Charlie Hunnam Reveals Why His Girlfriend Hated His Role as Ed Gein on Netflix
Updated
by Sharon Gonçalves
Charlie Hunnam revealed that his girlfriend hated his role as Ed Gein in the Netflix series because he used the killer’s sinister voice even in their daily life.
The actor profession sometimes has unexpected collateral damages, especially when delving into the American crime world. Charlie Hunnam, transformed for the needs of Ryan Murphy’s third season saga on Netflix, Monster: The Story of Ed Gein, shared a red carpet anecdote illustrating the risks of the profession for a couple’s life.
At the Critics Choice Awards ceremony in early January 2026, the 45-year-old actor confessed that his immersion into the mind of the killer who inspired The Texas Chainsaw Massacre seriously tested his partner’s nerves.
The “Butcher of Plainfield” Joins Breakfast
To embody Ed Gein, Hunnam not only changed his appearance; he crafted a peculiar sound identity, a voice from beyond the grave that he unfortunately brought back home. The actor admitted to E!Online that he couldn’t “switch off” his character once the cameras were turned off.
He alternated between the two voices constantly. And she eventually told me, “Can you stop with that voice? It’s a bit much at breakfast time.”
An understandable request considering that Gein is not exactly the kind of figure you want to face while having your cereal in the morning.
From Horror to Empathy: A Difficult Role to Carry
Beyond this domestic nuisance, Charlie Hunnam revealed going through a real crisis of conscience before fully embracing the project. As he delved into the macabre details of Gein’s crimes, the actor felt a deep disgust, to the point of regretting signing on.
It took a lot of research for him to see, behind the monster, “a troubled human being, mentally ill and internally isolated.” Today, despite the morning tensions and the darkness of the subject, Hunnam says he is “glad to have accepted this role,” believing he managed to grasp the complex humanity behind the killer’s unspeakable acts.
