Evan Peters talks 'back and forth' decision to do 'Monster,' play serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer
Netflix series 'Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story' renewed for second and third season
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Evan Peters was not originally sold on playing serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in the now four-time Golden Globe nominated show "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story."
"It was a real struggle. I was really thinking about it and trying to process it. I went back and forth a lot," he told Variety of his decision to play the infamous killer.
In addition to the mental struggle of playing a monstrous individual, it was also a physical struggle for Peters, who had to lose and gain weight throughout the course of filming.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I didn’t really have an appetite during the early stages of shooting," he shared. "Then I was working out for episode 3 when Dahmer gets into working out and gained about 20 pounds for the end in prison to show how he looked then."
Evan Peters bore a striking resemblance to serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in the Netflix series focusing on the murderer. (Netflix/Curt Borgwardt)
Additionally, Peters predominately stayed in character throughout the television shoot.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Evan would go home, and it wasn’t like he would rock back and forth in his bedroom, which I think people presume. He had a life, however restricted and dedicated," Ryan Murphy, creator of the show told Variety.
"It was like running a marathon. If you run a marathon, you eat a certain way. You sleep a certain way. It was a very athletic way of approaching the performance… There were moments I sort of felt like a father who has a child who is in the Olympics. You say, how can I help you?"
Peters said his commitment to his performance in staying in-character was "difficult but felt worth it"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Netflix show "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" secured four Golden Globe Nominations for 2023. (Netflix/Donaldson Collection)
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The series, which received significant backlash for seemingly glamorizing a horrific spree of killings and cannibalism, has already been renewed for a second and third season by Netflix.
Although Peters' return to the show is unconfirmed, he did express an interest in trying something else. "I’m going to take a little break from darker roles and explore the light."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Evan Peters next project is "Snow Ponies," a film that is in pre-production. (Arturo Holmes/FilmMagic)
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"It would be interesting to me to play something that is a little closer to home, a little more mundane and to explore the details of those kinds of experiences," Evans said of branching out into a different character role.
His next project is currently a film in pre-production with Josh Gad, "Snow Ponies."