats and Big Hero 6.

Candy’s Supporting Cast and Guest Star Guide

Raúl Esparza as Dan Crowder – Dan Crowder was the defense attorney for Candy Montgomery during her murder trial and was instrumental in the outcome of her case. Esparza is best known for his role as Rafael Barba on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and has appeared in numerous TV shows including Hannibal, The Path, and Dopesick.

Jessie Mueller as Sherry Cleckler – Sherry Cleckler was the best friend and confidant of Candy Montgomery, who knew of the affair between her and Betty Gore’s husband, Allan. Jessie Mueller plays Cleckler, who is primarily a stage actress, but has appeared in TV shows like Evil and Madam Secretary, as well as doing voice work for Centaurworld.

Jason Ritter as Deputy Denny Reese – Deputy Denny Reese is one of the sheriffs that took part in the investigation of the murder of Betty Gore. Jason Ritter, the offspring of John Ritter, plays Reese, and has a long list of credits that include work on Parenthood, Gravity Falls, Frozen II, and Raising Dion.

Justin Timberlake as Steven Deffibaugh – Steven Deffibaugh was one of the original responding officers to investigate Betty Gore’s murder and would later testify at the trial of Candy Montgomery. Timberlake is married to Candy star Jessica Biel, and is known for his music career, as well as for appearing in films like The Social Network, Runner, Runner, In Time, and Friends with Benefits.