‘Silence of the Lambs’
Buffalo Bill Actor Ted Levine Addresses Transphobia Controversy …
‘F***ing Wrong’ Portrayal

Published
February 14, 2026
5:55 PM PST

“Silence of the Lambs” completely missed the mark in its portrayal of gender identity onscreen, according to one of the film’s prominent stars.

Ted Levine — the actor known for his role as Buffalo Bill in the acclaimed 1991 film — has finally addressed the controversy surrounding his character in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

If you haven’t seen the movie, Buffalo Bill is a serial killer who skins women and wears their skin over his own, which many have criticized as an unflattering representation of transgender or gender nonconforming individuals in recent years.

Levine stated that he did not portray the character as transgender; he always viewed him as a deeply troubled straight man and had no issues with the character during filming.

However, Levine reflects now, “[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. It’s unfortunate that the film vilified that, and it’s f***ing wrong.”

Producer Edward Saxon echoed Levine’s thoughts, stating to THR that the filmmakers did not believe they would offend the transgender community because they did not view Buffalo Bill as trans.

They considered him simply a disturbed individual with an “aberrant personality.” Nonetheless, Saxon admits that he feels the team lacked sensitivity towards stereotypes.

He added, “There’s regret, but it didn’t come from any place of malice. It actually came from a place of seeing this guy. We all had dear friends and family who were gay. We thought it would just be very clear that Buffalo Bill adapts different things from society, from a place of an incredibly sick pathology.”

Additionally, Saxon criticized President Donald Trump in the interview, expressing that he believes Trump’s comparison of immigrants to Hannibal Lecter is “as perverse as anything we were able to come up with in the film.”

The bottom line is that those involved in the film did not intend to offend anyone; however, they certainly understand why they did.