Leatherface is a character from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series . He first appeared in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) as the mentally disabled member of a family of deranged cannibals , featuring his face masks and chainsaw. Created by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel , Leatherface was partially inspired by the crimes of Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein , in addition to confessions by serial killer Elmer Wayne Henley . The character has subsequently been represented in various other media, including novels, video games, and comic books; appearing in all nine films in the series.
142-473: Actor Gunnar Hansen was the first and most well-known actor to portray the character, later going on to become a vocal advocate for the character. Since Hansen's portrayal of Leatherface, numerous other actors and stuntmen have assumed the role of the character throughout the series. The character's physical appearance and personality have gone through many transformations over the years, with various writers and special makeup effects artists leaving their mark on
284-414: A bog . He is later revealed to have survived, emerging from the bog with his chainsaw. In Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1995), a group of teenagers attending their high school prom stumble across Leatherface and his adoptive family; all but one are killed. Leatherface returns in the 2003 remake of the original film . Here, Leatherface ( Andrew Bryniarski ) and he and his family murder
426-429: A pre-med student at the time, had arrived at the party wearing the face of a cadaver as a 'joke'. Hooper was deeply shaken by the incident, later confiding to actor William Butler about the event, which he would call 'the most disturbing thing I have ever seen'. While brainstorming the character's design, both filmmakers felt that Leatherface should be a large, menacing figure with child-like behavior; with Hooper citing
568-546: A "rebellious teenage type" mindset in Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III , a contrast to the character's child-like mentality displayed in the original film. Though not explicitly stated in the film, Jennifer Banko's character Babi Sawyer was intended to be Leatherface's daughter, via the rape of one of his victims. This was elaborated upon by Burr as due to Mama Sawyer's inability to bare children, Leatherface had to take up
710-425: A broken wrist while performing in the opening scene. Despite the hardships during production, the rest of the cast spoke highly of Johnson, commending his dedication towards the role and his ability to imbue the character with emotional depth beyond just portraying him as just a man in a mask. Elmore also received praise, which one actor stated "[had] brought this incredible viciousness" into the role. While developing
852-420: A certain part of an individual's face but stitched them together in a way that could fit on him, one such design aspect was the inclusion of the nose and mouth of a woman stitched into the neck portion of the mask. Details such as open sores, pus balls , and chapped lips were applied to the exposed area around the actor's mouth, implying that the character was suffering from a skin disease. The "Kemper Mask" that
994-414: A conversation he had with Henkel where the director explained the meaning and purpose behind each of the character's masks, and the directors intention to focus more on the character's "confused sexuality". Using this notion that Leatherface had a side of himself that he created to make himself look "beautiful", Logan felt free to explore the more feminine aspects of the character that were barely addressed in
1136-473: A crush on her which causes him to lose his blood lust . Johnson echoed this sentiment, explaining that, by sparing Stretch, Leatherface transitions from being a killing machine to what he called "the typical American Graffiti life" where he was looking for love instead of out to kill. Johnson further explained that, because of these newfound emotions, Leatherface felt torn between the 'safety' of his family and this "humane" emotion of love. Leatherface took on
1278-426: A day, seven days a week and it's 100 degrees — I think that was the worst part for me. — Gunnar Hansen on the physical requirements for the role. The role of Leatherface is known for being physically and emotionally challenging, with actors required to perform the necessary stunts associated with the role under grueling working conditions, while also giving emotional depth to the character. Actor Gunnar Hansen
1420-402: A demented and mentally disabled maniac. The idea for the character's trademark chainsaw came to Hooper while he was in the hardware section of a busy store, as the frustrated director contemplated how to speed his way through a large crowd. The difficult part of the movie was that, physically, it was so demanding.... Just generally, the demand of doing a movie where you're shooting 12 or 16 hours
1562-410: A diet of brisket and white bread to gain an additional 35 pounds. In addition, Bryniarski researched everything about the original film and the crimes of Gein to come up with his interpretation of the character. Bryniarski performed most of his stunt work throughout most of the film's production, describing the experience as particularly challenging, noting the limited visibility and mobility while wearing
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#17327904022341704-578: A direct sequel to the original 1974 film. Picking up 40 years after the original, Leatherface ( Dan Yeager ) has been living in seclusion. It is only when his newly discovered cousin Heather ( Alexandra Daddario ) arrives that Leatherface emerges to commit a new string of murders. A prequel to the original film, titled Leatherface , was released in October 2017. It centers on Leatherface/Jedidiah ( Sam Strike ) being institutionalized after his family murdered
1846-529: A group of choir students and teachers whose bus breaks down near the Hewitt residence. Leatherface appears in Avatar's final one-shot comic, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Fearbook , which features Leatherface killing a group of cross-country travelers, with the exception of one girl, who is forced to wear the face of her dead friend and dance with Leatherface. From January to June 1, 2007, WildStorm began publishing
1988-517: A group of teenagers. Leatherface loses one of his arms in a fight with one of the teens, before killing several police officers investigating his family home. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006) provides a backstory to how Leatherface and his family became cannibals. It also details why Leatherface wears a mask of human flesh. Throughout the film, Leatherface (Bryniarski) and his family torture and murder two couples as they drive through Travis County, Texas . Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013),
