Charlie Hunnam has taken on just about every genre imaginable, but his latest role might be his most chilling yet.

The actor is the cover star of the latest issue of Interview Magazine, sitting down with Ryan Murphy to talk about transforming into America’s original psycho, Ed Gein, for Netflix’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story, and honestly, it’s one of his most intense performances to date.

The eight-episode series, now streaming on Netflix, dives deep into the life of Ed Gein, the convicted murderer, graverobber, and serial killer, tracing his story from the beginning.

Hunnam fully commits to the darkness of the role, disappearing into the psychological complexities that made Gein both terrifying and strangely human in the series’ narrative.

Ryan Murphy didn’t hold back in the interview, revealing that Charlie was his first and only choice for the part:

“I felt very strongly that if you did not do it, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to do it,” Murphy told him. “I was not prepared for the level that you go to in this part. I think you’d agree that it’s the strongest and probably the most difficult performance of your career.”

For Hunnam, taking on this role was as daunting as it was thrilling. He spoke about how his research into Gein’s life became “impossibly bleak,” and how it forced him to step into emotional and psychological territory he’d never explored before.

“I really wanted to challenge myself in my career at this point in life, and this seemed like a golden opportunity to play a type of character I’ve never played before,” he said. “But the darkness of it really scared me.”

Murphy also shared how this season of Monster is about more than just retelling a familiar horror story: it questions whether monsters are made or born, weaving in themes of mental abuse, toxic masculinity, and artistic responsibility.

Charlie delivers a performance that’s raw, unnerving, and deeply layered, and if you’ve started watching the series, you know exactly what I mean. It’s creepy in the best, most disturbing way.

Monster: The Ed Gein Story is now streaming on Netflix, and the Interview Magazine feature is out now.