Charlie Hunnam’s Terrifying Turn in ‘Monster’ Earns Him a Spot in Ryan Murphy’s Inner Circle
Charlie Hunnam has officially joined the Ryan Murphy universe — and fans can’t stop talking about it. The “Sons of Anarchy” alum has completely reinvented himself in “Monster: The Ed Gein Story,” the latest installment of Murphy’s true-crime anthology now streaming on Netflix.
His dark and deeply unsettling portrayal of Ed Gein has earned rave reviews, marking one of the boldest performances of his career. The role also makes Hunnam the newest addition to Murphy’s long list of go-to collaborators, following in the footsteps of Sarah Paulson, Jessica Lange, and Evan Peters.
Inside Charlie Hunnam’s Chilling Transformation in ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’
In “Monster: The Ed Gein Story,” Hunnam steps outside of his comfort zone to play the infamous Wisconsin killer whose real-life crimes inspired “Psycho.” It’s a transformation that even longtime fans didn’t see coming. Gone is the cool, confident swagger of “Sons of Anarchy’s” Jax Teller — replaced by a hollow stare, a stooped posture, and a quiet, eerie presence that lingers long after the episode ends.
Hunnam disappears into the role so completely that viewers may forget they’re watching the same actor who once led a motorcycle club on TV.
“This is more than a role,” Hunnam told Sharp Magazine. “It’s an artistic and philosophical exorcism that stripped me down to a terrifying core.”
Hunnam, 45, said he was drawn to the project not just for the horror, but for the humanity buried within it. “Ed Gein’s story marks the moment where we started making films where we were the monsters,” he explained in the same interview. “[‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’] questions the nature of storytelling — the consequences of it — and really, fundamentally, why we’re drawn to tell these stories.”
The performance has quickly become one of Hunnam’s most praised to date, with critics noting how the actor channels both restraint and horror without leaning into caricature — a testament to Murphy’s precision in character-driven storytelling.
Ryan Murphy Keeps the ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Alum Around for the Next ‘Monster’ Project
Following the success of “Monster: The Ed Gein Story,” Deadline reports that Hunnam will return for Murphy’s next entry in the series, “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story.” The upcoming installment will explore one of the earliest true-crime cases in American history — the 1892 axe murders of Andrew and Abby Borden.
Ella Beatty is set to play Lizzie Borden, with Rebecca Hall as her stepmother, Billie Lourd as a family confidante, and Hunnam as Andrew Borden. Filming has already begun, signaling Murphy’s continued faith in Hunnam as one of his new leading men.
Hunnam now joins the ranks of Murphy’s recurring collaborators, including Paulson, Lange, Kim Kardashian, and Angela Bassett — actors who’ve defined the tone and emotional depth of Murphy’s worlds for years.
Fans can catch Charlie Hunnam’s terrifying turn in “Monster” season 3 on Netflix.
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