‘Silence of the Lambs’ actor apologizes to transgender people for ‘unfortunate’ depiction of Buffalo Bill

Actor Ted Levine and producer Edward Saxon recently addressed criticism that the character “Buffalo Bill” perpetuated harmful stereotypes, reports the Daily Mail. The film, released in 1991 and directed by Jonathan Demme, won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

The thriller, based on the novel by Thomas Harris, follows an FBI trainee played by Jodie Foster as she tracks a serial killer who murders women and fashions garments from their skin. The trainee seeks help from imprisoned killer Hannibal Lecter during the investigation.

In recent interviews with The Hollywood Reporter, Levine acknowledged that “There are certain aspects of the movie that don't hold up too well.” He added, “We all know more, and I'm a lot wiser about transgender issues. There are some lines in that script and movie that are unfortunate.”

One frequently cited line involves Lecter stating that Buffalo Bill is “not really transgender,” adding: “Billy hates his own identity. And he thinks that makes him a transsexual, but his pathology is a thousand times more savage and more terrifying.”

Saxon said the production adhered closely to the source material and did not view the character as representing gay or transgender individuals. “We were really loyal to the book,” he said. “As we made the film, there was just no question in our minds that Buffalo Bill was a completely aberrant personality — that he wasn't gay or trans.”

“He was sick,” Saxon added. “To that extent, we missed it. From my point of view, we weren't sensitive enough to the legacy of a lot of stereotypes and their ability to harm.”

Levine also stated, “I didn't play him as being gay or trans. I think he was just a f*ed-up heterosexual man. That's what I was doing.” He continued, “It's unfortunate that the film vilified that, and it's f**ed wrong. And you can quote me on that.”