Is Nile Jarvis based on a real person in The Beast in Me?

The Beast in Me, a psychological thriller on Netflix, has been lauded for its spine-chilling performances.

Matthew Rhys takes on the role of Nile Jarvis, a property tycoon who was once under suspicion for his ex-wife's mysterious disappearance.

Claire Danes portrays Aggie Wiggs, a bereaved author who becomes intrigued by Nile and decides to make him the focus of her upcoming book.

Nile is depicted as cold and manipulative, yet dangerously charismatic and captivating.

Viewers are speculating whether his character was influenced by the real-life figure Robert Durst. Like Nile in the series, Durst was also the heir to a New York-based property empire.

His grandfather established The Durst Organization, a commercial and residential property firm, in 1927.

In 1974, his father, Seymour, took over the company and transformed it into a multimillion-pound business.

Forbes estimated the family's property assets to be worth more than $8 billion in 2020.

As the eldest son, Robert was anticipated to inherit the company, but this never came to pass.

While Netflix hasn't explicitly stated that Robert Durst inspired the character of Nile, there are striking similarities between their lives.

Robert had a troubled childhood, marked by the death of his mother when he was only seven years old.

At the age of 10, he was believed to be suffering from personality decomposition and schizophrenia.

Ultimately, due to Robert's unpredictable behaviour, Seymour chose his younger son Douglas to take over the company.

Robert first came under scrutiny as a suspect in the unresolved disappearance of his first wife, Kathleen, back in 1982.

He was also implicated in the murder of his friend, Susan Berman, in 2000 and the killing of his neighbour, Morris Black, in 2001.

Despite being acquitted for Black's murder, Robert was found guilty in 2021 and handed a life sentence for the murder of Berman.

Following his sentencing, he was charged with McCormack's murder but died in 2022 before proceedings could commence.

The Beast in Me is on Netflix