Monster: The Ed Gein Story cast – List of actors and their real-life counterparts
Charlie Hunnam leads the cast as serial killer Ed Gein, but who else stars in the Netflix series?
Audiences have long been fascinated by the life and crimes of Ed Gein, the Wisconsin farmer famous for robbing graves and skinning corpses in the 1950s.
From Psycho and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, to The Silence of the Lambs, Gein's disturbing crimes have served as the inspiration for several series and horror films over the years.
Now, the true story is being brought to life in the latest instalment of Ryan Murphy’s murder and depravity-filled anthology Monster series, titled Monster: The Ed Gein Story, and, just like in previous seasons, a star-studded cast has been employed to tell the tale.
Sons of Anarchy's Charlie Hunnam stars in the lead role, and he previously opened up about the distinctive accent he adopts for the role.
He told RadioTimes.com exclusively: "I thought if you don't have any other contact with the outside world, you only have a relationship with one person, and that person tells you every day that she hates you because you're not a girl, what would that do, psychologically and emotionally? And how would that manifest in the body?
“So, I thought this gentle, high-pitched voice might be a way that Ed gave permission to his mother to love him.”
Alongside Hunnam, the cast also boasts the likes of Tom Hollander, Lesley Manville, Addison Rae and Vicky Krieps, to name a few. But with the focus of the Netflix series not set to just be on Gein, but also Gein's impact in Hollywood storytelling, you may be left wondering who's who.
Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of Monster: The Ed Gein Story, including side-by-side images of the main cast with their real-life inspirations.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story cast – List of actors and their real-life counterparts
The full cast for Monster: The Ed Gein Story is as follows. Scroll on to find out more about the characters, see their real-life counterparts and find out more about the actors who play them.
- Charlie Hunnam as Ed Gein
- Laurie Metcalf as Augusta Gein
- Suzanna Son as Adeline Watkins
- Tom Hollander as Alfred Hitchcock
- Vicky Krieps as Ilse Koch
- Olivia Williams as Alma Reville
- Lesley Manville as Bernice Worden
- Joey Pollari as Anthony Perkins
- Charlie Hall as Deputy Frank Worden
- Tyler Jacob Moore as Sheriff Arthur Schley
- Addison Rae as Evelyn Hartley
- Will Brill as Tobe Hooper
- Mimi Kennedy as Mildred Newman
- Robin Weigert as Enid Watkins
- Hudson Oz as Henry Gein
Charlie Hunnam as Ed Gein
Who is Ed Gein? Ed grew up in a puritanical household under his mother's domineering thumb. When she died in 1945, Ed became a complete hermit but preserved his mother's room as a shrine. After Bernice Worden went missing in 1957, police visited Ed for questioning and found a house of horrors, discovering that Ed was also a regular grave robber.
Where have I seen Charlie Hunnam? The English actor is known for his roles in Sons of Anarchy, Queer as Folk, Undeclared and Shantaram. He has also had notable roles in Pacific Rim, The Lost City of Z and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.
Suzanna Son as Adeline Watkins
Who is Adeline Watkins? There are conflicting reports about just how close Adeline and Ed were, but a Wisconsin State Journal article in 1957 claimed Adeline and Ed nearly married and bonded over books and cinema. However, Watkins later went back on the claims in the initial report, saying it “was blown up out of proportion to its importance and containing untrue statements”.
Where have I seen Suzanna Son? Son has starred in Red Rocket, Fear Street: Prom Queen and The Idol.
Tom Hollander as Alfred Hitchcock
Who is Alfred Hitchcock? Known as the 'Master of Suspense', the English director is often regarded as one of the most influential directors of all time. Hitchcock's Psycho is arguably one of his best known films, based on the Robert Bloch novel of the same name, which was inspired by the case of Ed Gein.
Where have I seen Tom Hollander? Hollander is known for his roles in The Night Manager, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, The White Lotus and Harley Quinn. He has previously collaborated with Ryan Murphy on Feud: Capote vs the Swans, and has also had roles in Baptiste, The Ipcress File, Bird Box, Taboo and Bohemian Rhapsody.
