Charlie Hunnam Reveals Girlfriend’s Rule About Him Playing Ed Gein

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Charlie Hunnam’s girlfriend just wanted him to come back as himself.

When preparing to play the disturbing role of Ed Gein in *Monster: The Ed Gein Story*—the latest series from Ryan Murphy on Netflix—the actor had a condition from his longtime girlfriend, Morgana McNelis. She’s witnessed how emotionally draining similar dark roles have been for him in the past.

Charlie remembers a conversation with someone who was frustrated by his withdrawn behavior after finishing a job. About ten years ago, she told him, ‘When you’re working, focus on what *you* need to do. But after that, take time to recharge, because I expect you to be fully present when you come back.’ Charlie thought that was a perfectly reasonable and kind request.

After finishing the crime drama, Charlie deliberately took time to distance himself from his role as Ed—a convicted murderer and suspect in other crimes—to avoid bringing negative emotions home with him.

He always takes at least a week to disconnect after finishing a project, however long he needs. This time, though, he really needed to decompress. Because the project involved Ed Gein, who lived near Chicago, he drove up to Wisconsin, visited Gein’s grave, and spent some time there. He found this a helpful way to process everything and bring the project to a definitive close.

Because she knew Charlie would eventually return, Morgana fully supported his decision to act in *Sons of Anarchy*.

Charlie also thought a lot about the deeper reasons – how and why – before deciding if he would accept the job.

 

He admitted he doesn’t enjoy horror or depressing stories. He also wrestled with the moral implications of his work for a while. Ultimately, he believes storytelling is valuable because it helps us understand who we are, and that acknowledging the darker parts of human nature – evil and darkness – is important, as it’s a part of everyone’s experience.

 

As someone who looks at how we process things, I really believe in the power of storytelling, especially when it helps us understand and deal with our fears. It’s incredibly valuable to explore those ‘boogeymen’ – the things that scare us – but it *has* to be done thoughtfully, with a real focus on understanding what makes us tick as human beings. When it’s done right, it can be genuinely insightful and helpful.

 

Keep reading to discover more actors who dramatically changed themselves – both mentally and physically – to prepare for their roles.

Charlie explained that his partner strongly believed this was something he needed to do. She’s very interested in psychoanalysis and understands the importance of facing difficult emotions and inner demons better than he does. She encouraged him to take on the challenge, telling him he needed to confront it directly, like entering a cave to face a dragon.

Oh my gosh, watching him *become* that dragon was incredible! He didn’t just *play* the part, he completely lost himself in it – really dug deep into his own soul and somehow, magically, into Ed’s too. It was like he *was* the dragon, honestly! It was mesmerizing.

I felt a strong sense of duty and responsibility portraying this real person, especially knowing the awful things he’d done. I was driven to uncover the truth behind his actions. From the beginning, my conversations with Ryan focused less on *what* he did and more on *why*. We wanted to take both the audience and ourselves on a journey to understand how someone could become capable of such monstrous acts.

Charlie was also driven by deeper questions – specifically, how and why this role would be a good fit for him as he decided whether to accept it.

He admitted he doesn’t enjoy horror or depressing stories. He wrestled with the moral implications of the project for a while, but he believes storytelling is valuable because it helps us understand who we are. He feels that experiencing stories about evil and darkness is part of being human.

I truly believe that storytelling can be incredibly powerful, especially when it helps us understand and deal with our fears. When done thoughtfully and with a real focus on what makes us tick as humans – our psychology – it offers real value. It’s about facing those ‘boogeymen’ in a safe way, and that’s something I always advocate for.

Keep reading to discover more actors who dramatically changed themselves – both mentally and physically – to prepare for their roles.

The British actor famously gained over 40 pounds twice for his roles in two films. First, he did so for his performance as a con artist in the 2013 movie *American Hustle*, earning an Oscar nomination. He then repeated the process to play former Vice President Dick Cheney in the 2018 film *Vice*, which also garnered him an Oscar nomination.

Christian Bale famously transformed his body for roles. For the 2019 film *Ford v Ferrari*, he lost 70 pounds to convincingly portray the lean race car driver Ken Miles. This wasn’t the first time he’d drastically changed his weight for a part; he also shed around 30 pounds while filming *The Fighter* in 2011.

For the 2020 film, makeup artist Matthew Mungle used a cast of Glenn Close’s head made in 2011 for the movie *Albert Nobbs* to create a realistic look for her character, Mamaw Vance, a West Virginia grandmother. He sculpted new ears and a nose for her, as reported by *Variety*. Close received an Oscar nomination for her performance.

To play Donald Trump, the actor reunited with the hair and makeup team who previously turned him into Tommy Lee for the series *Pam & Tommy*. He also gained weight to more closely resemble Trump’s physique.

Stan intentionally gained about 15 pounds by following his nutritionist’s unusual advice: he ate a lot of instant ramen with soy sauce and drank soda, all to make his face appear fuller.

 

To portray the famous jazz singer in the 2021 film, the actress lost nearly 40 pounds, a performance that led to an Oscar nomination.

