10 Best Acting Performances In The Hannibal Lecter Trilogy

Ted Levine appears in 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs as serial killer Jame Gumb, dubbed “Buffalo Bill” by the press. A former patient of Hannibal Lecter, Gumb believed himself to be transsexual but was denied sexual reassignment surgery due to his history of violence and years of trauma. This suppression of what he believes to be his identity eventually drove him to murder, as he hunted down and killed various women so he could use their skin for his “woman suit”.

Gumb’s cold and dehumanising treatment of Catherine Martin, portrayed by Brooke Smith, is honestly sickening to watch at times, especially during scenes where he simply refers to her as “It”. This is due to the authenticity of Levine’s performance, specifically in the emotionless mannerism he exhibits when he interacts with her and his lack of reaction to her emotions.

Levine’s best scene is where ‘Buffalo Bill’ is fantasising about himself in the mirror, doing his own makeup and wearing a victim's scalp. During this scene, Martin is able to use the scraps of food Gumb has provided her to lure his dog, Precious, into the well where she is being kept, all the while Gumb is absorbed in his fantasy, dancing to ‘Goodbye Horses’ by Q Lazzarus.

Gumb is totally unaware of anything happening around him. The way Levine portrays the self-obsessive mannerisms of the character here help make this scene so creepy, and really works to sell the audience on the character's mental state.