Charlie Hunnam recently shared a funny but terrifying story about his time filming Monster: The Ed Gein Story. The actor recalled how his intense make-up for the Netflix series scared an elderly couple at a luxury hotel. Hunnam was staying at the Four Seasons while playing the infamous serial killer and grave robber. He looked so much like the real-life murderer that he gave two strangers a serious fright.
Hunnam told the story during the THR Drama Actors Roundtable. He explained that he was wearing the full Ed Gein look, including the character’s signature hairstyle and make-up. After a long day on set, he went back to his hotel around 2:00 in the morning. He got into the elevator with an elderly couple. Trying to be polite, Hunnam smiled and said, “Hope you have a nice night.” The couple did not reply. They just looked down in silence.
At first, Hunnam thought they were just being unfriendly. He joked that maybe that was how rich people act. But then he got back to his room and looked in the mirror. He realized he was still covered in fake blood and had the killer’s haircut. He recalled, “I just terrified these people [who were] probably out celebrating their anniversary.” The couple must have thought they were trapped in an elevator with the “Butcher of Plainfield.”
Charlie Hunnam’s Extreme Physical Transformation for the Role
The story highlights just how much effort Hunnam put into his appearance. To become Gein, he did more than just get into a makeup chair. The actor underwent a massive physical change and spent hours in the makeup chair. Gein was a “very skinny, malnourished type of guy,” so Hunnam lost 30 pounds to look like him.
Hunnam also had a special prosthetic eye to match Gein’s lazy eye. He told People magazine that he was more interested in understanding why Gein did what he did, rather than just focusing on the crimes. “Finding the truth was the whole process,” he explained.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story premiered on Netflix in October 2025. It is the third installment in Ryan Murphy’s anthology series, following the stories of Jeffrey Dahmer and the Menendez brothers. The show received praise for Hunnam’s performance, but the series drew mixed reviews.
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