It might have seemed a little extreme that he was reportedly eating only an almond a day – as his co-star Emily Blunt playfully pointed out. But the actor was truly dedicated to accurately portraying the physical appearance of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the atomic bomb scientist.

The director explained to *The New York Times* that he focused on accurately portraying Oppenheimer’s unique physical appearance. To achieve this, he lost a significant amount of weight and collaborated closely with the costume designers. Oppenheimer himself was very thin, almost gaunt, and reportedly lived on a diet of martinis and cigarettes.

The acclaimed actress won an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2004 for her powerful performance as real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos.

To portray the troubled Arthur Fleck, who later becomes Batman’s enemy, the actor lost 52 pounds. He received the Best Actor Oscar in 2020 for his compelling performance.

Makeup artists spent three hours transforming the Best Actress winner with extensive makeup, including a famously large prosthetic nose, to make her completely unrecognizable in the 2002 drama.

To portray an attorney with HIV suing his old company, the actor lost 35 pounds and shaved his head. He won the Best Actor Oscar in 1994 for the role, and also dramatically changed his appearance – losing weight and growing a beard – for his 2000 film, *Cast Away*, which earned him another Oscar nomination.

The actress famously gained weight for her role in *Bridget Jones’s Diary*, but she didn’t need to change her body to play Judy Garland in the 2019 film *Judy*. She won her first Oscar for the performance, and the stunning transformation was all thanks to the work of the makeup and costume teams.

Renée developed a strong connection with Jany Temime, the costume designer for the film, who also designed the costumes for the *Harry Potter* movies, Vulture reports. Temime said, “It felt like Renée truly became Judy during the process.”

I was so fascinated to hear Renée Zellweger talk about how they created the look for Judy Garland! Apparently, the costume designer, Jany, actually tailored everything to match Judy’s specific way of holding herself. It was incredible – the dresses literally wouldn’t zip up on Renée unless she stood *exactly* like Judy did. It shows you how much detail went into the transformation!

Margot Robbie transformed herself for her role as Tonya Harding in the 2017 film about the skater’s scandal. Unlike her glamorous character in *The Wolf of Wall Street*, Robbie used prosthetics, braces, and wigs to portray Harding and bring her controversial story to the screen. She was nominated for Best Actress for the performance.

In 2014, Matthew McConaughey won the Best Actor Oscar for his dedicated performance as an electrician living with HIV/AIDS.

Heath Ledger won an Oscar after his death in 2008 for his captivating and disturbing portrayal of The Joker in Christopher Nolan’s second Batman film. His version of the famous villain was a significant departure from previous on-screen interpretations.

Makeup artist John Caglione Jr. wondered to IGN what would happen if the character didn’t bother with his appearance. ‘What if he slept in his makeup? What if he didn’t refresh it for two or three weeks?’ he asked. ‘He never even changes clothes!’ Caglione explained that these small, realistic details were crucial to the character’s development.

He explained that when you picture clown makeup, it’s usually very precise and uses strong, clear lines. But this makeup was completely different – it was meant to be the opposite of all that.

The award-winning actress transformed her look to portray Brandon Teena, a real-life transgender man, in a 1999 film, and later starred in Clint Eastwood’s 2004 Best Picture winner, requiring another significant change in appearance.

To transform into Winston Churchill for the role, the actor—who was nominated for Best Actor in 2018—spent over four hours each day getting makeup applied and also wore a special bodysuit similar to a Victorian corset.

To win Best Actress at the 2011 Oscars, the actress lost 20 pounds and dedicated up to 16 hours a day to preparing for her demanding role as a ballerina struggling with mental illness.

I’ve always been captivated by Jared Leto’s dedication to his craft. For his Oscar-winning role in 2014, he completely transformed himself – he lost a remarkable 40 pounds and stayed fully committed to portraying a transgender woman living with HIV, but only when the cameras were rolling. It was an incredibly focused performance, and you could really see the effort he put into truly becoming the character while on set.

In 2013, Leto explained to TopMob News that while he’d transformed his body for roles before, this one was unique. He felt the part required complete dedication – it wasn’t just about physical changes, but how it impacted his movement, speech, personality, and emotions. He described feeling vulnerable, fragile, and insecure throughout the process.

As a huge Brie Larson fan, I was so impressed by her dedication to the role in ‘Room’! She completely transformed herself, gaining fifteen pounds of muscle to realistically portray a mother escaping captivity with her son, Jacob Tremblay. What really blew me away was how deeply she committed – she intentionally limited her own experiences, even restricting things like Vitamin D, to truly understand what her character went through. It was an incredibly powerful performance, and her commitment to the role was a big part of what made it so believable.

As a lifestyle expert, I always admire dedication to a role, and Rooney Mara really went for it! For her performance in that thriller, she earned a Best Actress nomination at the 2012 Oscars. To *become* Lisbeth Salander, she completely transformed her look – we’re talking multiple piercings, bleached eyebrows, and a dramatic haircut. It just shows how committed she was to the character!

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2025-10-06 20:48