Silence Of The Lambs Star Addresses Controversy Over Buffalo Bill Character

Ted Levine acknowledges the problematic transgender representation of the serial killer character he portrayed.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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35 years after the release of The Silence of the Lambs, actor Ted Levine, who played the serial killer Buffalo Bill, has addressed the controversy surrounding the character's portrayal. Levine admits that certain aspects of the character have not aged well, particularly the problematic transgender representation. He clarifies that he did not intend to play Buffalo Bill as transgender, but rather as a "f--ked-up heterosexual man." The film's producer, Edward Saxon, also acknowledged that they missed the harmful stereotypes in their depiction of the character, despite their intention to portray him as a "completely aberrant personality" unrelated to sexuality or gender.

Why it matters

The Silence of the Lambs is a critically acclaimed film, but its portrayal of the Buffalo Bill character has been criticized for perpetuating harmful stereotypes about transgender individuals. This conversation highlights the importance of evolving societal understanding and sensitivity when it comes to the representation of marginalized communities in media.

The details

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Levine spoke about the controversy for the first time, acknowledging that "There are certain aspects of the movie that don't hold up too well" and that "we all know more, and I'm a lot wiser about transgender issues." He clarified that he did not intend to play Buffalo Bill as transgender, but rather as a "f--ked-up heterosexual man." Producer Edward Saxon also admitted that they "missed it" and were not "sensitive enough to the legacy of a lot of stereotypes and their ability to harm," despite their intention to depict Buffalo Bill as a "completely aberrant personality" unrelated to sexuality or gender.

  • The Silence of the Lambs was released in 1991.
  • Levine's comments were made in an interview published in 2026.

The players

Ted Levine

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

Edward Saxon

One of the producers of The Silence of the Lambs, who acknowledged the film's problematic portrayal of the Buffalo Bill character.

Jonathan Demme

The director of The Silence of the Lambs, who worked with the producers on the film's portrayal of Buffalo Bill.

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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 f--king wrong. And you can quote me on that.”

— Ted Levine, Actor (The Hollywood Reporter)

“We were really loyal to the book. As we made the film, there was just no question in our minds that Buffalo Bill was a completely aberrant personality — that he wasn't gay or trans. He was sick. To that extent, we missed it. From my point of view, we weren't sensitive enough to the legacy of a lot of stereotypes and their ability to harm.”

— Edward Saxon, Producer (The Hollywood Reporter)

The takeaway

This conversation highlights the importance of evolving societal understanding and sensitivity when it comes to the representation of marginalized communities in media. While The Silence of the Lambs remains a critically acclaimed film, its portrayal of the Buffalo Bill character has been recognized as problematic, and the filmmakers have acknowledged their lack of sensitivity in depicting harmful stereotypes.