“It’s F–king Wrong”: Silence Of The Lambs Star Admits One Aspect Of Buffalo Bill Didn’t Age Well

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Thirty-five years after the release of The Silence of the Lambs, Ted Levine is discussing a problematic aspect of his character, James “Buffalo Bill” Gumb, and how it hasn’t held up over time.

Though Dr. Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins, is the most memorable character in the film, FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is actually hunting the serial killer Buffalo Bill. She seeks help from the imprisoned Lecter to understand and catch the killer, who is trying to make a “woman suit” out of his victims’ skin. Despite consistently positive reviews over the last thirty years, The Silence of the Lambs has faced criticism for its portrayal of Buffalo Bill, which many consider a harmful representation of transgender people.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ted Levine addressed the controversy surrounding his role in The Silence of the Lambs for the first time. He acknowledged that some parts of the film haven’t aged well, stating he’s learned a lot more about transgender issues and now recognizes certain lines in the script and movie as regrettable. He emphasized he didn’t feel this way while filming, but his perspective has changed over the years as he’s gained a deeper understanding of the transgender experience. Levine also clarified that he never intended to portray Buffalo Bill as a transgender character. You can read his full statement below.

Over time, after learning from and working with transgender people, I’ve come to understand more about gender identity and the trans community. It’s really disappointing and frankly wrong that the film portrayed them negatively, and I want to be clear about that.

You know, when I approached this character, I deliberately avoided labeling him with any specific sexuality or gender identity. My take was that he was simply a deeply troubled, messed-up straight man. That was the core of my performance – portraying that internal struggle, not focusing on who he was attracted to, but rather the damage he carried.

Edward Saxon, a producer on the film, explained to The Hollywood Reporter that he and director Jonathan Demme wanted to portray Buffalo Bill as deeply disturbed and having a completely unusual personality, separate from any specific sexual orientation or gender identity. However, they now recognize they unintentionally relied on damaging stereotypes in the process.

We stayed very true to the original novel when making the film. We firmly believed Buffalo Bill was simply a disturbed individual, and never considered interpretations of him as gay or transgender. Looking back, we realize we were wrong to dismiss those perspectives. I now understand we didn’t fully appreciate how harmful those ingrained stereotypes could be, and we weren’t sensitive enough to their impact.

The regret stemmed not from any harmful intent, but from recognizing the character. Many of us had close friends and family who were gay, and we wanted it to be obvious that Buffalo Bill’s actions were a twisted appropriation, reflecting his deeply disturbed psychological state.

Following the success of The Silence of the Lambs, Jonathan Demme and Ted Saxon made Philadelphia in 1993, a film where Tom Hanks plays a lawyer fired from his firm when they discover he is gay and has HIV. Although Philadelphia received a lot of positive attention for its portrayal of these issues, the way the 1991 film depicted the character of Buffalo Bill remains a troubling and damaging example of how transgender people were represented.

Although Buffalo Bill is a key part of the story and the film’s lasting impact, the relationship between Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter – especially their final conversation in The Silence of the Lambs – is what most audiences remember. Anthony Hopkins continued to play Lecter in Hannibal and Red Dragon, and Gaspard Ulliel portrayed him in Hannibal Rising. The franchise expanded with two television series: Hannibal, starring Mads Mikkelsen, and Clarice, starring Rebecca Breeds.

After becoming known for his role as Buffalo Bill in the acclaimed thriller The Silence of the Lambs, Ted Levine continued to build a successful career. He’s best known for playing Captain Leland Stottlemeyer in the popular TV series Monk, but he’s also appeared in films like Heat, The Fast and the Furious, Shutter Island, and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. He recently revisited his role as Stottlemeyer in the 2023 movie Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie.

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2026-02-14 21:29