‘Silence of the Lambs’ Star Says He Missed the Mark in Playing a Homicidal Trans Character – He Apparently Hasn’t Been Watching the News
Ted Levine’s reflections on playing Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs anchor this piece, published to mark the film’s 35th anniversary. Levine says he regrets the portrayal, finding the character unsettling—a man who is deeply confused about his identity and sexuality and who embodies a deranged serial killer. The Hollywood Reporter’s interview excerpt also quotes Dr. Hannibal Lecter, who describes Buffalo Bill as someone who hates his own identity in ways that align with troubling themes about gender, and Levine notes that certain lines in the script are unfortunate. He criticized the portrayal as unkind and inaccurate toward transgender people, though the article suggests that recent events echo some of the film’s disturbing dynamics.
The piece connects the fictional portrayal to real-world violence by mentioning several shootings linked to individuals who identified as transgender, including incidents in Canada and the United States, and a social-media post discussing the Rhode Island case. It argues, controversially, that Buffalo Bill is arguably the most accurate cinematic depiction of a transgender person—violent and resentful—driven by delusions about gender identity, and it concludes by suggesting the character has aged “incredibly well,” a notion implying Levine might view the role in a different light given contemporary events. The text also contains various ad scripts and embedded media elements typical of a web article.
Actor Ted Levine is regretful about his portrayal of Buffalo Bill in the 1991 film “Silence of the Lambs,” but considering recent news, the character was spot on.
The Hollywood Reporter released Levine’s comments about his role Saturday, the film’s 35th anniversary since hitting theaters.
Looking back, Levine finds the character to be unsettling, as it portrays a man deeply confused about his identity and sexuality as a deranged serial killer.
Anthony Hopkins’ character in the film, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, even states in one scene, “Billy hates his own identity, you see, and he thinks that makes him a transsexual. But his pathology is a thousand times more savage and more terrifying.”
In other words, Buffalo Bill takes on many of the aspects of transgenderism seen playing out today. Levine, working in a notoriously left-wing industry, condemned the portrayal.
He told The Hollywood Reporter, “There are certain aspects of the movie that don’t hold up too well.
“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.
“[It’s] just over time and having gotten aware and worked with trans folks, and understanding a bit more about the culture and the reality of the meaning of gender,” he said.
“It’s unfortunate that the film vilified that, and it’s f***ing wrong. And you can quote me on that.”
Levine said this is an unkind and inaccurate portrayal of the transgender experience, but in light of recent news, it’s eerily accurate.
The shooter in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, who left eight dead before turning the gun on himself, was a self-proclaimed transgender.
Tuesday’s shooting at Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, was committed by a man whose daughter, according to KATV, said, “I think his gender-identity issues are a symptom of a deeper issue.”
This is the Transgender Rhode Island shooting suspect. pic.twitter.com/50Mu0Vvlwe
— YORKING 👑 (@kingforever001) February 17, 2026
Looking back further, the shooter at the Assumption Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2025 was also transgender.
The shooter at the Covenant School in Nashville Tennessee in 2023 was a female claiming male identity.
Buffalo Bill is perhaps the most accurate portrayal of a trans person to date — violent, murderous, and resentful, being fueled by delusions stemming from sexual identity problems.
The character aged incredibly well.
If only Levine could see that.
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