2130-479: A guest appearance on American Horror Story: Hotel , portraying a fictionalized version of designer Natacha Rambova . In 2016, Daddario had a supporting role in the Nicholas Sparks romantic drama film The Choice , directed by Ross Katz . Daddario subsequently starred as one of the leads in the film adaptation of Baywatch (2017). She played Summer Quinn , who was portrayed by Nicole Eggert in
2272-449: A holiday party hosted by Yeager's friend and Mazzocone. Luessenhop stated that he could no longer think of another actor to portray the character afterwards. Yeager loved the overall complexity of the character, which he felt was both pitied and feared, describing the character as "a unique combination of love, fear, and violence". Yeager prepared for the role by working out, increasing his current 250-pound frame to 275 pounds, in order to get
2414-567: A kind and generous person despite the grueling conditions he had to work through. Burnham himself reflected on his time as the character as being a challenging but fun experience. The physical design for Leatherface has undergone several changes through the course of the franchise, with each filmmaker putting their own interpretation on the character. While some of these changes were subtle, others would be significantly different. For The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , art director Robert A. Burns
2556-410: A majority of their own stunts during filming as they could not afford to hire stunt doubles. Stunt doubles were only used in scenes where cast members could not perform the required action themselves. Fellow cast member Tyler Cone recalled that Jacks had some difficulty with the physicality of the role, particularly in scenes involving Lisa Marie Newmyer and Renée Zellweger . A bruised Jacks and some of
2698-412: A mentally disturbed young man who later becomes intellectually disabled once exposed to traumatic events that virtually destroys his mind. Screenwriter Seth M. Sherwood described his take on the character as being directly influenced by the mindset described by Hooper and Hansen: "I took my inspiration from interviews, in which they described the psychology of Leatherface. His personality was blank – who he
2840-478: A more elderly version of the character, concept art by Jerad S. Marantz emphasized the forty-year time-span between the original film and the new iteration of the character. Details such as Leatherface killing and wearing the faces of senior citizens were incorporated into Marantz's earlier designs. Subsequent rewrites of the original draft abandoned the concept, as Luessenhop wanted a design that looked more "crispy" and resembling something more like tanned leather. In
2982-410: A mythology. With Leatherface, there was a really broken psychology there, like Frankenstein's monster . For Debra and me, we wanted to tell the story of Leatherface's imprisonment and his reverence for family." For Luessenhop, Leatherface represented not only a source of fear, but also one of pity: "Underneath that mask, there's a very damaged, very abused kid whose mental state never evolved". Describing
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#17327904022343124-460: A new iteration of the character. The design process for the character was particularly difficult due to the intricate design process, with viable effort made create a look for the character that was consistent with the original film, while given the incentive to make the character look as scary as possible. Eventually basing their design upon the 'Old Lady' character Ginny, different masks were created using casts made from silicone and sculpted to give
3266-425: A plaster cast of Johnson's head which he then sculpted and modified into the look seen in the film. Johnson was also given blister make-up around his mouth to imply that Leatherface was diseased underneath the mask, in addition to wearing specially-made dentures to mirror the scene of the character in the first film. The script for the third film in the franchise called for a more disfigured look to Leatherface, with
3408-612: A side project and continued to write books. He also wrote film scripts and wrote and directed documentary films. His final film project was a cameo in Death House , which he co-wrote with Harrison Smith. Hansen was also an author; his nonfiction travel memoir, Islands at the Edge of Time; A Journey to America's Barrier Islands , was published in 1993. In 2013 he wrote the nonfiction book Chain Saw Confidential about
3550-461: A six-issue series titled "Americanivore". Set one year after the events of the 2003 film, Leatherface and his family are hunted by the FBI led by agent Baines who seeks to avenge the death of his niece Pepper. Leatherface is also being tracked by a television news crew who attempts to capture him on film. The series climaxes in a bloody standoff, leaving most of the news crew and pursuing agents dead, and
3692-465: A slap". Strike developed a " battle cry " for the character whenever he lost his temper, as one of the ways the character expressed his rage. The film's directors commended Strike for his performance and commitment to the character, feeling that the actor brought something "very intense and deeply human" to the character. In the 2022 entry in the franchise, producers Fede Álvarez and Rodo Sayagues wanted an older Leatherface similar to Michael Myers in
3834-440: A stark contrast to the character he played in the film, calling him a "very kind and gentle spirit". It became an intense character study. I went to the darkest place in my mind, stuff I don't even feel as a person, but I can feel as human... My deranged killer is not at all sympathetic. I did not play him for his likeability. — Andrew Bryniarski on his approach to the character Actor and former bodybuilder Andrew Bryniarski
3976-499: A thin wire. A set of dentures was also created using extracted baby teeth . Different outfits were designed for each of the three masks, to convey the different personalities associated with each mask. The "Killing Mask" outfit, consisted of Hanson's own shirt, a pair of dress pants , a butcher's apron, and a tie with a scalloped silver curve Burns had painted onto it. The boots were Hanson's old cowboy boots that Burns had modified with insoles and three-inch heels, adding three inches to
4118-449: A week in extremely hot and humid weather conditions. Hansen was kept separate from other actors, as the filmmakers wanted the actors fear of the character to be genuine. The mask itself greatly impaired the actor's ability to see, as it had eyeholes on the design was too small for Hansen to see through clearly. This issue later proved problematic while filming the scene where Leatherface kills Kirk (William Vail), as Hansen unintentionally gave
