20 Mind-Blowing Facts You Didn't Know About Hannibal

16. Dr Chilton Was Inspired By Two (Non-Hannibal) Films

hannibal food
NBC

Frederick Chilton has the worst luck. The bumbling sanatorium owner who summarily fails to keep Hannibal locked up during the first few Of Thomas Harris's books (and their film adaptations), the TV show has his horrible fate actually appear on screen, rather than just inferred: he got shot in the face and was horribly disfigured.

It wasn't the inimitable Dr Lecter who did the deed, but he did manipulate the recently-found Miriam Lass into thinking Chilton was the Chesapeake Ripper. Hence the shooty-shooty. And hence, when Chilton surprisingly re-merged, he was hell-bent on taking his revenge of Hannibal. Both that MO and his disfigured appearance might be familiar.

In fact his new look, as unveiled in the season three episode “Aperitivo”, was inspired by Ed Harris's character in A History Of Violence (the burnt flesh look) and by Javier Bardem's bad guy from Bond film Skyfall, who also has some prosthetics helping his mostly-melted jaw. In that case, Chilton should be twice as terrifying as those two on their own?

Contributor
Contributor

Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/