October 9, 2025, 8:57 am | Read time: 2 minutes

The British actor Charlie Hunnam, currently seen in the Netflix production “Monster: The Story of Ed Gein” as the notorious murderer, shared that he found it difficult to shake off the dark role. “It was truly a deep and immersive experience for me. It was therefore very hard to let go of the role,” Hunnam told the German Press Agency.

Charlie Hunnam said goodbye to Ed Gein

The “Monster” series is among the streaming service’s biggest hits. After filming, Hunnam stayed in Chicago for another week “to unwind, be by myself, and let it all flow out of my system.” He then traveled to Gein’s hometown in Wisconsin. “I visited the town and his grave and basically said goodbye to him.”

Those who want to watch “Monster” need a Netflix subscription. Ideally as part of the large entertainment package with Sky:

In eight episodes, series creator Ryan Murphy (“Glee,” “American Horror Story”) tells the story of serial killer Gein, who in the 1950s murdered women, robbed graves, and made masks from his victims’ skin. The series also explores his obsessive bond with his mother and shows how Gein became the inspiration for Hitchcock’s “Psycho” (1960).

A scene pushed Hunnam to his limits

Hunnam portrays the quiet farmer with a gentle voice and distant gaze. The 45-year-old, known from the hit series “Sons of Anarchy,” had to depict many gruesome moments–but one scene in the seventh episode particularly stuck with him.

“It was the most difficult scene I’ve ever had to play. In it, Ed confronts his mental issues. It’s spectacularly well-written, and I was really afraid of whether I could convey the scene well. In the end, it’s the best acting I’ve ever done from my perspective.”

The first two seasons of “Monster” previously covered the cases of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and the brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, who killed their parents.