Cliff DeMeo

## Clifford DeMeo

**Cliff DeMeo** is a recurring character in Season 3 of *Only Murders in the Building*. He is a producer of Oliver's show, and is later revealed to be the ultimate killer of Ben in Season 3.

He is portrayed by Wesley Taylor.

## History

### Producing Death Rattle

Cliff and his mother, Donna, signed on to produce Oliver's play *Death Rattle*. Donna was insistent that it would be Cliff's solo producing debut, but she would be working with him.

On opening night, Cliff delivered cookies to everyone that his mother had ordered special for that night. When he tried to give one to Ben, Ben told Cliff he was fasting until after the show, but asked Cliff to let him smell it. He smelled the cookie and then asked Cliff to check on his guests for the night, who hadn't arrived. Cliff then went to his mother and vented his anxieties to her. She assured him the show would do well. When Ben interrupted, Cliff said that Ben's guests had probably gotten stuck in traffic as something was happening at the UN, though he didn't know what it was.

Later that night, Ben collapsed on stage shortly after the start of the show and was pronounced dead. Oliver sent everyone to his place for the party he'd planned, where Cliff and Donna told Oliver it would be the end of the play. Oliver tried to convince them otherwise, but they said Ben was already trending on Twitter and it was done. Everyone was shocked when Ben came into the party. He'd had his stomach pumped and insisted on leaving the hospital to come to the party and apologize to everyone about his behavior over the past few months. He specifically apologized to Donna and Cliff, though he couldn't remember Cliff's name, for his complaints about his dressing room. After Ben's big speech, Cliff said that word was out that Ben was back and he and Donna agreed that the show was back on.

However, Cliff later left the party and ran into Ben, who had just gotten off the phone with his doctor, who told him he'd ingested rat poison. Ben was bewildered, as he'd been fasting. Then he remembered that Cliff had been offering cookies and he'd later found one in his dressing room and eaten it. Cliff corrected that the cookies were from his mother, not him. Ben and Cliff got into a fight, with Cliff calling Ben a phony and saying he had told his mother that Ben wasn't right for the part and Ben calling Cliff "boy" instead of his name. In the ensuing struggle, Cliff pushed Ben, who grabbed the hankie in Cliff's pocket, which came from Donna, as he fell into the elevator shaft. Horrified, Cliff quickly got into the working elevator and left.

### Ben's Funeral

Cliff and Donna attended Ben's funeral together. Oliver called them later that night and said he'd had an idea to reimagine *Death Rattle* as a musical and they decided to hear him out.

### Death Rattle Dazzle

Oliver spent the night writing music for *Death Rattle Dazzle*. In the morning, he showed Cliff and Donna what little he had. Donna was unimpressed, but Cliff was on board. Donna told Oliver he needed a showstopper and he promised her a whole show of showstoppers. He asked for a few months and Donna agreed to give him three days.

When the time was up, Donna and Cliff returned. Oliver had Loretta perform *Look for the Light*, which he said held the heart of the show. Donna still wanted to walk away, but Cliff said she'd taught him not to give up on something he loved and he loved the musical.

When Charles left the show, Cliff, Donna, and Oliver held auditions to replace him. The auditions failed to find anyone suitable, so Cliff decided to call in his guy, Matthew Broderick, whom he'd met when they were sheltering together at a Ritz Carlton during Superstorm Sandy. They were all delighted when he easily mastered the song, though Oliver grew frustrated with his obsession with getting every single detail correct and ultimately fired him and re-hired Charles.

On the day of the sitzprobe, Cliff was upset that Oliver invited Maxine Spear, a critic, to watch. Oliver said it was because he wanted to show Maxine that the show would be a hit, but her presence gave Cliff nightmares.

### Opening Night

On opening night of *Death Rattle Dazzle*, Cliff was stunned when his mother told him during the show that she'd confessed to Mabel, Charles, and Oliver that she poisoned Ben and then pushed him down the elevator shaft. Unable to deal with that, Cliff left the audience and went to the room above the stage, where he said he'd watched his mom's shows from when he was a child. When Mabel confronted him, having realized he was the real killer, he threatened to jump onto the stage if she got any closer. Charles and then Oliver joined them and Cliff explained what had happened the night Ben died as he lowered himself into the hole, dangling over the stage. Suddenly, Donna arrived and Cliff allowed her, Charles, and Oliver to pull him to safety. Cliff told his mother it was an accident. Cliff and his mother were both then arrested.

## Personality

Cliff is a very excitable and enthusiastic guy, with a huge interest in theater.

## Relationships

He is very close with his mother, to the point where she kisses him on his face and lips.

## Career

He is a producer. *Death Rattle* was his first show.

## Notes and Trivia

* His mother breastfed him at least until he was eight.
* He dances when he's stressed.

## Gallery

### Episode Stills

Photography by Patrick Harbron"The Show Must..." (S03E01)."Grab Your Hankies" (S03E03)."Sitzprobe" (S03E08)."Thirty" (S03E09)."Opening Night" (S03E10)

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "The Show Must..." (2023). Season 3, episode 1.
2. ↑ "Thirty" (2023). Season 3, episode 9.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Opening Night" (2023). Season 3, episode 10.
4. ↑ "The Beat Goes On" (2023). Season 3, episode 2.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Grab Your Hankies" (2023). Season 3, episode 3.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "CoBro" (2023). Season 3, episode 7.
7. ↑ "Sitzprobe" (2023). Season 3, episode 8.