Charlie Hunnam Says Monster Season 3 Graphic Scene Was A “Piece of Cake”

Charlie Hunnam’s dedication to his role as the titular serial killer in Monster: The Ed Gein Story has been applauded by his colleagues. And, even the show’s creator, Ryan Murphy, was surprised by the actor’s willingness to commit to the character.

Like a lot of Murphy’s horror projects, Monster season 3 did not hold back when it came to graphic and gory scenes. The third season of the critically acclaimed series had no shortage of disturbing content. One particular scene showed Gein playing the accordion moments before he sexually assaults the dead body he had just dug out of a grave.

Murphy explained how Hunnam wasn’t even phased by the scene during an interview with GQ. In fact, the actor was more intrigued by playing an accordion before the act than anything else. “He has to play ‘La Vie en Rose’ with a polka beat. And that was the thing where Charlie was like, ‘Oh my God, this accordion.’”

The creator then asked him if he had any thoughts or changes that he wanted to make regarding the sex scene or the script. Surprisingly, Hunnam essentially shrugged it off and said, “No, piece of cake.“

Murphy wasn’t the only person who admired Hunnam’s willingness to become one with the character. Monster’s co-creator Ian Brennan also expressed his gratitude. The showrunner said, “Out of the corner of my eye, I just saw this thing turn around the corner of this farmhouse that we built on stage, I looked over and it was him. It was Ed Gein.” Brennan added that Hunnam’s portrayal of Gein stunned him. “It sort of took my breath away.”

Hunnam’s dedication to the role of the infamous Midwestern serial killer has been widely praised. From digging up undiscovered tapes to physical changes, the actor went all out for this role. He even went to Gein’s grave in Plainfield, Wisconsin, after he finished filming, to bid farewell to the real-life murderer.

He stated that he knew that others might condemn him for paying respect to someone who had committed such atrocious crimes. However, it was something he felt like he needed to do. “My job is to not judge my character at all,” he explained. “There’s every chance that I will be very criticized for giving him too much empathy, and really I just had to follow my instinct.”

All eight episodes of Monster: The Ed Gein Story are available to stream on Netflix.