Ryan Murphy on why Evan Peters is “one of the greatest of all time”
Ryan Murphy has been deemed the “most powerful man” in modern television thanks to his position as the current reigning king of darkness. Whether it be a dark comedy like the deadpan jokes of Glee or outright terror on American Horror Story, Murphy’s writing and directing take the cake. However, on his most recent project, he hit new extremes as he navigated true evil with an actor he considers to be one of the greats: Evan Peters.
Retelling the story of one of America’s most harrowing serial killer stories, Dahmer deals with the true tale of Jeffrey Dahmer. It’s an unsettling watch as the viewer is brought along for some of the killer’s most heinous and disturbing crimes.
So much of the show’s horror comes down to its impressive lead performance. Evan Peters personifies Dahmer to a disturbing depth, playing the figure like one of history’s most twisted villains. It was a role that won him a Golden Globe for ‘Best Actor’ and earned him even more respect from Murphy.
The pair are long-term collaborators. Murphy first cast Peters in the debut season of American Horror Story, where his brooding role as Tate made him a sensation. “I have known Evan and been friends with him for over ten years,” Murphy wrote on his Instagram. “I first met him when he auditioned to play Jessica Lange’s son Tate on the very first season of ‘American Horror Story.’ After their first scene together, Jessica said to me, ‘This kid is incredible.’”
Murphy clearly agreed. He went on to cast the actor in eight more seasons of the show, as well as in his other project, Pose. Part of it comes down to Peters’ personality as the writer added, “He is now — as he was then — the sweetest, kindest person and an absolute consummate professional who gives 200 per cent.”
But a lot of it, obviously, comes down to Peters’ undeniable talent. Whether he’s playing an angsty teenager or a murderous millionaire in American Horror Story, a secret lover in Pose, or even Michael Scott’s lazy nephew in The Office, he truly embodies it. That’s what made him so powerful and so terrifying in Dahmer.
As Murphy keeps casting Peters in more and more projects, the writer’s respect and admiration for the actor is evident. “With his role as Jeffrey Dahmer, he’s shown the world that he really is one of our industry’s best actors,” Murphy wrote, giving him the praise of being one of the very best. “His talent is raw and extreme and disciplined, and to me, he’s like a young De Niro or DiCaprio — just one of the greatest of all time.”
But at first, Murphy struggled to get the actor on board. “It was a real struggle,” Peters told Variety. After playing a lot of dark and twisted characters, he wasn’t sure whether stepping into the shoes of a real-life killer would be too much for him to handle. “I was really thinking about it and trying to process it,” he added, “I went back and forth a lot.” The only reason he eventually said yes was because of his relationship with Murphy.
“I knew that you’re an incredible support system, and I trust you, and there’s an honesty there,” he told Murphy. “I knew that, with the goal in mind of finishing this thing as strong as I started it, that you would create a great safety net. If I fell down, I could get back up, and we could finish this thing. I was up for the challenge.”
Murphy couldn’t be happier that he got the actor on board. Making the show a triumph, Peters’ performance, paired with the eerie score written by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, is a haunting watch.
