‘Dahmer’s Evan Peters, Niecy Nash-Betts & Paris Barclay Give Voice To The Voiceless With Netflix True-Crime Series Bearing “Resonance To Today” – Contenders TV
deadline.comFor actors Evan Peters and Niecy Nash-Betts, as well as director Paris Barclay, the critical mission with Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story was to shift the focus of the narrative around the serial killer away from Dahmer himself and toward his many victims, as well as the systemic racism and institutional failures of the police that allowed him to get away with his crimes.
In an appearance today at Deadline’s Contenders TV, all three creatives noted that there was going to be a significant challenge in taking this series on, given the need to immerse themselves in the darkness of Dahmer. “But I think the writing, it was so smart and very careful to show many different perspectives, not just Dahmer’s.
And that was one rule that we had shooting this, was that it was never going to be told from Dahmer’s POV,” Peters told moderator Peter White. “So, it felt worth it to me to dive into it and really push myself.” Playing Glenda Cleveland, a composite of multiple individuals in Dahmer’s neighborhood who sounded the alarm on the murderer, to no avail, was Nash-Betts, who admitted to asking herself, “What did I get myself into?” after saying yes to the project on the basis of Ryan Murphy’s involvement alone. “And then as I began to read, my heart began to break because for many wrong reasons, this woman was not heard.
She was not believed. And I’ve been at those places in my life. I know people who’ve been at those places where you are very marginalized,” the actress shared. “So then once the tears came, I was like, ‘Yeah, of course I’ll do it.’ Because I wanted so desperately to give a voice to someone who had gone unheard for so long.
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