The cast of Love and Death continues to receive widespread attention as audiences rediscover the HBO true-crime limited series more than two years after its original release. Featuring a powerhouse lineup led by Elizabeth Olsen, Jesse Plemons, and Lily Rabe, the production retells one of the most haunting suburban crime stories in American history — the shocking 1980 murder of Betty Gore in small-town Texas.
Blending emotional realism with tense courtroom drama, Love and Death remains one of HBO’s most compelling original series. Its cast has been praised for transforming real-life events into a deeply human exploration of passion, morality, and the hidden turbulence beneath quiet domestic life.
Overview: The Story Behind Love and Death
Love and Death premiered on HBO Max on April 27, 2023, with seven episodes that unfolded over two months. The limited series was created by David E. Kelley, known for Big Little Lies and The Undoing, and directed by Lesli Linka Glatter, a veteran filmmaker recognized for her work on Homeland and Mad Men.
The show is based on the real case of Candy Montgomery, a churchgoing housewife in Wylie, Texas, who was accused of killing her friend Betty Gore with an axe in 1980. The story explores the psychological and emotional turmoil leading up to the murder — from Candy’s affair with Betty’s husband, Allan Gore, to the violent confrontation that shocked the community.
Unlike many crime dramas that rely on sensationalism, Love and Death focuses on the inner lives of its characters. The performances from its acclaimed cast bring empathy and complexity to a story that still fascinates audiences today.
Main Cast and Characters
The success of Love and Death lies largely in its carefully chosen cast. Each actor brings depth and authenticity to a narrative that explores both love and tragedy in equal measure.
Here is a full breakdown of the cast of Love and Death and their roles in the series:
| Actor | Character | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth Olsen | Candy Montgomery | A wife and mother whose seemingly normal life unravels after an affair leads to murder. |
| Jesse Plemons | Allan Gore | Betty Gore’s husband and Candy’s lover, struggling between guilt, grief, and confusion. |
| Lily Rabe | Betty Gore | A devoted wife and mother whose death exposes the secrets of her suburban world. |
| Patrick Fugit | Pat Montgomery | Candy’s husband, a quiet and rational man unaware of his wife’s emotional turmoil. |
| Tom Pelphrey | Don Crowder | Candy’s defense attorney, known for his charisma and unconventional courtroom tactics. |
| Krysten Ritter | Sherry Cleckler | Candy’s close friend and confidante, trying to support her amid the chaos. |
| Elizabeth Marvel | Jackie Ponder | A member of the local church community who provides perspective on the unfolding scandal. |
| Keir Gilchrist | Ron Adams | A young minister at the church, drawn into the moral and emotional fallout. |
| Adam Cropper | Robert Udashen | An assistant attorney who helps Don Crowder navigate the controversial trial. |
Elizabeth Olsen as Candy Montgomery: A Career-Defining Role
Elizabeth Olsen’s portrayal of Candy Montgomery stands as one of her most impressive performances to date. Known globally for her role as Wanda Maximoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Olsen brings an entirely different energy to Love and Death — one rooted in quiet desperation and suppressed emotion.
Her version of Candy is not a caricature of a killer, but a complex woman suffocated by societal expectations and emotional isolation. Throughout the series, Olsen captures Candy’s conflicting layers: her charm, her vulnerability, and her unsettling calm in the aftermath of the murder.
Critics praised Olsen for portraying Candy’s transformation with subtle precision. The character’s cheerful façade slowly cracks, revealing a mind unraveling under the pressures of guilt and repression. Her courtroom scenes are especially powerful, balancing fragility and defiance in equal measure.
Olsen’s work earned her multiple nominations, including Best Actress in a Limited Series at the 2024 Emmy Awards, where she was recognized for her emotional range and realism.
Jesse Plemons Brings Depth to Allan Gore
Opposite Olsen, Jesse Plemons delivers a restrained and quietly heartbreaking performance as Allan Gore. Allan is a man torn between domestic obligations and forbidden desire, and Plemons portrays this tension with understated realism.
Throughout the series, Plemons’ interpretation of Allan evolves from an awkward, emotionally detached husband into a man consumed by guilt and confusion. His chemistry with Olsen is intentionally awkward — an authentic portrayal of two ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances.
