More than three decades after “Silence of the Lambs” stunned audiences and swept the Oscars, one of its most haunting figures is prompting renewed reflection from the man who played him.
According to Fox News, Ted Levine, who portrayed serial killer Jame Gumb — known as Buffalo Bill — said in a recent interview that parts of the film no longer sit right with him, particularly as conversations around gender identity have evolved.
“There are certain aspects of the movie that don’t hold up too well,” Levine told The Hollywood Reporter.
The 1991 thriller, directed by Jonathan Demme, became a cultural phenomenon and won five Academy Awards, including best picture, best actor for Anthony Hopkins, best actress for Jodie Foster, best director, and best adapted screenplay.
But the portrayal of Buffalo Bill has long drawn criticism from members of the transgender community, who argue that the character reinforced harmful stereotypes.
Buffalo Bill is depicted as a murderer who kills women to make a suit from their skin. While the script states he is not transgender, the character’s behavior and presentation led many viewers to associate him with gender nonconformity.
Looking back, Levine acknowledged that changing cultural awareness has altered how he sees the role.
“We all know more, and I’m a lot wiser about transgender issues,” he said. “There are some lines in that script and movie that are unfortunate.”
He added that greater exposure to and understanding of transgender people has shifted his perspective.
“It’s unfortunate that the film vilified that, and it’s f——- wrong. And you can quote me on that,” Levine said.
At the same time, the actor emphasized that his original performance was not intended to portray the character as transgender.
“I didn’t play him as being gay or trans. I think he was just a f——up heterosexual man. That’s what I was doing,” he said.
Demme’s producing partner, Edward Saxon, also reflected on the film’s legacy, saying the creative team believed they were faithfully adapting the source material and viewed Buffalo Bill as an “aberrant personality,” not a representation of any specific community.
“To that extent, we missed it,” Saxon said, adding that there is “regret” over the impact the portrayal may have had. “We weren’t sensitive enough to the legacy of a lot of stereotypes and their ability to harm.”
Despite the controversy, “Silence of the Lambs” remains one of the most celebrated thrillers in film history, even as its creators and cast continue to reassess its most disturbing character through a modern lens.
