> At a Glance
> – Charlie Hunnam revealed his girlfriend Morgana McNelis asked him to drop his Ed Gein voice at home
> – The Monster: The Ed Gein Story star is nominated for Best Actor at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards
> – Hunnam initially feared taking the role was a “mistake” before finding the human story behind the killer
> – Why it matters: Shows how method acting can blur into real life-even at the breakfast table
Charlie Hunnam’s dedication to portraying serial killer Ed Gein didn’t stop when the cameras did, and his longtime partner was quick to draw a line.
Home Life Interrupted
On the red carpet at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards on January 4, Hunnam told E!’s Justin Sylvester that Morgana McNelis urged him to leave the infamous murderer’s voice at the studio door.
> Hunnam confirmed:
> “She did. I was slipping in and out of it all the time and she was saying, ‘Dude. You have to stop with the voice.'”
He added with a laugh, “At breakfast, it’s a little too much.”
Award Recognition
Hunnam, 45, is up for Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for his performance in Monster: The Ed Gein Story, the third installment of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series.
The nomination is the show’s sole recognition at the 31st annual ceremony held in Santa Monica, Calif.
Finding the Human Behind the Horror
Initially, Hunnam worried the role would be “impossibly bleak.” The breakthrough came after reading Gein’s medical records, which revealed:
- Mental illness
- Isolation struggles
- Emotional abandonment by his mother
> Hunnam explained:
> “I just started to see the human. We were really trying to find the human story within this, ask the question what creates a monster.”
Key Takeaways
- Hunnam’s method acting extended into his home life, prompting a household ban
- His Critics Choice nomination highlights his transformation into the notorious killer
- The actor shifted from fearing the role to humanizing Gein’s dark history
- Gein’s crimes inspired iconic horror films like Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Hunnam’s performance continues to haunt audiences while earning critical acclaim.
