Actor Cameron Cowperthwaite chatted about starring in “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” on Netflix.
“‘Dahmer’ was a dream job,” he admitted. “I got to work with Evan Peters and Ryan Murphy again, and I couldn’t imagine a better duo to tell this story, along with the rest of the team. It’s crazy now to be three weeks into the release and see that it is Netflix’s second-biggest English Language show of all time. It’s staggering. It’s a testament to the show’s reach, which is so widespread, and I am happy that it’s reaching so many households and people are responding to it.”
“The show is tough to digest,” he said. “It is heartbreaking and Ryan really wanted to make sure that it was told from the perspective of the victims, which I’ve never seen before. They did a wonderful job, in my opinion, of not glorifying Jeff but rather showing how underprivileged community’s voices aren’t heard. I’m so grateful to be a part of a story with a message like this one.”
Cowperthwaite opened up about playing his character, Steven Hicks. “I really enjoy the research that goes into any character,” he said. “I spent a lot of time googling what I could and tried to find out information on the time period, the location, and just really do my best to capture the essence of his being.”
“During a deep dive on YouTube, I actually discovered a grainy VHS recording that was posted years ago of the concert Steven would have attended had he not encountered Jeff. It’s so tragic to think about the lives these young men would have had, had the tragedy not befell them and their families,” he explained.
Cowperthwaite had great words about working with showrunner Ryan Murphy. “Ryan Murphy is just brilliant,” he said. “I could list off about a hundred adjectives to describe his loyalty, his taste, his work ethic, and his process but honestly brilliant I think encapsulates them all. He is somewhere I always look forward to working with when that call comes through that I got the job. It’s been a privilege to have worked with him so many times over the years.”
“For me, I love having the short hand,” he said. “I love walking onto the set knowing what it’s gonna be like, and knowing how he works helps us get the result we want. You also get to see a lot of the same people since people in his world bounce from show to show. It’s always a nice little reunion when you get to walk on and see someone you might not have seen for a couple of years.”
He had great words about being a part of Brad Everett Young’s Dream Loud campaign, which helps preserve art and music programs in schools. “I didn’t realize Brad knew so many of my friends and got to shoot with so many of my friends,” he exclaimed.
“When I found that out the rest was a cakewalk,” he said. I usually can get a little nervous during photoshoots cause I guess I just put this pressure on myself to — I don’t know — find my angle? For lack of a better phrase. But Brad made me feel so comfortable and the shoot was so fun and so easy. I love how creative he gets with the props and the wardrobe. He’s a true talent, and I’m grateful he reached out to me to participate.”
Cowperthwaite remarked about “Dahmer,” “I always set out as an entertainer to hope that whoever gave up their time was not disappointed. I want people to enjoy what they are watching, especially if I get to be in it! With this, I feel the same, and I also hope it made you think. I hope you called someone you love and told them you love them.”
“Loss and grief are weird emotions,” he admitted. “I recently lost my dad. It was unexpected and we just don’t have the language or the emotional intelligence to communicate about death. And sometimes these shows can be outlets for unexpressed emotion, and I hope you mourned the lives of those that were lost, and I hope that reflection gave you some perspective in your own life. I know it did for me.”
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