4260-538: Is depicted as being more unstable and violent than any previous incarnations of the character, also establishing the character as the primary killer and enforcer for the Hewitt family (the timeline's version of the Sawyer family). Screenwriter Scott Kosar wanted to put his spin on the character, developing the notion of the character having been born with skin cancer , which caused him to be bullied and ridiculed throughout his life; transforming him into 'a raging maniac' who
4402-441: Is depicted as prone to bouts of self-harm when his actions are criticized by his family and his usefulness comes into question. This behavior is displayed when his chainsaw is damaged during an encounter with a potential victim, causing him to suffer an emotional breakdown, which culminates with Leatherface beating his head against a tree as a form of self-punishment . The short story "Self-Esteem" by James Kisner , published within
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4544-418: Is still 'trying to figure out who he is', having been removed from his birth family, and constantly moved around in foster care. Actor Sam Strike believed that Leatherface was formed by the experiences in the early part of his life; born into a family of psychopaths whose twisted views on the world were impressed upon him at birth, and his later experiences spending most of his childhood in an asylum, describing
4686-506: Is the only character to appear in all nine films in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, with later films exploring different aspects of him, while changing the overall history of the character and his family. Following his first appearance on the silver screen , Leatherface has appeared in various other entertainment mediums, which include comic book lines, novelizations , and video games ; each appearance expands upon
4828-407: The 2018 version of Halloween . Putting out casting calls for the film, producers described their vision for the character, whom they listed under the name "Kenny", as being a 60-year-old man who is characterized as having a "big build". Actor and filmmaker Mark Burnham was later cast as the character due in part to his imposing stature and physicality, which Álvarez felt was a great continuation of
4970-558: The HBO anthology series True Detective . She appeared in a four-episode arc as Lisa Tragnetti, a court reporter having an extramarital affair with one of the main characters; her nude scene with Woody Harrelson attracted much attention. The following year, she had a lead role as Blake Gaines in the disaster film San Andreas and made a cameo appearance in the pilot of the Fox comedy series The Last Man on Earth . That same year, she made
5112-596: The Meisner acting technique . Daddario made her television debut at the age of 15, when she played victimized girl Laurie Lewis in the ABC daytime soap opera All My Children . Her first major role was as Annabeth Chase in the fantasy adventure film Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010). She also had a recurring role as Neal Caffrey's love interest, Kate Moreau , in
5254-725: The USA Network procedural drama series White Collar . In 2011, she appeared in the comedy film Hall Pass and had a recurring role as Rachel in NBC 's comedy-drama series Parenthood . In 2012, Daddario starred in the music video for Imagine Dragons ' song " Radioactive ", which surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube. She appeared as a guest in an episode of the FX sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia , in which she portrayed Ruby Taft. Her first starring role after Percy Jackson
5396-635: The University of Texas at Austin . He majored in English and mathematics as an undergraduate and then went to graduate school in Scandinavian Studies and English. His first job out of high school was as a computer operator before he began theater work during college. He was also a football player during high school and for a while a bar bouncer. In 1973, just after finishing graduate school, Hansen heard that The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
5538-457: The "Killing Mask" in the original film, as something that had been made using different pieces of human skin that were torn and sewn in a very patchwork fashion. The mask was sculpted using latex, using a base mold head cast made from the father of fellow KNB EFX member Howard Berger . The Next Generation ' s iteration of the character was designed by Joshua "J.M." Logan. Logan admitted in an interview years later that he drew inspiration from
5680-487: The 13th ' s Jason. In his first appearance, Leatherface was characterized as having a severe mental disability , incapable of rational thought or coherent speech. Uncommon for antagonists of the genre, who usually are classified as sadistic or evil ; Leatherface is depicted committing his brutal acts out of fear and as a means of following the orders dictated to him by his family, though not out of evil intention. Hansen described Leatherface as someone "completely under
5822-523: The 2003 remake continuity. Leatherface made his official appearance in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Special #1 , a one-shot comic, centering on a group of three escaped convicts who rob the Hewitt family General store , bringing them into direct conflict with Leatherface and his family. In The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Grind , a three-issue miniseries where Leatherface and the rest of the Hewitt family terrorize and kill
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5964-411: The 2003 version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre , effects artist Scott Stoddard envisioned Leatherface as an amateur taxidermist , with the mask itself a combination of many different pieces taken off the faces of his victims. As Stoddard explained, each piece of Leatherface's mask was something the character had seen and admired, which was then stitched together in a crude and rudimentary fashion. Many of
6106-563: The Darkness (2019). In 2021, she starred in the first season of the HBO satirical series The White Lotus , for which she received critical acclaim and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress . In 2023, she began playing the lead role in the AMC horror series Mayfair Witches . Alexandra Anna Daddario was born in New York City on March 16, 1986,
6248-570: The Hansen iteration of Leatherface appeared in Texas Chainsaw 3D , a 2013 follow-up to the original that ignored the events of the previous sequels. When developing Texas Chainsaw 3D , co-writers Adam Marcus , and Debra Sullivan felt that there was no real mythology for the character and wanted to create their own mythology for the character. As Marcus stated in an interview: "there was no real mythology for Leatherface, and we wanted to create
