Charlie Hunnam visited serial killer's grave to cope with playing him in new Netflix show

Charlie Hunnam has spoken out ahead of the newest season of Monster, revealing the bizarre way he would unwind after filming - by visiting the grave of the serial killer he was playing.

Hunnam is set to play Ed Gein in the third season of Monster, releasing on Netflix this Friday (3 October).

The series follows some of the world’s most famous killers, with season one focusing on the life of Jeffrey Dahmer and season two covering the Menendez brothers.

Ed Gein is perhaps the most bizarre killer whose true crimes have been covered by the show yet though, having murdered two people as well as robbed numerous graves to make clothes and furniture from their skin and bones.

Much of the focus so far has been criticism of how the TV series glorifies murderers, with particularly the first season focused on Dahmer being slammed for this.

Many feel that Ryan Murphy is unnecessarily sexualising real life killers (Netflix)

Hunnam’s casting has seen particular backlash, however, with many complaining they're trying to make Gein ‘sexy’.

Speaking about his time playing Gein in a new interview, Hunnam revealed the unsettling method by which he would try and unwind.

Appearing on the TODAY show, the 45-year-old actor was asked about the fact that Gein’s crimes inspired a number of the world’s most famous cinematic serial killers such as Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Silence of the Lambs.

Asked about decompressing while playing the character, Hunnam said it ‘takes time’, and when questioned about whether it was true he went to Gein’s grave he replied: “Yeah, I went to visit his grave.

“My partner, we’ve been together many years, and she told me a while ago: ‘Take some time when you finish because when you come home you should be ready to see me’.

“I had been shooting in Chicago, I decided to stay for a week and decompress.”

He revealed that it had only been an eight hour drive to Wisconsin where Gein grew up and was buried, saying: “I thought … it was a good conclusion to go visit his grave and say what I wanted to say to him and basically that I hoped we had told his story honestly at the very least and didn’t invite him to come on the journey with me moving forward.”

The star also spoke in the interview about a line shown in trailers in which Gein looks into the camera and says: “You’re the one who can’t look away.”

Hunnam suggests that the series asks the question of who the real monster is, Gein who had mental health issues and was likely abused by his mother, or the filmmakers who sensationalised his life.

The real-life Ed Gein, who died on 26 July 1984 (Bettmann via Getty Images)

The co-creator of Monster, Ian Brennan, spoke to Variety about the intentions of the series: “We’re, if not humanizing, Homo sapiens-izing.

“What’s interesting is showing that these are human beings without trying to humanize them or make them sympathetic.

“The thing that always blows me away is that a billion people watch it. I was very squeamish about it at first.

“Then I was like, no, no, no - this is actually quite important work.”

Monster releases on Netflix on 3 October.