Posted in: Netflix, streaming, TV, YouTube | Tagged: dahmer, evan peters, netflix, ryan murphy

Dahmer: Peters Wants to "Explore the Light"; Murphy on LGBTQ Label

If nothing else, no one can say that Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan & Netflix's Evan Peters & Niecy Nash-Betts-starring DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story wasn't a headline-grabber just prior to and immediately after its release. But the attention was a mix of good and bad, as the series scored record-setting viewing numbers for the streaming service while also receiving critical praise. On the downside, "Dahmer" was criticized as being another attempt by the streamer to profit off of the "serial killer craze" at the expense of the victims' families & friends. In addition, controversy grew over the limited series being given an "LGBTQ" label by those who felt it was a poor representation of the community, and continued after Netflix removed the label (a move that Murphy is on record as not agreeing with when it was made, and still doesn't). Speaking with Variety on the same day that the limited series was recognized with a number of Golden Globe Awards nominations, Murphy elaborated on his earlier thoughts regarding the streamer's decision to remove the label. And following that, Peters shares that at least his short-term career future won't involve any walks on the dark side.

Murphy on Why It Initially Received an "LGBTQ" Label: "I think that it got the tag, one, because of my involvement. I'm a gay man, so most of my stories deal with some sort of LGBTQ thing, and I do that selfishly; when I was growing up, I had nothing [to look to]. My mission statement has been to talk about those stories and those characters and unearth buried history."

Murphy on Pushback from LGBTQ Community: "Many people in the community want to uplift. I understand that. It's about homophobia. I have a saying: 'My job as an artist is to hold up a mirror about what happened.' It's ugly. It's not pretty. Do you want to look at it? If you do, watch it. If you don't, look away, and sometimes, some of this outrage is directed at the frame of the mirror instead of the reflection. I try and say, I really understand why you're upset about the inclusion of that. I understand it, but I also disagree with it personally."

Peters on Seeing Out "A Little More Mundane" Roles for Now: "I'm going to take a little break from darker roles and explore the light. It would be interesting to me to play something that is a little closer to home, a little more mundane, and to explore the details of those kinds of experiences."

Here's a Look Back at DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Peters & Nash-Betts are joined in the main cast by Richard Jenkins (Lionel Dahmer), Molly Ringwald (Shari Dahmer), and Michael Learned (Catherine Dahmer). In the following featurettes, Peters opens up about playing the serial killer and the impact it had on him personally. Following that, Nash-Betts discusses why it was important for Glenda Cleveland's (the neighbor who tried in vain to get law enforcement involved) story to be told. For a look at what Peters and Nash-Betts had to share about the upcoming limited series, here's a look behind the scenes of Netflix's DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story:

Penelope Ann Miller (Joyce Dahmer), Michael Beach (Detective Murphy), Colby French (Detective Kennedy), Shaun J. Brown (Tracy Edwards), Mac Brandt (Officer Rauth), Grant Harvey (Officer Mueller), Matthew Alan (Officer Gabrish), Scott Michael Morgan (Officer Balcerzak), Josh Braaten (Young Lionel Dahmer), Savannah Brown (Young Joyce Dahmer), Nick A. Fisher (Young Jeffrey Dahmer), Cameron Cowperthwaite (Steven Hicks), Vince Hill-Bedford (Steven Tuomi), Blake Cooper Griffin (Charles), Matt Cordova (Detective Rauss), Rodney Burford (Tony Hughes), Karen Malina White (Shirley Hughes), Nikyla Boxley (Young Shirley Hughes), Karl Makinen (Officer Clyde Reynolds), Nigel Gibbs (Jesse Jackson), Brandon Black (Dean Vaughn), Raphael Sbarge (Mayor John Norquist), David Barrera (Police Chief Arreola), Dyllón Burnside (Ronald Flowers), Khetphet "KP" Phagnasay (Sounthone Sinthasomphone), Ken Lerner (Joseph Zilber), Dominic Burgess (John Wayne Gacy), Chris Greene (Assistant Chaplain Adams), Furly Mac (Christopher Scarver), and Linda Park (Julie Yang) guest star in the series.

Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Kovtun, Evan Peters, Janet Mock, and Carl Franklin (101 only) executive produce, with Rashad Robinson (President of Color Of Change) serving as a consulting producer.

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