6390-655: The Hartman/Lizzy face mask, were designed to show the evolution of his identity leading up to him donning his first face mask at the end of the film. Afonso also designed the character's look after his face is severed by gunfire. Filmmakers for the ninth entry in the franchise wanted to take the character back to his roots, opted for an "old school" to the character, whom producer Álvarez referred to as "Old Man Leatherface". To that effect, Illusion Industries Inc. founder Todd Tucker and Martin Astles were hired to bring about
6532-422: The actor a black eye after hitting him in the face with a fake sledgehammer. The infamous final scene where Leatherface twirls around in a rage with his chainsaw, referred to as the "Chainsaw Dance", was partially improvised on the day of shooting. As the actor later wrote, the scene came from all his frustration during filming, which he admitted came out in the final shot in the film with Leatherface madly swinging
6674-473: The actor's imposing stature. Make-up effects artist Tom Savini and Mitch Devane designed the Leatherface mask in Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 , in addition to the design of Chop Top and Grandpa. Both artists envisioned the mask as something created by stitching together different pieces from multiple human faces in a jigsaw -like aesthetic. Devane was responsible for creating the mask in the film, using
6816-458: The actresses later confronted the producers after a particularly difficult time shooting, with the actor revealing in an interview on Sarah Bernhard's show Reel Wild Cinema , that he felt that the producers had played on the eagerness of the cast in order to get them to participate in hazardous working conditions. Cast and crew members remembered Jacks as being a very kind and eager person to work with, as actor John Harrison later recalled Jacks to be
6958-404: The appearance that the face had been "ripped off". Tucker intentionally designed the mask to be drooping and sagging, which gave off a 'sad' look to the character. Tucker clashed with the producers on the design, as producers wanted the look to resemble Michael Myers' mask, as the studio felt this was scarier because of its emotionless appearance. Eventually, Tucker was able to convince the studio of
7100-405: The back of the mask, to give off the appearance that Leatherface had skinned the entire head rather than just the face as he would do in later years. For the 2013 reboot, KNB EFX Group led by co-founder Howard Berger with the assistance of makeup artist Mike McCarty, was hired to bring the character back to his roots. Working from the earlier screenplay drafts, in which Leatherface was depicted as
7242-421: The basic storyline of the film, with additional insight into Leatherface's mental state, as well as modifying character and plot elements to be different from that of the film. In 1995, Nancy A. Collins wrote a three issue, non-canonical miniseries involving a crossover between Jason Voorhees of Friday the 13th series and Leatherface. In the story, Jason meets Leatherface, who adopts him into his family after
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#17327904022347384-403: The cartoon character Baby Huey as a source of inspiration. Early renditions of the script included a detailed backstory to the character, explaining many aspects of the character. In the original script, Leatherface was depicted as a victim of torture during his childhood, with his face possibly skinned off. Script rewrites later removed this aspect in favor of leaving him undefined while adding
7526-467: The chainsaw around, jokingly referred to it as a last-ditch effort to 'kill' the director. Bill Johnson was hired to portray Leatherface in the film's sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 . Johnson, having not seen the original film before, viewed the film the day before his audition. Johnson described being impressed by the film, calling it 'eerie, very deeply disturbing, unsettling, and unnerving, but also inspiring'. Johnson felt free to put his spin on
7668-409: The character and his design. Unique among horror villains, in which most antagonists of the genre are usually classified as sadistic or evil, Leatherface is characterized as committing his brutal acts as a means of following his family's orders, while also killing out of fear. Leatherface has gradually become a widely recognized figure in popular culture , gaining a reputation as a cultural icon within
7810-416: The character as "a victim of circumstance". This version of Leatherface depicts him as resistant to his family's murderous and sadistic tenancies, while also enduring frequent outbursts of extreme rage. Reflecting on the character's outbursts, Strike felt these moments had contributed to his eventual permanent state as a "rage monster". The character's downfall and descent into madness was also implemented under
7952-465: The character violent and unpredictable. Hansen experimented with different vocal tones and pitches to find the right voice for the character. He also visited a special needs school in Austin, observing how the students moved and spoke, in an attempt to find the proper movement and behavior. The role was physically and psychologically taxing for the actor, having to work up to sixteen hours a day seven days
8094-519: The character wears during the scene where he attacks the van was constructed from a cast of the actor Eric Balfour . Nicotero later returned to the franchise in The Beginning as the film's lead makeup and effects artist. Nicotero found creating the design for Leatherface to be particularly challenging, as the look was meant to signify the character's evolution of their mask. The effects artist experimented with various design aspects to come up with
8236-410: The character's deteriorated mind, as Hooper has explained to Hansen that these noises were words that Leatherface tried to convey, and meant something to him [Leatherface], however, his limited intelligence made him incapable of forming them into any sort of coherent speech. In The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 , Leatherface has undergone a coming of age , shedding the feminine personalities that he had in
8378-414: The character's face mask, as it was made by one of Leatherface's more recent victims. Design details such as more jigsaw-style patchwork for the stitches, dried blood around the stitches, and tears, in addition to a wider opening for the mouth, that exposed the character's cracked lips and crooked teeth. Strawn and Nicotero based the design on the concept of Leatherface's mask, intended as a modernization of
8520-516: The character's mindset from someone who only saw others as either food or a threat, and thinking only in terms of his family, into developing a potential love interest in the film's female character [Stretch], was viewed by some film historians as a 'maturing' of the character. University of California Professor Carol J. Clover described Leatherface before this transition as being "permanently locked in childhood"; only after encountering Stretch, Clover writes, that he seemingly 'comes of age', developing
