Stepping into the skin of one of America’s most infamous murderers isn’t something any actor does lightly. But for Ryan Murphy’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story, Charlie Hunnam took on the seemingly impossible, which was transforming himself from the charismatic tough guy audiences know from his body of work into the deeply disturbed, reclusive “Butcher of Plainfield.” In a recent interview, the actor revealed the Ed Gein evidence that initially threw him for a loop, but ultimately helped him solidify the character for the project on the 2025 TV schedule.
The new Netflix series, the third installment in Ryan Murphy’s Monster true-crime anthology, has sparked controversy and received a generally poor critical reception since its release. But what I find most interesting about the series is Hunnam’s portrayal of Gein. Speaking with TV Insider, the Sons of Anarchy star admitted prepping was far from easy, but one key to the performance came from something pretty unsettling: listening to a real, tape-recorded interview with Gein. The actor shared what unsettled him about listening to the tapes, explaining:
