13 Absolutely Incredible Stars Who Have Played History's Most Heinous Serial Killers

They were chilling to watch.

Liezel

• Published in Film & TV
• April 6, 2022

We think everyone can agree that serial killers aren't exactly the type of people you'd easily give the benefit of the doubt. They're not also the type of people you'd want to be hanging out with alone on a Saturday night in an abandoned alley or alone in your apartment.

Just by the term "serial killer," a lot of people would feel that spike of fear. In fact, the names of a lot of the most famous serial killers in history are often spoken with disgust, fear, and even anger.

And yet, for some absurd reason, a lot of people are interested in these people. Generally, we're curious about how they were as people and how in the world they managed to get away with their crimes for so long.

That's why even though some serial killers have long been dead, some people still make books and shows about them. And we still watch it because well, it is interesting.

When you think about it though, from the movie standpoint of things, it can be pretty hard for the actors to portray those real-life people. To accurately portray them, they have to get in a certain headspace, learn mannerisms, and to a degree, become these people who have been branded as evil and such as society.

They're pretty hard roles to take and celebs who've taken them are definitely to applaud for them. Here are the celebs who've taken on the roles of serial killers.

1. Zac Efron (Ted Bundy)

Just before his execution in 1989, Bundy confessed to 30 homicides in the 70s. Zac Efron portrayed him in the 2019 film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.

2. Jeremy Renner (Jeffrey Dahmer)

2002's Dahmer featured Jeremy Renner playing the serial killer who was known for killing and dismembering almost 20 men and boys between 1978 and 1991.

3. Chad Michael Murray (Ted Bundy)

Murray also stepped into Bundy's murderous shoes for the 2021 film Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman.

4. Joshua Jackson (Dr. Christopher Duntsch)

Jackson starred as the Texan neurosurgeon Dr. Christopher Duntsch in the 2021 series Dr. Death which was inspired by the podcast of the same title.

5. Ross Lynch (Jeffrey Dahmer)

In the 2017 film My Friend Dahmer, Lynch portrayed serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in his high school days.

6. Darren Criss (Andrew Cunanan)

For the film The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Darren Criss stepped out of his Glee suit for his portrayal of Andrew Cunana. It earned him an Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG Award.

7. Damon Herriman (Charles Manson)

Damon Herriman stepped into the infamous cult leader's shoes not once but twice. He did one for Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood and the other was for an episode of Mindhunter where he acted opposite Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany.

8. Evan Peters (Charles Manson)

For American Horror Story: Cult, the Manson family murders were recreated where AHS lead Evan Peters channeled the cult leader Charles Manson.

9. Cameron Britton (Ed Kemper)

On Mindhunter, Cameron Britton gave a chilling performance as Ed Kemper.

10. John Cusack (Robert Hansen)

For 2012's The Frozen Ground, John Cusack portrayed Robert Hansen aka Butcher Baker who was arrested and convicted in 1983 after abducting, raping, and murdering at least 17 women.

11. Brian Dennehy (John Wayne Gacy)

For a two-part television special in 1992, Brian Dehenny stepped into the shoes of John Wayne Gacy who was a sex offender who murdered at least 33 young men and boys between 1972 and 1978.

12. Charlize Theron (Aileen Wuornos)

Charlize Theron did a huge transformation to play serial killer Aileen Wuornos who killed seven men in Florida between 1989 and 1990 for the 2003 film Monster. The film also starred Christina Ricci as a character based on Wuornos' ex-girlfriend Tyria Moore.

13. Zach Villa (Richard Ramirez)

Richard Ramirez aka Night Stalker terrorized San Francisco and Los Angeles between 1984 and 1985. He died in prison in 2013. He was portrayed by Zach Villa on the ninth season of American Horror Story.

A lot of these stars did a pretty stellar job giving us bone-chilling performances of these serial killers. And we know it's not the easiest job in the world to get into the headspace of such complicated people.

In addition to that, some of them even underwent a whole-body transformation to be able to portray their characters. That just shows how dedicated they are to giving their audience award-worthy performances.

Which portrayal was your favorite?

Liezel