8662-516: The character's personality, Yeager referred to the character as someone trained most his life to serve a specific function within his family, as that of the killer. Yeager went on to describe Leatherface as having no self-determination , and someone afraid of the world outside of his family who "did his thinking for him". After the events at the beginning of the film, Leatherface spends the next twenty years 'fending for himself', with his true individual personality finally "beginning to emerge" from beneath
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#17327904022348804-473: The character's psyche, depicting this version of Leatherface as more overtly evil than any other incarnation of the character. In a scene that was removed from one of the earlier scripts, Leatherface brutally murders Jedediah, a child and the youngest member of his family, after the latter attempts to stop him from going after Erin. In the remake's prequel, more information about the character's backstory and psyche expands upon points that were briefly mentioned in
8946-522: The character, before a director was even hired. Hodder was later retained for the film as Mihailoff's stunt double and stunt coordinator. Next Generation director Kim Henkel wanted an " androgynous type" for the role. To that effect, songwriter and actor Robert "Robbie" Jacks was brought on for the role, with Andy Cockrum, who also portrayed the Stuffed DPS Officer, serving as Jacks stunt double during certain scenes. According to Jacks, who
9088-401: The character, opting to "stay out of Gunnar's shoes" while making the character his own. Knowing the physical demands required for the role, Johnson strove to do the best acting job he could for the character, taking inspiration from the dedication of the film's cast and crew. Johnson remained in character throughout production, spending much of his time in his trailer preparing each scene that he
9230-487: The character. Writer-director Henkel decided upon a satirical approach for the fourth entry in the series, casting a more "androgynous type" actor for the role. Traits only briefly explored in the original film such as the character's cross-dressing , and sexual ambiguity, were implemented to a greater extent in The Next Generation . Instead of being a source of dread as with the previous entries, Leatherface
9372-400: The concept of alternating personalities. Henkel and Hooper developed the notion of the character being mentally disabled , affecting his ability to think and speak rationally and coherently. Glimpses into this deteriorated mental state were depicted in the form of incomprehensible gibberish on two separate occasions in the film; once when Leatherface attempts to "speak" to Drayton (credited in
9514-412: The control of his family", while also being afraid of them; going on to explain that, although Leatherface is the most powerful and violent member of his family, he is also the most fearful. Hooper argued on the notion in the documentary Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth (2001), referring to Leatherface as a 'big baby', and someone genuinely frightened of all the new people entering his home to
9656-490: The control of his family, specifically his mother, whose manipulation of him greatly influenced the character's transformation. "Leatherface, you can see the human behind the monster. You can see him making mistakes and regretting it and being nervous about it... He's not just a killing machine. You can see what's going on inside him." —Fede Alvarez on the emotional complexity of Leatherface Gunnar Hansen Gunnar Milton Hansen (March 4, 1947 – November 7, 2015)
9798-413: The costume as well as the extreme temperatures during filming. Bryniarski later reprised his role as Leatherface three years later in the film's prequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006), as filmmakers were very impressed with the actor's contribution to the character in the previous entry in the franchise. Bryniarski met with Hansen out of respect for the actor's work before signing on for
9940-409: The crimes of Wisconsin murderer and grave-robber Ed Gein whom Hooper claimed to have heard stories of from relatives who had lived near where his crimes had been committed, though Hooper admitted he did not know it was Gein until after the film's release. One detail from Gein's crimes that Hooper found particularly disturbing, and a trait that he and his fellow co-writer instilled into the character
10082-405: The daughter of law enforcement officer. He escapes the mental hospital years later. Jedidiah suffers extensive physical trauma to his face by law enforcement. He eventually kills them, and uses their skin to craft his first face mask to hide his disfigured face. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) also served as a direct sequel to the original film. Picking up several decades after the original film,
10224-408: The earlier designs took into consideration the age of each face that made up the mask; some pieces were very old and dried up, while other pieces were "months old" and still retained moisture that caused those pieces drooped down the face. The final design was deliberately made to look as though it was all stitched together in places that "didn't make any sense", as Stoddard felt that Leatherface admired
10366-569: The eldest child of Christina, a lawyer, and Richard Daddario, a prosecutor and former head of the New York City Police Department counterterrorism unit. She is of Italian, Irish, English, and Slovak descent. She has a younger brother, Matthew Daddario , and a younger sister, Catharine, who are both actors as well. Her paternal grandfather was Emilio Q. Daddario , a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Connecticut from 1959 to 1971. Daddario
10508-461: The end, Berger designed three separate masks used by Leatherface in the film: the "Pretty Woman" mask seen at the beginning of the film, the "Comfort" mask, and the "Slaughterhouse" mask, also referred to as the character's "Rage mask" during production. Each mask was molded to fit Yeager's face and given more flexibility than previously created for the character, giving Yeager more freedom to express himself with his face and eyes. The "Pretty Woman" mask
10650-407: The events of the 2003 remake, who are making a documentary about the Hewitt family. A three-issue limited series, titled Raising Cain , was published by WildStorm in late 2008. The story centered on twins Cain and Abel, who are born into the Hewitt family, with their mother wanting her children to escape the family's blood-soaked heritage, bringing her and the twins into conflict with Leatherface and