Laurie Metcalf as Augusta Gein
Who is Augusta Gein? Ed's mother, who was very religious and moved the family to a farm, isolating her two sons further from the outside world. After the death of her other son Henry, her and Ed were left alone until her death in 1945.
Where have I seen Laurie Metcalf? Metcalf has starred in a variety of roles over the years. She is best known for her roles in Lady Bird, Roseanne, The Conners and Getting On. She has also voiced roles in the Toy Story film trilogy, and starred in The Dropout and Hacks.
Olivia Williams as Alma Reville
Who is Alma Reville? A screenwriter and film editor who was married to Alfred Hitchcock, known for her many collaborations with her husband as well as other directors like Henrik Galeen, Maurice Elvey, and Berthold Viertel.
Where have I seen Olivia Williams? Williams is known for her roles in The Crown, Miss Austen Regrets, Altar and Dune: Prophecy. She has also starred in The Nevers, Counterpart and The Halcyon.
Lesley Manville as Bernice Worden
Who is Bernice Worden? A hardware store owner who was reported missing in Plainfield in 1957, she was seen with Gein a short time before she disappeared and this led to Gein being visited by the police.
Where have I seen Lesley Manville? Manville is known for a variety of roles over the years including in Phantom Thread, multiple Mike Leigh films, as well as TV shows like Sherwood, Mum and The Crown.
Vicky Krieps as Ilse Koch
Who is Ilse Koch? Known as 'The Witch of Buchenwald', Koch was a German war criminal who became known for her gruesome crimes while her husband was commandant at Buchenwald. Her 1947 US military commission court trial became a focus worldwide, after details of her harrowing crimes and fashioning lampshades out of the human skin of prisoners were revealed.
Where have I seen Vicky Krieps? The Luxembourgish-German actress is known for her roles in Phantom Thread, Bergman Island, Corsage and Hot Milk.
Joey Pollari as Anthony Perkins
Who is Anthony Perkins? Although he acted in other films, Perkins became best known for his leading role as Norman Bates in Hitchcock's Psycho, which was released in 1960.
Where have I seen Joey Pollari? Pollari is known for his roles in American Crime, The Inbetweeners, SEAL Team and Love, Simon.
Charlie Hall as Deputy Frank Worden
Who is Deputy Frank Worden? Frank's mother Bernice was Gein's final victim. He was sadly one of the people to discover his mother's remains at the family store. His part in identifying Gein led to his eventual arrest.
Where have I seen Charlie Hall? Hall has starred in Bel-Air, Single Drunk Female, The Sex Lives of College Girls, Big Shot and Love, Victor.
Tyler Jacob Moore as Sheriff Arthur Schley
Who is Sheriff Arthur Schley? A Wisconsin sheriff who was heading up the investigation into Gein, Schley was one of the prominent figures involved in Gein's eventual arrest and the search of his house.
Where have I seen Tyler Jacob Moore? Moore is known for his roles in Once Upon A Time, Shameless, Ride and SEAL Team.
Addison Rae as Evelyn Hartley
Who is Evelyn Hartley? Evelyn mysteriously disappeared aged 14 in 1953, prompting a search involving 2000 people, one of the biggest in Wisconsin history. An unsolved case, many believed Gein was involved. But after two lie detector tests and no trace of evidence in his home, Gein was cleared of any connection to Evelyn.
Where have I seen Addison Rae? The social media personality and popstar has appeared in films He's All That and Thanksgiving, with Monster being her first TV drama credit.
Will Brill as Tobe Hooper
Who is Tobe Hooper? Hooper is an American filmmaker, best known for his work in the horror genre and co-writing and directing The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, as well as its 1986 sequel.
Where have I seen Will Brill? Brill is known for his role in The OA, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and Fellow Travelers.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story is now streaming on Netflix – sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
