The Silence of the Lambs Star Ted Levine Reflects on Controversial Buffalo Bill Character

Levine says the portrayal of the gender non-conforming serial killer was "f---ing wrong" and vilified the trans community.

Published on Feb. 19, 2026

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Ted Levine, who played the serial killer Buffalo Bill in the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs, is reflecting on the controversial portrayal of the character 35 years later. Levine says that while he didn't think the character was offensive at the time, he now believes the depiction was "f---ing wrong" and vilified the trans community. The late director Jonathan Demme also acknowledged the LGBTQ+ community's criticism of the character, though he maintained that Buffalo Bill was not intended to be transgender.

Why it matters

The Silence of the Lambs was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful film, winning several Oscars. However, the character of Buffalo Bill, who is presented as a gender non-conforming individual, has been criticized over the years for perpetuating harmful stereotypes about transgender people. Levine's reflections highlight the evolving understanding of LGBTQ+ issues and the need to be more sensitive in the portrayal of marginalized communities.

The details

In the film, Levine's character Buffalo Bill is a serial killer who murders young women and removes their skin. While the character's sexual orientation is never explicitly stated, some have viewed Buffalo Bill as gender non-conforming or transgender. In the film, the character Hannibal Lecter tells Clarice Starling that "Billy hates his own identity" and "thinks that makes him a transsexual." Levine says he did not express any concerns about the portrayal of the character during the filming, but has since learned more about the transgender community and now believes the depiction was "unfortunate" and "f---ing wrong." Late director Jonathan Demme also acknowledged the LGBTQ+ community's criticism of the character, though he maintained that Buffalo Bill was not intended to be transgender.

  • The Silence of the Lambs was released in February 1991.
  • The film is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.

The players

Ted Levine

The actor who played the serial killer character Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs.

Jonathan Demme

The late director of The Silence of the Lambs, who acknowledged the LGBTQ+ community's criticism of the Buffalo Bill character.

Hannibal Lecter

The character played by Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs, who makes comments about Buffalo Bill's gender identity.

Clarice Starling

The FBI trainee character played by Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs, who interacts with Hannibal Lecter.

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What they’re saying

“There are certain aspects of the movie that don't hold up too well. We all know more, and I'm a lot wiser about transgender issues. There are some lines in that script and movie that are unfortunate.”

— Ted Levine, Actor (The Hollywood Reporter)

“It's unfortunate that the film vilified that, and it's f---ing wrong. And you can quote me on that.”

— Ted Levine, Actor (The Hollywood Reporter)

“I applauded the LGBTQ+ community for criticizing The Silence of the Lambs but that Buffalo Bill wasn't transgender. He didn't wish to be another gender.”

— Jonathan Demme, Director (Huffington Post)

The takeaway

This reflection on the portrayal of the Buffalo Bill character in The Silence of the Lambs highlights the evolving understanding of LGBTQ+ issues and the need for more sensitive and accurate representation of marginalized communities in media. It serves as a reminder that even critically acclaimed works can contain problematic elements that should be re-examined and addressed over time.