Charlie Hunnam, who plays Ed Gein in the latest season of Monster on Netflix, faced criticism after calling the infamous killer “gentle.”
The 45-year-old actor, who portrays the man that shocked America by murdering and dismembering exhumed corpses in Ryan Murphy’s anthology series, received backlash online even before the show’s release for describing his character as a “gentle monster.”
“We got some negative reactions because of that comment,” Hunnam explained to LADbible, admitting that it was careless to call Gein, known as the “Butcher of Plainfield,” gentle.
“It was the first time anyone had asked me a question. I was on the Emmy red carpet, which is like a whirlwind of energy,” the actor said. “And I kind of said it jokingly, because people were asking if the show would give them nightmares. I said it lightheartedly.”
Hunnam then emphasized the importance of portraying a criminal like Gein responsibly and said that taking on the role was a brave decision for him.
“There’s a huge responsibility when you play a real-life person, a historical figure, someone who did terrible things like Ed Gein,” he said. “My job is to try to understand Ed and portray him as honestly as possible, which frankly requires a bit of courage.”
For the actor, Gein’s deteriorating mental health is the most important element in the tragedy of his life.
“I found that the tragedy of his untreated mental disorders was something that really felt very, very relevant to me,” Hunnam explained.
“We really need to invest more time and resources into treating people with mental illnesses in society, people who need help. And much of what Ed did was a consequence of his mental health struggles and how lonely and tragic he was,” he concluded.
Images: Netflix reproduction. This content was written with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
