Charlie Hunnam has discussed the demanding preparation behind his portrayal of Ed Gein in Netflix’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story, saying research into Gein’s crimes made him fear the psychological darkness of the role. He adopted kittens during filming to help decompress, while focusing on Gein’s medical records to understand the factors behind his deteriorating mental state rather than treating the character solely as a sensationalised criminal.

Hunnam lost 30 pounds, used a prosthetic eyelid, raised his vocal pitch and spent months preparing mentally for the part. The performance has earned the 46-year-old his first Emmy nomination, alongside Golden Globe, Actor and Critics Choice nominations; the limited series received seven Emmy nominations in total, including two for makeup work.