10792-414: The film as the "Old Man"), and the second occurring the famous dinner scene. Leatherface was originally scripted to have several lines of dialogue in his conversation with Drayton where he reassures him that everything is 'ok'. Filmmakers were dissatisfied with the resulting scene as it was written, with Hansen noting it made the character seem "too rational", and was rewritten to fit the filmmaker's vision of
10934-644: The filmmaker's vision for the character to various effect. The franchise itself has been known for its inconsistent tone and history, due in part to it frequently changing production rights with various companies, resulting in tonal changes that affected the character and his personality. In the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre , Leatherface was portrayed as a large, chainsaw-wielding murderer, characterized as having interchanging personalities depending on which mask he wore, in addition to occasional cross-dressing and themes of sexual ambiguity. The latter traits have never been fully explored or revisited in later entries in
11076-718: The final film. Daddario starred as Constance Blackwood in We Have Always Lived in the Castle , a film adaptation of Shirley Jackson 's mystery thriller novel of the same name. Daddario also starred in the psychological thriller Night Hunter , which premiered at the LA Film Festival on September 28, 2018. Daddario portrayed Jade in the first season of the CBS All Access series Why Women Kill . In 2019, Daddario starred in and produced two films,
11218-583: The first film shot in Los Angeles during the COVID-19 pandemic . In 2021 she appeared in the HBO social satire series The White Lotus and the film Die in a Gunfight . For her performance in the former, she received widespread critical acclaim alongside the rest of the cast, with The Hollywood Reporter declaring that her performance "should redefine how audiences and casting directors see her." She
11360-400: The first film. Leatherface is depicted as a victim of a botched abortion , further suffering from a degenerative mental disorder . The character's cancer diagnosis, only briefly mentioned in the previous film, is explored in more detail, revealing the condition of severely disfigured his appearance, accelerated through his penchant towards self-mutilation . According to Brynuarski, Leatherface
11502-452: The first film. Screenwriter L. M. Kit Carson 's vision for Leatherface added more depth and detail to the character's mindset, while also exploring his motivations and personality. Actor Johnson described the sequel as taking place in a parallel universe , noting that while both his and Hansen's version of the character were from similar worlds, each had significant differences between them to be separate from one another. This transformation of
11644-477: The franchise, except for The Next Generation . Regardless of these changes, the characterization of Leatherface as an intellectually disabled , and mentally disturbed were retained in each entry of the franchise. In some appearances, traits such as superhuman strength and resilience were added to the character, though some commentators felt this was an attempt to make the character similar to other more popular slashers, such as Halloween ' s Michael and Friday
11786-568: The game are set after Sally's escape in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , as he begins to panic at the thought of his family's atrocities being exposed to the police. Amid his trepidation, he is taken to the universe of Dead by Daylight by some unknown force. The character appears in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , a 2023 survival horror game developed by Gun Media , set months before the events of
11928-441: The game, the player assumes the role of Leatherface as he attempts to murder trespassers, all the while avoiding obstacles such as fences and cow skulls. Leatherface also appears as a playable character in the fighting game Mortal Kombat X , as a downloadable content bonus character. He became a downloadable playable killer for Dead by Daylight in 2017, utilizing his signature chainsaw and sledgehammer as weapons. The events of
12070-458: The graphic and dispassionate violence depicted in the news at the time. This led Hooper to believe that "man was the real monster here, just wearing a different face", a belief that he later instilled into the character. According to Henkel, making Leatherface human instead of a typical monster made the character more frightening, stating "the only genuinely frightening thing to people is [other] people". Some elements for Leatherface were inspired by
12212-525: The horror genre. He has been credited as one of the most influential characters of the slasher genre for inspiring the stereotype of the hulking, masked, and silent killer, predating and even influencing horror characters such as Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees . Leatherface has since been parodied and referenced in novels, feature films, games, and television series; in addition to being an inspiration for many artistic outlets, fictional characters, heavy metal bands , and wrestling gimmicks . Leatherface
12354-468: The implication that the character suffered from syphilis , which had eaten away much of his face. The design for the mask was done by KNB EFX Group led by Robert Kurtzman , with assistance from Greg Nicotero . Both artists were instructed to create a version of the Leatherface mask that was 'still identifiable as the original mask but with a modern spin on it'. To that effect, the design team came up with many different sketches and ideas on what they wanted
12496-422: The late Hansen's portrayal of the character. The audition process for Burnam particularly lengthy, which the actor recollected that he sent five different audition tapes to the producers before they had him perform an audition for Álvarez. Burnham was told by producers what they wanted in his performance as something that could mirror Hansen's portrayal of the character "if he had played him today". The actor credited
12638-420: The latex to give it a rough and ridged look. Undergoing a significant departure from previous entries, Lionsgate's 2017 prequel was to be the first in the series to depict the character not wearing his face mask throughout most of the film's duration. Only three separate masks, designed by effects artist and filmmaker Olivier Afonso, are briefly depicted in the film. These masks, such as the "Cowhead", muzzle, and
12780-406: The leg injury he received in the first film. Yeager admitted that the movements he performed for the character later affected him physically for a while after the shooting had wrapped. He later credited his previous work as a stage actor , which he felt had helped him to portray the character while wearing the heavy costume. English actor Sam Strike was cast as the character in the 2017 prequel of
