Charlie Hunnam has never shied away from challenges, but his turn as Ed Gein in Monster: The Ed Gein Story demanded more than just bravado. In a newly surfaced TikTok clip from Entertainment Tonight, Hunnam addresses how he helped Addison Rae and other actresses feel safe while filming some of the show’s most unsettling scenes — scenes in which he portrays one of history’s most infamous killers.
The Netflix anthology series Monster returns for its fourth installment focusing on Ed Gein, the Wisconsin grave-robbing murderer whose crimes have haunted horror lore and influenced films such as Psycho and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The season premiered on October 3, 2025 and features a cast including Charlie Hunnam as Gein, Laurie Metcalf as his mother Augusta, Suzanna Son, Vicky Krieps, and Tom Hollander. Addison Rae stars as Evelyn Hartley, a babysitter who becomes one of Gein’s victims.
Addison Rae described her role as emotionally taxing: “My first day on set, I got to roller-skate,” she recalled. “I did get into a roller-skating phase after I shot that day. I loved it for about a month.” But as the story progresses, Evelyn’s fate becomes grim. Rae acknowledged the difficulty of filming those darker moments, particularly the scenes that involved her death.
In the exclusive interview by Entertainment Tonight, Hunnam explains how he and the crew ensured a safe and supportive environment during these intense shoots. “Everybody’s process is different and everybody’s comfort level and reaction to the darkness we were bringing to life is different,” he says. “With Addison, that was one of the darker more challenging scenes and for some reason we just kept laughing. We just kept laughing between takes.” He praised her commitment: “She’s actually an amazing actor. Great in the character at large, but amazing in that scene. She’d be laughing and then the camera would roll and she’s immediately just pouring tears and screaming.”
That blend of levity and tension became part of the methodology on set — knowing when to lighten the mood or step back so that the emotional weight doesn’t overwhelm the human being playing the moment.
But behind that safety net, Hunnam’s own preparation for Monster was moving into deeply uncomfortable territory. He revealed that early on, accepting the role triggered panic: “Once I said yes to this, I thought I’d made a horrible mistake,” he admitted. He plunged into research about Gein’s crimes, reading court records and biographies. “I fell into a full panic. I just thought there might be no coming back from this. This is so dark, to inhabit this character.”
In interviews, Hunnam recounted how he initially signed on before reading a full script, swayed by co-creator Ryan Murphy’s creative vision and integrity. Murphy later said he was drawn to Hunnam’s face and presence, seeing similarities to archival photographs of Gein, and decided the casting fit.
To transform into Gein, Hunnam altered his physique and immersed himself in the environment. He studied Gein’s psychology, including the man’s obsession with bodily decay, his morbid curiosities, and his disturbing acts involving human remains. In one telling moment, Hunnam walked to Gein’s gravesite after wrapping up filming — a symbolic gesture to separate himself emotionally from the darkness of the role. As he told E! News, his partner Morgana McNelis insisted he “take time” after such roles to come back to himself.
Despite the darkness, Hunnam defended the show’s intentions. He argued that Monster: The Ed Gein Story seeks not to sensationalize Gein’s crimes, but to explore why a monster emerges and how society engages with true crime mythmaking. He’s said he never felt the production was exploiting gore, but rather tackling it with sincerity — though critics have debated how well the series balances psychological insight with horror spectacle.
For Irish viewers and fans of true crime, Monster continues a trend of popularizing these stories globally, drawing lines between real-life horror and cultural fascination. Casting Addison Rae — who has a huge following and previously starred in He’s All That — broadens the audience further into mainstream pop culture. Rae said she was drawn by the chance to work with Hunnam and the elaborate, intentional production design.
As season 4 looms — based on reports the next installment will tell the story of Lizzie Borden — Hunnam’s performance and this behind-the-scenes approach set the bar high. In the end, Monster isn’t just about the monsters. It’s about the fragility and resilience of the people who portray them, the actors who walk the line between empathy and horror.
@entertainmenttonight Charlie Hunnam is a big Addison Rae fan after ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story.’ #addisonrae #charliehunnam #addison #monster ♬ original sound - Entertainment Tonight
