(NewsNation) — Charlie Hunnam had nightmares before playing murder Ed Gein in the upcoming season of “Monsters,” but says he ended up seeing a gentler side to him while in the role.  

Hunnam spoke to Variety on the red carpet of the 77th annual Emmy Awards about how his views on Gein changed while filming the third season of the upcoming Netflix series.  

“I had the nightmares before I started,” Hunnam explained. “Once I got into it, it was a little easier,” Hunnam said. “But I, for a second, thought maybe I’d made a horrible mistake when I started doing my research and realizing just how despicable some of the stuff he did was.”  

He added, “So the gruesomeness, but there’s also a little bit of, I don’t want to say tenderness, but you see the human in him.” 

“He’s one of the more gentle monsters,” Hunnam said. “Monstrous no doubt, but he has his gentle side to him.” 

Who was Ed Gein?  

Gein was a serial killer who went on a killing spree in the 1950s, robbed graves and used body parts to make household items and clothing, according to Britannica.  

He was found guilty in 1968 of murdering a woman. He also confessed to killing another person.  

Gein’s crimes are said to have inspired movies like “The Silence of the Lambs,” “Psycho,” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”