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Retired FBI agent John E. Douglas is no stranger to Hollywood.
(Groffs character, Holden Ford, is based on Douglas.)
I thought we could actually provide something positive to the investigation.
Usually they just submit the cases to us, so they come to Quantico.
That case hasbeen in the newsrecently.
Theyre taking another look at it.
He did not kill all 28 or 29 or those victims.
I said it back then and Ill say it today: He just didnt do it.
So I guess the new DA or chief of police down there is going to be taking a look.
How do you prepare?
How do you know if they are telling you the truth?
Do you interview them all with the same approach?
So I picked very different types of murders which help explain the process.
Joseph McGowan, whokills the Brownie.
Joseph Kondro, whokills his friends children.
Donald Harvey, whokills hospital patients.
When youre interviewing people like this in prison, they dont trust anyone.
So it truly just becomes conversation.
I think thats why I nearly died in 1983, during the Green River murder case.
The Kemper part was not true; Kemper never grabbed me.
But all the other stuff is.
And then, youre conducting an interview with them as if theres nothing wrong with the guy.
You may even indicate that you have empathy toward him when you really dont.
But you have to do this acting.
It causes stress in the family.
I can imagine.Another example is my mother accidentally died in an assisted-living home.
My mother was 87 and what happened was an accident.
Her TV fell out of the stand and on top of her, killing my mother.
It crushed her head.
Oh my God.It was terrible.
They found her because the TV was really loud, apparently.
They called the police and detectives.
I get word and come to the scene.
The cops asked, Do you wanna come in?
It looked like a crime scene.
I went into this mode of reconstructing what happened to my mother.
I think she used the remote and accidentally she turned up the volume way too loud.
In all probability, she lost her balance and fell down.
He may have killed his mother.
But that was my professional persona.
When I went home, I was a basket case.
I was an emotional wreck.
Thats how it affected me.
Many people see this persona and say, Look at him.
He lost a daughter, Jon Ramsey, and look how he comes across.
I was with John Ramsey because I assisted on that investigation, and he was crying like a baby.
But when hes out in public, this is the way his business persona was.
Same with Amanda Knox, who I helped in Italy, or Damien Echols of the West Memphis Three.
How do you feel about this recent true-crime boom?
Do you think its helping out with cold cases?
Id like to see a little bit more looking at the wrongfully convicted ones.
But you just have to be careful, because you dont want people to interfere with investigations.
The popularity, I think its really good.
The interest just amazes me.
The audiences are predominantly women.
Do you find yourself profiling people that you see on the street?
Do you naturally profile people?Oh yeah!
Some people are weirded out because they think Im assessing them.
I just look for potential problems.
Many years ago, Im watching some pony rides with two of my daughters.
I see this guy looking at the kids on the pony rides.
Yeah, what about him dad?
He doesnt have any kids on the pony ride.
You watch and see.
Sure enough, the pony ride ends and he has no kids.
He started following the kids who are leaving the ride with a camera.
Unbeknownst to them, he is taking pictures.
Oh my God!We trailed him and confronted him.
He wasnt the pop in to take any kids in broad daylight, but it was still upsetting.
It used to drive my kids crazy.
From this, she gets the date of birth, address, and all of that.
And then she offers a drink.
Guess why she does that?
Why?To get fingerprints off of the glass in case we need it in the future.
Im totally doing this when I become a parent.[Laughs.]
But really, everyone profiles.
We size people up by the way they look or dress or nonverbals.
But you’re able to be wrong in your assessment like that.
You really need conversation and to ask questions.
You cant just say that a person looks good.
Once you get some real information, you could make a better evaluation.
How does it feel to be portrayed in so many popular shows and movies?Its … really crazy.
And then, what got us on the map wasSilence of the Lambs.
They tried to keep us faceless, but I was getting all these requests for media interviews.
The movie wanted me in Hollywood for the Oscars.
The bureau originally said yes, so my wife and I were planning to go out there.
But at the very last minute, the bureau changed their minds and said we couldnt go.
No!They didnt tell me why, but I know why.
They didnt want me to get this publicity.
You would think that was good, but the organization didnt like it.
It drives them nuts to see that.
Do you enjoy shows or movies with serial killers in them?No.
EvenCriminal Minds, I dont watch it because procedurally its all wrong.
The others, they make the killers so diabolical and unreal.
He says its going to show that [Ted Bundy] was diabolical.
Yeah, Bundy was not bad looking and fairly intelligent, but he had a manipulative psychopathic personality.
Hes definitely responsible for those crimes!
Theres so many killers.
I mean,Mindhunteris going to have a five-year arc.
At least five years is what they are planning.
Thats what David Fincher asked both the actors: Can you give me five years here?
In fact, Jonathan Groff is actually reading the audiobook ofThe Killer Across the Table.
We asked him to do it and Im surprised he did it.
He spent time at my house just learning and trying to figure this character out.
I dont know about [Mindhunter] season two yet.
Usually they will send it to me.
I know they are supposed to be eight episodes.
I know the cases.
They are going to have David Berkowitz, as well as Charles Manson.
The Atlanta child killings in the early 80s, theyre gonna be covering that.
But Im curious to see how they are going to develop this character.
They havent told you where Jonathan Groffs character is going?No, they keep everything a secret.
Sometimes they will ask some questions.
Its based on the book and me, but its definitely not all me.
Its kinda funny to watch the sex scenes, right?
Theres one or two with the girlfriend character.
We will watch the show together and my wife will go, Is that supposed to be me?
And Ill say, Well, it sure as hell isnt me.
I mean, it didnt happen to me!
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
