Ted Levine, who played Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs, has spoken out about the transphobic criticism the film has received since its release 35 years ago.
“There are aspects of this movie that haven’t been well received,” Levine told The Hollywood Reporter.
The portrayal of the character Buffalo Bill, also known as Jayme Gumm, has long been criticized by the transgender community as harmful.
Buffalo Bill was a serial killer who murdered women in order to harvest their skin to wear.
Despite the character’s sexual orientation not being openly stated, he was seen as transgender and gender nonconforming in the film.
“We all know more about transgender issues, and I’m much wiser about transgender issues,” he added to the outlet. “There are some disappointing lines in the script and in the movie.”
“[It’s]just as time has passed and we’ve been able to recognize and work with transgender people and understand a little bit more about the culture and reality of what gender means,” Levine said.
“It’s unfortunate that the movie denigrated that, and that’s just wrong. And feel free to quote me on that,” Levine said.
Nevertheless, Levin said of his performance as Buffalo Bill, “I didn’t play him as gay or transgender. I think he was just struggling as a straight man. That’s what I was doing.”
In the film, Anthony Hopkins played Hannibal Lecter, who is consulted by FBI trainee Clarice Starling, played by Jodie Foster.
Lecter is a cannibalistic serial killer who advises Starling to help capture Buffalo Bill.
Directed by Jonathan Demme, the film was released on Valentine’s Day 1991 and became a worldwide hit.
It won five Academy Awards, including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture.
Demme’s producing partner Edward Saxon told the magazine: “We were really true to the book. When we were making the movie, there was no question in our minds that Buffalo Bill was a completely abnormal character, that he was not gay or transgender.”
“He was sick. In that respect, we missed it. From my perspective, we weren’t sensitive enough to the legacy of a lot of stereotypes and their ability to cause harm,” he explained to THR.
“I have regrets, but it didn’t come from any malice. In fact, it came from meeting this man. We all had dear friends and family members who were gay. I thought it was very clear that Buffalo Bill was adapting something different from society, from a place of incredible pathology,” Saxon said.
