Ryan Murphy Casts ‘Queer as Folk’ Alum Charlie Hunnam as Killer Ed Gein

Charlie Hunnam is set to star in Ryan Murphy’s latest season of Monster, the true crime anthology series on Netflix, as prolific serial killer Ed Gein.

Hunnam is the latest celebrity to be added among Murphy’s cavalcade of stars portraying gruesome killers, following on from Evan Peters’ Emmy Award-winning performance as Jeffrey Dahmer in the eerie, critically acclaimed Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.

Surprise announcement of Charlie Hunnam as Ed Gein in Monster

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the creator of Pose and Glee reportedly surprised guests at the premiere of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story by announcing the next season would see Hunnam step into the role of the depraved Gein.

Hunnam has has come a long way from his days as a new-to-the-scene teen twink on iconic series Queer as Folk.

He’s now known for his rugged, tough-guy roles, and Hunnam has solidified his status as a Hollywood hunk. He’s starred in projects like Pacific Rim, Netflix’s Rebel Moon and Guy Ritchie‘s The Gentlemen – but he’s perhaps best known for his role as the brooding, dangerous Jax Teller in Sons of Anarchy.

Murphy’s Monster anthology series delves into the twisted lives of America’s most notorious and well-known serial killers and murderers. He has previously amassed great success with Dahmer and strives to continue doing so with its latest iteration focused on the infamous Menendez Brothers, which is releasing today. 

However, the series has received much criticism; many have accused the show of romanticising serial killers and capitalising on past victims’ trauma, while Netflix caught flack in 2022 for listing Dahmer under the ‘LGBT’ tag.

Now, with Hunnam in the lead role, he may become the latest star at the centre of the fiery debate which surrounds the series.

The story of Ed Gein

Ed Gein, also known as the ‘Butcher of Plainsfield’, was an infamous American serial killer in the 1950s.

Born in Wisconsin, Gein was reportedly abused at the hands of an overly religious mother, yet was said to be ‘obsessed’ with her even after she passed. Even as a teenager, Gein was heavily fascinated with crime, anatomy, and even methods of sadist Nazi officers. 

Although finally caught and convicted for murdering one woman, Gein has been accused of murdering many more – some believe the number to be well over 40 women.

Gein was also notorious for robbing graves and desecrating corpses. The dug up bodies and murder victims were skinned, with Gein using their corpses to make household decorations, furniture, kitchenware, utensils, lampshades and famously, ‘skin suits’. 

If any of this sounds familiar, Gein was a big inspiration for iconic horror movie villains – bonus points if they have an oedipal complex. He’s said to have inspiring the likes of Norman Bates (Psycho), Leatherface (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and Buffalo Bill (Silence of the Lambs)

Production for the third season of Murphy’s Monster series, which focuses on Ed Gein, is set to start next month.