For fans of Evan Peters, his turn as the demented serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer in Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story almost felt like an inevitability. His history in the horror genre dates back to 2011 when he and American Horror Story's creator Ryan Murphy forged a creative relationship that has produced some truly eerie characters. Having honed the craft of creep throughout the oughts, there was little doubt that he would be a great fit as Dahmer. But Peters is far from a one-trick pony. When given the opportunity to play outside the psychological horror genre, he has also come up big with superhero roles in the enormously successful Marvel Cinematic Universe and as Detective Colin Zabel in the HBO limited series Mare of Easttown opposite Kate Winslet. Between his MCU heroics, a home run in Monster and the widespread praise for Mare of Easttown, the actor has proven that he has no problem playing both naughty and nice.
The 35-year-old Peters has been acting since 2005, but really broke through in 2011 when he became Ryan Murphy's muse in the American Horror Story anthology. Having a decade to work with one of the genre's most creative and brilliant minds gave Peters a chance to experiment with several different characters that would serve as on-the-job preparation for taking on the role of notoriously haunting cannibal, Jeffrey Dahmer. Elements of his re-animated character Kyle Spencer from AHS's Coven and the villainous James March in Hotel are evident in parts of Peters' remarkable transformation.
Becoming Jeffrey Dahmer
From Dahmer's thick Midwestern accent and deliberate speech patterns to his almost sluggish, lethargic movements and mannerisms, Peters' embodiment of the tortured soul is uncanny as it is eerie. Peters admitted that it was the role was one that was frightening to take on, telling Seventeen magazine it was, "the hardest thing he has ever done." and about how he was "very scared about diving into that (dark material)." As part of his research for the biopic assigned to him from the show creator, Peters studied the way Dahmer spoke and carried himself in the 1992 interview with NBC's Stone Phillips as part of his research. He even pulled a bit of a "DeNiro" and bulked up in the weight room to mirror Dahmer's physique. The finished product is so convincing that the show has surpassed 300 million hours viewed since its September 21 release date and doesn't appear ready to slow down. It's second only to Stranger Things Season 4 in English language shows during the same span.
But He Can Play a Good Guy, Too
Although Peters may be riding high right now with the Netflix show's success, that doesn't mean that he can't occasionally replace his black hat with a more noble and kind white one. He has shed the hauntingly twisted characters and spread his wings many times over the years. He's even ventured into the Marvel Cinematic Universe twice taking super heroic turns as Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Futures Past and X-Men: Dark Phoenix. He followed that with arguably his best performance to date as Detective Colin Zabel in Mare of Easttown, a portrayal which earned him both critical acclaim and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series.
Shedding the macabre persona and embracing a charming, boy-next-door type proved to be a breeze for Peters and showed off both his versatility and dramatic chops. Joining Kate Winslet's titular detective character as her partner, Peters' take on Zabel was both charming and sympathetic. His convincing portrayal as a cop who solved a years long cold case to arrive in Easttown as a reluctant hero added depth the Emmy-winning series. As a potential love interest of Mare's, Peters' presence also brought some lighter moments in an otherwise hardscrabble psychological thriller.
It's still relatively early in Peters' career and with the success of both Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and Mare of Easttown, he has demonstrated that he can maneuver pretty easily on either side of the law. Right now, the world of Hollywood is his oyster with limitless possibilities. Whether you like the good Evan or the spooky Evan (or even Marvel super hero Evan), odds are you'll be getting a heavy dose of the dynamic actor for years to come.