{"id":2571569,"date":"2026-02-19T17:48:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T22:48:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/silence-of-the-lambs-star-says-he-missed-the-mark-in-playing-a-homicidal-trans-character-he-apparently-hasnt-been-watching-the-news\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T17:51:53","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T22:51:53","slug":"silence-of-the-lambs-star-says-he-missed-the-mark-in-playing-a-homicidal-trans-character-he-apparently-hasnt-been-watching-the-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/silence-of-the-lambs-star-says-he-missed-the-mark-in-playing-a-homicidal-trans-character-he-apparently-hasnt-been-watching-the-news\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Silence of the Lambs&#8217; Star Says He Missed the Mark in Playing a Homicidal Trans Character \u2013 He Apparently Hasn&#8217;t Been Watching the News"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">48<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsilence-of-the-lambs-star-says-he-missed-the-mark-in-playing-a-homicidal-trans-character-he-apparently-hasnt-been-watching-the-news%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2571569&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Ted Levine\u2019s reflections on playing Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs anchor this piece, published to mark the film\u2019s 35th anniversary. Levine says he regrets the portrayal, finding the character unsettling\u2014a man who is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/if-youre-not-indoctrinating-your-children-then-someone-else-is-allie-beth-stuckey-on-woke-education-entertainment-and-self-love\/\" title=\"\u2018If You\u2019re Not Indoctrinating Your Children, Then Someone Else Is\u2019: Allie Beth Stuckey On Woke Education, Entertainment, And \u2018Self Love\u2019\">deeply confused<\/a> about his identity and sexuality and who embodies a deranged serial killer. The Hollywood Reporter\u2019s 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\u2019s disturbing dynamics.<\/p>\n<p>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >social-media post discussing<\/a> the Rhode Island case. It argues, controversially, that Buffalo Bill is arguably the most accurate cinematic depiction of a transgender person\u2014violent and resentful\u2014driven by delusions about gender identity, and it concludes by suggesting the character has aged \u201cincredibly well,\u201d a notion implying Levine might view the role in a different light given <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/globalism-wont-westernize-the-planet-it-will-internationalize-america\/\" title=\"Globalism Won\u2019t Westernize The Planet, It Will Internationalize America\">contemporary events<\/a>. The text also contains various ad scripts and embedded media elements typical of a web article.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Actor Ted Levine is regretful about his portrayal of Buffalo Bill in the 1991 film &ldquo;Silence of the Lambs,&rdquo; but considering <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ocasio-cortez-takes-aim-at-entire-gop-after-accusing-cruz-of-trying-to-get-me-killed\/\" title=\"Ocasio-Cortez Takes Aim At Entire GOP After Accusing Cruz Of \u2018Trying To Get Me Killed\u2019\">recent news<\/a>, the character was spot on.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/movies\/movie-news\/silence-of-the-lambs-35-anniversary-interviews-1236504956\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hollywood Reporter<\/a> released Levine&rsquo;s comments about his role Saturday, the film&rsquo;s 35th anniversary since hitting theaters.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Anthony Hopkins&rsquo; character in the film, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, even states in one scene, &ldquo;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.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>He told The Hollywood Reporter, &ldquo;There are certain aspects of the movie that don&rsquo;t hold up too well.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We all know more, and I&rsquo;m a lot wiser about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/caitlyn-jenner-rules-out-running-for-governor-amidst-california-recall-effort\/\" title=\"Caitlyn Jenner Rules Out Running For Governor Amidst California Recall Effort\">transgender issues<\/a>. There are some lines in that script and movie that are unfortunate.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;[It&rsquo;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,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s unfortunate that the film vilified that, and it&rsquo;s f***ing wrong. And you can quote me on that.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Levine said this is an unkind and inaccurate portrayal of the transgender experience, but in light of recent news, it&rsquo;s eerily accurate.<\/p>\n<p>The shooter in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, who left eight dead before turning the gun on himself, was a self-proclaimed transgender.<\/p>\n<p>Tuesday&rsquo;s shooting at Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, was committed by a man whose daughter, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/katv.com\/news\/nation-world\/pawtucket-rhode-island-ice-rink-shooting-dennis-m-lynch-arena-suspected-shooter-family-tragedy-february-17-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KATV<\/a>, said, &ldquo;I think his gender-identity issues are a symptom of a deeper issue.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">This is the Transgender Rhode Island shooting suspect. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/50Mu0Vvlwe\">pic.twitter.com\/50Mu0Vvlwe<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; YORKING &#128081; (@kingforever001) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kingforever001\/status\/2023714707212038522?\">February 17, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Looking back further, the shooter at the Assumption Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2025 was also transgender.<\/p>\n<p>The shooter at the Covenant School in Nashville Tennessee in 2023 was a female claiming male identity.<\/p>\n<p>Buffalo Bill is perhaps the most accurate portrayal of a trans person to date &mdash; violent, murderous, and resentful, being fueled by delusions stemming from sexual identity problems.<\/p>\n<p>The character aged incredibly well.<\/p>\n<p>If only Levine could see that.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s a paraphrase of the provided text:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Ted Levine, who played Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs (1991), says he regrets parts of his portrayal, though the character remains disturbingly fitting for today. On the film\u2019s 35th anniversary, Levine notes that Buffalo Bill embodies a man deeply confused about his identity and sexuality, a deranged serial killer.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; In the film, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) remarks that Buffalo Bill hates his own identity and may be linked to transgender issues, though his pathology is far more savage. Levine, commenting from within Hollywood\u2019s liberal-leaning environment, condemns the portrayal.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Levine told The Hollywood Reporter that some elements of the movie don\u2019t age well. He says he has learned more about transgender issues and acknowledges lines in the script and film that were unfortunate. After working with transgender people and gaining a better understanding of gender, he believes the film\u2019s depiction of transgender experience was unjustly vilifying and inaccurate, calling it wrong. He notes that, given recent events, the portrayal feels eerily prescient.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The piece then references various shootings attributed to individuals who identified as transgender, suggesting Buffalo Bill is perhaps the most accurate (though harmful) portrayal of a transgender person\u2014violent and driven by delusions related to sexual identity. The text asserts that the character aged surprisingly well, if only Levine could see that.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019d like, I can shorten or tailor this paraphrase to a specific length or focus<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2571570,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-02-19T165218.267.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[74142,69373,74140,74141],"class_list":["post-2571569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-celebrity-interview-2","tag-media-critique-2","tag-silence-of-the-lambs","tag-trans-representation-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-02-19T165218.267.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2571569","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2571569"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2571569\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2571573,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2571569\/revisions\/2571573"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2571570"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2571569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2571569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2571569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}