From True Crime to Comedy Amanda Knox’s Surprising Cameo in Peacock’s Laid

Adapted from the Australian project of the same name, the show follows Ruby (Stephanie Hsu) as she discovers a disturbing pattern: her former lovers are dying. Determined to uncover the cause, she embarks on a quest for answers. Zosia Mamet co-stars as Ruby’s best friend, AJ, with additional cast members including Michael Angarano and Tommy Martinez.

A notable addition to the cast is Amanda Knox, who appears in the season finale, now streaming. Knox gained international attention after her conviction and subsequent acquittal for the 2007 murder of her roommate in Italy. Co-showrunner Sally Bradford McKenna, a self-proclaimed true-crime enthusiast, saw Knox as a fitting choice for the role within the series' narrative.

I’m obsessed with her, Bradford McKenna told The Hollywood Reporter. Like the character of AJ, I’m obsessed with true crime. It really fit the show’s premise to have AJ playing detective, trying to solve the mystery and get on the case.

The Goldbergs alum elaborates, We were building toward a moment that required a grand gesture, and she was perfect for it. First, the story is set in Seattle—coincidentally, where she lives, though we didn’t know that initially. We wanted someone connected to true crime who had been acquitted of a crime, and she fit the bill. She was so enthusiastic, so into it. She even loves comedy and was thrilled to participate. Honestly, she was amazing and a really talented actress, too.

Bradford McKenna, co-showrunner of Laid alongside Nahnatchka Khan, also saw thematic connections between Knox’s story and the experiences of Hsu’s character, Ruby. She explains, Her story is such a messed-up tale—this girl in her 20s, studying abroad, facing unimaginable stakes. It aligns thematically with Ruby’s journey, balancing the darkest scenarios against the backdrop of a woman just searching for love and navigating relationships. It tied together beautifully.

Knox and her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were convicted in 2009 of the murder of Meredith Kercher, Knox’s roommate in Italy, who was found dead in their apartment in 2007. Their convictions were overturned in 2011, but after being found guilty again in a retrial, the pair were ultimately exonerated by Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassation in 2015. Margaret Qualley is set to portray Knox in an upcoming Hulu series about her life.

On Laid, Knox even pokes fun at her infamous past. When AJ asks Knox about her time in jail for a crime she didn’t commit, Knox quips, Yeah, I don’t recommend it.

Bradford McKenna also commends Stephanie Hsu for her portrayal of Ruby, helping audiences empathize with an otherwise genuinely unlikable character.

For Ruby, we knew we needed someone you’d instantly like and root for, McKenna says. While we wrote with that in mind, so much of it came down to casting Stephanie. She’s incredibly appealing and effortlessly likable.