The “American Horror Story” actor revealed that he wore the late serial killers actual clothing and accessories for “months” while preparing for the chilling role.
It’s been well over a month since the shocking Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story limited series dropped on Netflix, and in that time, millions of viewers all over the world have had the time to stream the 10-episode show and take in the true horrors that the late serial killer inflicted on men and adolescent boys in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Ohio between 1978 and 1991.
The Ryan Murphy-produced show has been making headlines for weeks now, with countless people protesting that the series was glamourizing the trauma that Dahmer’s victims and their families endured, but the cast and crew have maintained that their intent in making the project came from a place of respect.
As TMZ reports, Evan Peters – who played the titular character in the Netflix Original series – spoke with his fellow cast members at a Q&A on Saturday (October 29), at which time he spoke about the amount of work that went into preparing to take on such an intense character.
The American Horror Story actor shared that he used a method acting approach, even going so far as to wear Dahmer’s own clothing and accessories, such as his infamous glasses, as well as shoes and jeans. It remains unclear how production gained access to these items, but Peters claims to have put them to use for “months.”
In order to nail the serial killer’s perfect posture, the 35-year-old wore weights on his arms, and Murphy has previously opened up about his lead’s decision to stay in character while he was on set but not filming.
Of course, Peters required techniques to help him shake off Dahmer’s presence when he went home from work for the day – feel-good music and lighthearted movies were among things that helped him, notably the Will Ferrell comedy, Step Brothers.
At the same panel, co-star Niecy Nash (who played watchful neighbour Glenda Cleveland in the show) shared her thoughts on the racism and homophobia that’s addressed in Dahmer, expressing her positive feelings about the work they’d done.