Plemons’ subtle performance anchors the show’s emotional tone, allowing the audience to understand how ordinary impulses can spiral into irreversible tragedy.
Lily Rabe as Betty Gore: The Heart of the Story
Lily Rabe portrays Betty Gore with quiet intensity, transforming what could have been a one-dimensional role into one of emotional depth and empathy. Betty is introduced as a devoted wife and teacher struggling with anxiety and loneliness, and Rabe brings authenticity to her portrayal without resorting to melodrama.
Her final scenes are among the most impactful of the series, humanizing the woman whose life was overshadowed by the crime that ended it. Rabe’s nuanced performance ensures that Betty is remembered not merely as a victim, but as a person whose struggles were both relatable and tragic.
Patrick Fugit and Tom Pelphrey Deliver Strong Supporting Performances
Patrick Fugit plays Pat Montgomery, Candy’s loyal husband. Fugit’s understated acting style captures the quiet pain of a man blindsided by betrayal and scandal. His restrained performance helps maintain the show’s balance between psychological depth and emotional realism.
Meanwhile, Tom Pelphrey adds energy and flair as Don Crowder, Candy’s defense attorney. His courtroom charisma provides dramatic contrast to Olsen’s reserved demeanor. Pelphrey brings authenticity to Crowder’s confidence, showing how he turned a media frenzy into a bold defense strategy that shocked the public.
Both actors round out the series with performances that enhance the emotional complexity of the central narrative.
Krysten Ritter, Elizabeth Marvel, and Keir Gilchrist Add Texture to the Community
Beyond the central figures, the ensemble cast helps build a vivid portrait of small-town Texas in the late 1970s.
Krysten Ritter plays Sherry Cleckler, Candy’s friend and confidante, capturing the gossip and loyalty that define tight-knit communities. Elizabeth Marvel adds quiet gravitas as Jackie Ponder, a character whose religious convictions highlight the moral contradictions at the heart of the story.
Keir Gilchrist’s portrayal of Ron Adams — a young pastor caught between faith and judgment — reflects the broader cultural and spiritual conflicts that ripple through the town after the murder. Together, these performances create a rich, layered depiction of how a single event can shake an entire community.
Production and Authenticity
Filmed primarily in Austin, Texas, the production team behind Love and Death worked to recreate the look and feel of suburban life in 1980s Texas. From the wardrobe to the set design, every detail reflects the era’s color palette and architecture.
Director Lesli Linka Glatter emphasized authenticity in every frame, using real Texas locations to capture the atmosphere of the true story. The cinematography blends warmth with unease — bright exteriors juxtaposed against dimly lit interiors — symbolizing the tension between public appearance and private turmoil.
Music also plays a crucial role, with a soundtrack that features soft-rock classics and gospel-inspired hymns, grounding the series in its time and place.
Critical Reception and Awards Recognition
Love and Death received strong critical acclaim for its writing, direction, and cast performances. Reviewers highlighted its ability to avoid sensationalism, focusing instead on psychological realism and human emotion.
The ensemble was nominated for multiple awards, including recognition from the Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice Television Awards. Elizabeth Olsen’s performance, in particular, was described as “career-defining,” while Jesse Plemons was praised for his understated emotional control.
Audiences responded positively to the show’s pacing and tone, which balanced courtroom tension with reflective storytelling. Even in 2025, the series continues to rank among HBO’s most-streamed limited dramas.
Why the Cast Continues to Resonate in 2025
Years after its release, the cast of Love and Death remains central to discussions about high-quality television storytelling. The series struck a chord with viewers by blending compelling character work with a grounded depiction of real events.
The actors’ performances have stood the test of time because they reflect the complexity of human nature. Rather than portraying villains or heroes, each character embodies conflicting emotions — love, fear, guilt, and faith — that make the story both tragic and relatable.
In 2025, new audiences discovering Love and Death through streaming services continue to praise the cast for redefining what true-crime dramatization can achieve. The series has set a standard for authenticity and empathy in storytelling that few productions have matched since.
The cast of Love and Death delivered performances that transformed a decades-old tragedy into an enduring exploration of morality, passion, and consequence — proof that even the darkest stories can illuminate the human condition.