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Charlie Hunnam on His Physical and Vocal Transformation to Play Ed Gein in ‘Monster’
Charlie Hunnam describes the physical and vocal preparation behind his portrayal of serial killer Ed Gein in Netflix’s eight-part “Monster: The Ed Gein Story”. He says the role carried particular responsibility because Gein was a real person and his crimes were both exceptionally disturbing and influential on later horror fiction, prompting Hunnam to focus on understanding how Gein became “the monster” rather than simply depicting his acts.
Hunnam researched Gein’s life through thousands of pages of medical records from his nearly 30 years in a mental health facility, after finding many published accounts overly sensationalised. The production also used customised silicone facial prosthetics, including altered eyelids and age-related pieces such as eye bags, wrinkles and facial folds, to make Hunnam resemble Gein across different periods of his life. Gein murdered at least two women in the 1950s and exhumed bodies; his case helped inspire “Psycho”, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “The Silence of the Lambs”.
In short
- Hunnam researched Gein’s medical records for a more rounded portrayal.
- Silicone prosthetics transformed Hunnam’s face across different ages.
- The series examines the origins of notorious true-crime figures.
Explained simply
Ed Gein was a Wisconsin man whose crimes came to light in the 1950s. He was convicted of murdering two women and was also found to have taken bodies from graves; after his arrest, he spent nearly 30 years in a mental health facility.
Gein’s case later influenced well-known horror stories, including Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs. Charlie Hunnam plays him in Netflix’s eight-part drama Monster: The Ed Gein Story, drawing on records about Gein’s life as well as physical and vocal changes for the role.
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