12922-439: The lengthy casting process as helping him to prepare and understand the character's motivation and rage. The final shot in the film, a homage to the original "chainsaw dance", was shot in a single take . As director David Blue Garcia recalled, "we gave Mark the freedom to cut loose while we improvised around him". At first, the film's cast were intimidated by the 6 ft 7in actor's presence, but fondly remembered Bunham as being
13064-420: The look and feel of a Leatherface that had yet to embrace his true monstrous nature. In the final portion of the film when Leatherface dons his first face mask skinned from Matt Bomer 's character, casts were done on the actor's head. The mask itself underwent slight modifications, such as the incorporation of Bomer's hair and facial hair onto the overall design, the former was accomplished by adding two flaps onto
13206-714: The making of and reception for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre . Hansen died at his home in Northeast Harbor, Maine , of pancreatic cancer on November 7, 2015, at the age of 68. Alexandra Daddario Alexandra Anna Daddario (born March 16, 1986) is an American actress. She had her breakthrough portraying Annabeth Chase in the Percy Jackson film series (2010–2013). She has since starred in Hall Pass (2011), Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013), San Andreas (2015), Baywatch (2017), and We Summon
13348-412: The mask to look like, some discarded concepts included a "war helmet" created from an animal skull, before finally deciding upon a more "errant teenager" look for the character. Production designer Mick Strawn, who assisted in the design process, recalled the original intention of having Leatherface's mask be a "one-piece", with the entire mask having been created from a single human face. This design aspect
13490-467: The mask, developing his own identity beyond just wearing someone else's face. Yeager admitted that Leatherface had some characteristics that never changed: "He's very childlike still. He plays with stuff like a kid does. His life experience is a bit limited." The origin story of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Texas Chainsaw 3D , reinvented the character, rescinding the original notion of Leatherface always being mentally disabled, instead depicting him as
13632-410: The original design after explaining to them how it worked well with the current state of the character. A total of twenty masks were created and used in the film, with five different looks depicting the mask in different states of gore and decay. Leatherface has undergone several shifts in personality and motivations following his first appearance in 1974, with each subsequent change largely depending on
13774-412: The original film into his performance out of respect, but intended to make the role his own, rather than repeating what came before. To make Jedidiah's transformation into Leatherface more believable, he intentionally tried to gain physical body weight before filming commenced; eating and working out to have the look and feel of the character in his early years, which he felt "could take your head off with
13916-406: The original film. Created by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel , the concept for Leatherface was developed while Hooper worked as an assistant film director at the University of Texas at Austin and as a documentary cameraman during the late 1960s. During this period, Hooper had grown increasingly disillusioned by what he referred to as the "lack of sentimentality and the brutality of things" witnessing
14058-551: The original television series. That same year, Daddario portrayed Kate Jeffries in the road trip comedy The Layover (2017), directed by William H. Macy . In 2018, Daddario appeared in the music video " Wait " by Maroon 5 and starred as Avery Martin in the romantic comedy When We First Met , opposite the film's co-writer Adam DeVine . Daddario made a cameo appearance as a scuba diver in Rampage , directed by San Andreas filmmaker Brad Peyton , but her scenes were cut from
14200-401: The point of violence, Hooper stated that he intended for Leatherface to be frightened by his own violent acts, stating "what he [Leatherface] does scares the hell out of him... he knows he's in trouble—not trouble with the law so much as trouble with his older brother". Fellow horror actor Doug Bradley , of Hellraiser fame, had confided to Hansen during a conversation that he felt Leatherface
14342-406: The prequel, whom Bryniarski claimed had commended him on his performance while giving the actor his blessing. Bryniarski's hiring for the prequel marked the only time an actor has portrayed the character in more than one film. Bryniarski was advised by the filmmakers of the prequel to forget much of the traits that had defined Leatherface in the previous film, as the prequel depicted a Leatherface that
14484-500: The previous films. Designing the character's look for the film incorporates the idea that Leatherface used more than just a person's face when "becoming" a certain personality, with the design for the Pretty Lady mask including a woman's upper torso and arms. The Pretty Lady mask was designed using molds of the film's production designer Deborah "Debbie" Pastor, who volunteered to have casts done from molds on her head and chest. For
14626-492: The responsibility to continue the family bloodline. In the film's audio commentary, director Burr offered his thoughts on the character's mental state, theorizing that Leatherface was reduced to a mindless, voiceless individual through a catastrophic injury. Burr surmised that his version of Leatherface was not born mentally impaired, but rather fell victim to an injury which destroyed his ability to think and speak, while also disfiguring his face. This concept of Leatherface's origins
14768-518: The rest of his family. Leatherface made a brief appearance in New Line Cinema's Tales of Horror anthology, published by WildStorm, which features Leatherface and the Hewitt family meeting a traveling salesman who tries to sell them chainsaws. Leatherface made his video game debut in the controversial 1982 video game adaption of the first film released on the Atari 2600 by Wizard Video . In
14910-408: The rest of the cast and crew, as they had to deal with extreme temperatures while in a heavily insulated costume that only exposed the eyes and mouth. Elmore later described the entire experience as being incredibly grueling, having repeated clashes with the film's stunt coordinator Jim "Jimmy" Stephan, who regularly berated and verbally abused Elmore and the other stunt performers. Elmore also sustained
15052-400: The right physicality necessary to portray the character. Yeager also rewatched the original film, as well as study the script for that film to develop a version of Leatherface that he felt was a continuation from that chapter of the character's life. Yeagar came up with an awkward and lumbering stride for Leatherface, as he felt that he [Leatherface] was left with a "compromised physicality" from
