If you’ve ever found yourself quoting "It rubs the lotion on its skin" in a deep, gravelly voice, you’ve been touched by one of the most unsettling performances in cinematic history. Most people remember the chilling mask of Hannibal Lecter or Clarice Starling’s steely resolve, but the man at the center of the actual hunt—the terrifying Jame Gumb—is often the one who lingers in your nightmares. So, who plays Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs? That would be Ted Levine.
Honestly, it’s a name that doesn't always ring a bell immediately for casual fans, which is wild considering how much he transformed the role. Levine didn't just play a villain; he created a visceral, skin-crawling presence that felt dangerously real.
The Man Behind the Lotion: Ted Levine’s Performance
When Ted Levine took on the role of Jame Gumb, he wasn't a household name. He was a Chicago stage actor with some TV credits under his belt, like Crime Story.
Director Jonathan Demme saw something in Levine that was both masculine and deeply fragile. That’s the "secret sauce" of the performance. Gumb isn't just a monster; he’s a man desperately trying to escape his own skin—literally.
Levine’s preparation was intense. He didn't just read the script. He visited Quantico. He studied tapes of real-life serial killers, including Gary Heidnik, who kept women in a pit. He even hung out at cross-dressing bars to understand the culture of transformation, though Levine has been very clear in interviews that he never viewed Gumb as a gay or transgender character. Instead, he saw him as a man who hated himself so much he tried to "become" something else entirely to hide from his own identity.
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Why the "Goodbye Horses" Scene Wasn't in the Script
You know the scene. The one with the makeup, the silk scarf, and the Q Lazzarus track playing in the background.
It’s legendary. It’s also mostly improvised.
The "tuck" and the dance were Levine’s ways of showing Gumb’s internal world. It wasn't about being "pretty." It was about Gumb seeing himself as a "work in progress." Levine basically threw himself into the moment, and Demme was smart enough to keep the cameras rolling. This wasn't a "scary movie" trope; it was a character study in madness.
Who is Ted Levine? (Besides a Serial Killer)
It’s a bit of a tragedy that Levine was so good at being bad that he was typecast for years. If you’re a fan of 2000s television, you’ve probably seen him in a completely different light.
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- Captain Leland Stottlemeyer in Monk: For eight seasons, Levine played the gruff, mustache-toting police captain. He was the perfect "straight man" to Tony Shalhoub's eccentric detective. It's almost hard to believe it's the same guy who was yelling about hoses and pits in 1991.
- Detective Mike Gaffney in Heat: He stood toe-to-toe with Al Pacino.
- The Voice of Rusty Nail: In the 2001 thriller Joy Ride, Levine provided that terrifying voice over the CB radio. He didn't even need to be on screen to scare the life out of audiences.
- Sheriff James Timberlake: Appearing in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
He’s a chameleon. A "working man's actor." He’s been in everything from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom to Shutter Island.
The Real-Life Inspiration for Buffalo Bill
While Ted Levine brought the character to life, Thomas Harris (the author of the original book) didn't just make Gumb up out of thin air. The character is a "Frankenstein" of several real monsters:
- Ed Gein: The most famous influence. Gein actually made items out of human skin.
- Ted Bundy: Used the "fake injury" ruse (like the cast on the arm) to get women to help him at his van.
- Gary Heidnik: The pit in the basement? That was Heidnik's MO.
- Edmund Kemper: The "killing a grandparent" backstory in the novel.
Levine took these horrifying fragments and stitched them into a single, cohesive human being. That’s what makes the performance so heavy. It feels like a collage of true crime history.
The Controversy and the Legacy
We can't talk about who plays Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs without mentioning the backlash. When the movie came out, it faced massive protests from LGBTQ+ activists. They were rightfully concerned that the film portrayed "gender non-conformity" as synonymous with "psychotic killer."
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Demme and Levine both expressed regret over this later. In the film, Lecter specifically says Gumb isn't "transsexual" but is merely trying to find an escape from his own trauma. But as we know, movie audiences don't always catch the nuance of a single line of dialogue.
Despite the controversy, Levine’s work remains a masterclass. He didn't win an Oscar—Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster took those home—but you could argue the movie wouldn't have the same visceral impact without him. He provided the "threat" that made the stakes feel real.
How to Appreciate the Performance Today
If you’re re-watching The Silence of the Lambs in 2026, pay attention to Levine’s voice. He used a deep, baritone register that he later admitted was partially inspired by his mother’s voice. It’s an odd, specific detail that adds to the character’s "otherness."
Look at the eyes. There’s a scene where he’s looking at Catherine Martin in the pit. He isn't looking at a person; he's looking at "material." It's cold. It's clinical. It’s some of the best acting of the 90s.
Actionable Insights for Cinephiles:
- Watch the "Making Of" Documentaries: Many Blu-ray editions of The Silence of the Lambs feature interviews with Levine where he discusses the psychological toll of playing Gumb.
- Compare the Book to the Film: Thomas Harris’s novel gives Jame Gumb a much deeper backstory involving his mother and his failed attempts at gender reassignment surgery.
- Check out Levine’s other work: To see his range, watch an episode of Monk right after watching Silence. The contrast is mind-blowing.
- Research the "Goodbye Horses" Song: The track by Q Lazzarus became a cult classic largely because of this scene. Understanding the song's meaning (about transcendence) adds another layer to Gumb’s dance.
Ted Levine remains the definitive Buffalo Bill. While Simon Northwood played the character in the TV series Clarice, and others have tried to emulate the vibe, no one has quite captured that specific mix of pathetic and petrifying like Levine did in 1991. He didn't just play a role; he owned a piece of pop culture history.