Evan Peters on the 'Darkness' of Playing Jeffrey Dahmer — and How 'Step Brothers' Helped Him Step Away

Mar. 15, 2025

Evan Peters as Jeffrey Dahmer.Photo: Courtesy Of Netflix

The darkness surrounding his portrayal of Jeffrey Dahmer in Netflix’s latest hit thriller,Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, was not easy to separate from real life forEvan Peters.

“Doing the role, I wanted to give it 120 percent the whole way through, so Ibrought in a lot of darkness and negativity,” he said, according toThe Hollywood Reporter.

As part of his preparation for the role, Peters shared that he wore Dahmer’s shoes, jeans and glasses for months, and also put weights on his arms to mirror the killer’s walking style. He added that he debated about whether or not to take the role initially, and was terrified when he eventually did take it on.

Ser Baffo/Netflix

TheAmerican Horror Storyactor kept his sights set on the series wrapping as he grappled with the darkness of Dahmer’s life. There was even a comedy movie that he thought of as he navigated the role.

“It was just having that end goal in sight, knowing when we were going to wrap and finally being able to breathe and let it go and say, ‘Okay, now it’s time to bring in the joy and the lightness and watch comedies and romances and go back to St. Louis and see my family and friends and yeah, watchStep Brothers,’ " Peters said.

Niecy Nash, who played Dahmer’s keen-eyed and suspicious neighbor in the series, joked about how deep Peters was in the role. “People will say, ‘What is Evan like?’ and I’m like, ‘I don’t know, I don’t know that man,’ " she said.

Since its release, the series has receivedmixed reviewsand has even sparkedcontroversy, with some criticizingDahmerfor desensitizing viewers.

Despite the backlash, the show still managed to land in the number-one spot during its debut week on Netflix, and has become one of the streaming service’s most-viewed shows ever.

The series provides a closer look at Dahmer’s victims, at least 17 men and boys whom he raped, murdered and dismembered between 1978 and 1991 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It also showcases theone victim who got awayand later went on to play a big part in Dahmer’s eventual arrest, Tracy Edwards.

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source: people.com