20 years ago, an unknown Jeremy Renner dared to play gay serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer
Netflix debuts its new limited series DAHMER- Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer, the latest project from super-producer Ryan Murphy who casts his longtime collaborator Evan Peters in the titular role as the notorious gay serial killer.The project’s announcement was met with a mix of excitement—it does star icon Niecy Nash, after all—and trepidation.
While, yes, the series purports to center Dahmer’s “underserved victims and their communities,” it still begs the question: How many times must Hollywood re-examine and relitigate the story of this convicted murderer and cannibal?Prior to Peters, the infamous role has been played by a number of actors, including Ross Lynch in the unsettling “origin story” My Friend Dahmer.
But one of the earliest and most notable scripted portraits of the killer was 2002’s Dahmer from filmmaker David Jacobson, which featured Jeremy Renner in an early star turn.Well before The Avengers or his Oscar-nominated role in The Hurt Locker, the independent film represented a major breakthrough for Renner, 31 at the time of its release.
The dark, demanding feature was a big risk for the young actor who was largely unknown at the time, but it’s one that’s certainly paid off considering the blockbuster career he’s had since.Unsurprisingly given the subject matter, the 20-year-old film is a tough watch.
