Charlie Hunnam didn’t hesitate to take on the role of serial killer and body snatcher Ed Gein in Ryan Murphy’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story. That is, until he started researching the horrific crimes that were committed.
“Being confronted with some of those images of the crime scenes, I really started to get afraid of the darkness and what it was going to be like to inhabit that,” Hunnam tells THR.
Then he got access to Gein’s medical records, which shed light on the factors that led to his declined mental state, marking a turning point for Hunnam. Thirty pounds lighter, with a prosthetic eyelid, a higher vocal octave and months of mental preparation, Hunnam became Gein. His dedication to the role scored the 46-year-old actor his first Emmy nomination, following Golden Globe, Actor and Critics Choice Award nods. Overall, the Netflix limited series received a total of seven Emmy nominations, including two for makeup, prosthetic and nonprosthetic.
Hunnam talks with THR about his first conversations with Murphy, committing to Gein’s voice and his most challenging scene.
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