Patrick Macmanus: On Showrunning, Springsteen Lyrics, and the Enduring Influence of Stephen King

General Meeting with Becky Sloviter

This week, Becky is joined by Critics Choice Award-nominated writer and prolific showrunner Patrick Macmanus (Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, The Girl from Plainville)—marking a reunion 25 years in the making, as the two hadn't seen each other since graduating college. They reminisce about their time at George Washington University and Patrick's New Jersey roots before diving into his path to becoming a sought-after showrunner after pivoting from acting. He shares his reasons for initially turning down—twice!—his most recent critically-acclaimed Peacock series, before he found a different way in to the story of notable serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Patrick also shares hard-earned wisdom on showrunning, balancing career ambitions and family, the enduring influence of Stephen King on his writing process, and the (very) few things you can actually control in a Hollywood career.


Host: Becky Sloviter

Guest: Patrick Macmanus - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0533976/


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Check out our episodes on YouTube as well! https://www.youtube.com/@generalmeetingpod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/generalmeetingpod/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@generalmeetingpod

Website: https://www.generalmeetingpod.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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This week, Becky is joined by Critics Choice Award-nominated writer and prolific showrunner Patrick Macmanus (Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, The Girl from Plainville)—marking a reunion 25 years in the making, as the two hadn't seen each other since graduating college. They reminisce about their time at George Washington University and Patrick's New Jersey roots before diving into his path to becoming a sought-after showrunner after pivoting from acting. He shares his reasons for initially turning down—twice!—his most recent critically-acclaimed Peacock series, before he found a different way in to the story of notable serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Patrick also shares hard-earned wisdom on showrunning, balancing career ambitions and family, the enduring influence of Stephen King on his writing process, and the (very) few things you can actually control in a Hollywood career.


Host: Becky Sloviter

Guest: Patrick Macmanus - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0533976/


If you enjoyed this podcast, please follow, share, like, comment, all the things - thank you for your support!

Check out our episodes on YouTube as well! https://www.youtube.com/@generalmeetingpod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/generalmeetingpod/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@generalmeetingpod

Website: https://www.generalmeetingpod.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2026-03-31 60 min
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