Tobias Jelinek Immerses in Darkness for ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’

Tobias Jelinek found himself delving into a ‘very dark’ place to portray the mass murderer Richard Speck in Netflix’s series, Monster: The Ed Gein Story.

A Descent Into Darkness

Tobias Jelinek, familiar with on-screen serial killer roles, faced an unusual challenge embodying Richard Speck. While speaking exclusively to PEOPLE, Jelinek noted, \\”Serial killers are not new to me. I have tended to play a lot of those different serial killers. However, this one… I wasn’t very familiar with Richard Speck before auditioning, and I did not know that he transitioned in prison.\\”

\\”For me, as soon as I read it, that’s immediately where I went with it.\\”

The 48-year-old actor initially tapped into his imagination to approach the infamous Birdman of Chicago before delving into Speck’s brutal 1966 killings documented in Illinois court files.

Channeling Richard Speck

Jelinek unearthed chilling excerpts of Speck’s confessions, caught on a two-hour tape discovered in 1996 by Bill Kurtis. These tapes showed disturbing details of Speck’s crimes and prison life, with Jelinek saying he could \\”only watch in bits and pieces.\\”

\\”It was like watching and then really letting my imagination take it into a place of fantasy rather than too much fact,\\” he elaborated. \\”His manhunt was really the first widely televised serial killer manhunt, and the story is rather horrific.\\”

The atmosphere was steeped further in reality when Jelinek filmed at Illinois’ Stateville Correctional Center, where Speck served time. Surprisingly, he shot scenes just down the hall from where notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy was executed.

\\”So the atmosphere really lent itself to the reality and putting me in the state of mind,\\” Jelinek reflected, noting it was \\”very dark.\\”

Chekhov’s Influence

A devout practitioner of the Michael Chekhov acting technique, Jelinek collaborated with a mentor in Chicago’s Fine Arts Building studio. \\”We went there and did explorations on the character. It’s wonderful just having another person so it’s safe enough to go as far as you need to go,\\” he shared.

Adding more layers to his preparation, Jelinek explored Speck’s reverence for fellow serial killer Ed Gein, portrayed by Charlie Hunnam. Speck viewed Gein as \\”this iconic, almost godlike figure to [him].\\”

Bringing Speck to Life

Jelinek’s commitment to character hit a physical transformation during his audition when he sported a kimono and his wife’s bra. Noting the moment with humor, he recalled, \\”She taped me. She’s like, ‘I don’t know how comfortable I am with this.’ I’m like, ‘Just go, baby.’\\” This transformation seeped easily into portraying Speck.

He further elaborated on the show’s fantastical nature, praising creator Ryan Murphy. \\”That’s the thing with the show — it has a lot of fantasy, and I like that about [Monster creator] Ryan Murphy and how he stimulates conversations,\\” Jelinek mentioned.

A Unique Perspective on Prison Life

Jelinek previously recounted to Entertainment Weekly his striking experiences of filming in stiletto heels and a bra. \\”Being in that prison and putting on those heels, it was phenomenal,\\” he said. The task of navigating grated metal floors amid cat-calling inmates provided Jelinek with unique insights into the character’s transformation.

Monster: The Ed Gein Story is available now on Netflix, inviting viewers into its chilling narrative.

Reporting based on the original article; quotes reproduced verbatim.