15194-458: The romantic comedy Can You Keep a Secret? , based on the novel of the same name by Sophie Kinsella , and the horror thriller We Summon the Darkness , directed by Marc Meyers . In 2020, Daddario provided the voice of Lois Lane in the superhero animated film Superman: Man of Tomorrow and starred in the noir film Lost Girls & Love Hotels . She also appeared in Songbird ,
15336-440: The run, and are being hunted by the uncle of a previous victim. Leatherface and most of his family are seemingly killed when a grenade detonates in their hidden lair. In Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990), Leatherface ( R.A. Mihailoff ) appears alongside new family members as they capture a young couple when they get lost on the back roads of Texas. Leatherface is eventually knocked unconscious and left to drown in
15478-465: The same name, while Boris Kabakchief portrayed the character as a child. Strike joined the film after reading the script, which he opined was, for a horror film, very character-driven. He felt that there needed to be a contrast between the two sides of the character, to show how a person can become such a killer: "It could happen to anybody. He had it in him because of his mother, but was at the mercy of his environment." The actor also integrated aspects from
15620-416: The script as more like a "close fitting hood" covering the character's entire head, was the first mask Leatherface is shown to wear, while dressed in his signature butcher's outfit. The masks themselves were created from face molds cast by Dr. W. E. Barnes, Molds were cast of locals, who had volunteered to have casts taken of their heads, one of the volunteers was the film's producer Jay Parsley, whose head cast
15762-423: The series explored the origins for his disturbed and violent behavior, revealing Leatherface as someone who was further damaged by his exposure to, what the comic referred to as "[the] bad things" done to him, pushing him deeper into madness and leaving him with the mind of a 'confused and angry child'. Motivated by an inherent need to please his family, and an almost symbiotic connection to his chainsaw, Leatherface
15904-454: The series, revealed additional details on the character's mental state, depicting him as prone to hearing voices inside his head . The third film's interpretation of the character as a brutish, violent killer, as opposed to the more "scared child" persona, was highly influential on later iterations of the character after Next Generation . The Next Generation incarnation marked the most radically different and overtly comedic interpretations of
16046-406: The sole surviving crew member escaping with Leatherface's chainsaw. On July 18, 2007, the company released The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: About A Boy , which chronicles Leatherface's journey through adolescence, and what it was like growing up with kids his own age. In Wildstorm's one-shot The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Cut! , Leatherface comes across a group of independent filmmakers, thirty years after
16188-453: The sole survivor of his original killing spree. After slaughtering many people, including Sally, Leatherface returns to the house where the original 'massacre' began . Leatherface's first foray away from the silver screen was in 1991, with Northstar Comics ' four-issue miniseries Leatherface . This was a loose adaptation of the 1990 film Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III written by novelist Morton Castle . The miniseries followed
16330-457: The story focuses on an aging Leatherface (Mark Burnham), living in relative peace with an elderly woman named Virginia "Ginny" McCumber ( Alice Krige ). When an altercation with a group of young adults leaves Ginny dead from a heart attack , he finally snaps. Fashioning a new mask out of Ginny's face before retrieving his old chainsaw, he begins slaughtering members of the group, gaining the attention of Texas Ranger Sally Hardesty ( Olwen Fouéré ),
16472-456: The third film in the series, it was decided that Leatherface should have a more central role as the film's primary star , above that of his cannibalistic family. Actor and former professional wrestler Randal Allen "R.A." Mihailoff was hired for the role in Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III . Early on in development, the studio fast-tracked development and shot a teaser trailer , with actor and stunt performer Kane Hodder portraying
16614-412: The two become friends before turning on each other. In 2004, a novelization of the 2003 remake was released. It was based on one of the film's earlier drafts, containing plot points that were discarded from the film's final draft, including Leatherface's murder of Jedidiah, one of his younger family members who had decided to help Erin escape. In 2005, Avatar Press began publishing a comic books based on
16756-512: The universe created by the films. Leatherface made his first appearance in the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in 1974. Here, Leatherface ( Gunnar Hansen ) is depicted as wearing the human skin of his victims as a mask. He and his family capture and murder a group of teenagers one-by-one as they trespass upon their property. The character's second appearance was in the 1986 sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 . The film reveals that Leatherface ( Bill Johnson ) and his family have been on
16898-473: Was Gein's penchant for crafting and wearing human flesh as masks; a concept that first made its appearance onto the silver screen in Deranged (1974), a film directly inspired by Gein, released eight months before Hooper's film. Hooper has stated in later years that additional inspiration was taken from an event that occurred in his early years of college. While at a Halloween party, a friend of his who had been
17040-442: Was a homosexual : "[Leatherface's] androgyny was kind of inferred [ sic ] in the first movie, but because of the times, and because of the budget, it wasn't really brought forth." Special effects artist Joshua "J.M." Logan stated that Jacks was committed to bringing the character to life, spending hours during the make-up process. The Next Generation was a relatively low-budget production, forcing cast members to perform
17182-483: Was a chance Thomas' life could have been different. But the teasing he suffered, coupled with a bad temper, and following Hoyt around like a puppy dog, left room for Hoyt to get absolute control." Bryniarski also described how the Hewitt family's "us or them" mentality had influenced the character's violent and psychopathic nature, further noting the abuse he suffered from the outside world for most his life finally caused his already fragile mind to snap. A continuation of
17324-791: Was an Icelandic-born American actor and author best known for playing the mentally impaired cannibal Leatherface in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). Hansen was born in Reykjavík , Iceland, to Icelander Skúli Hansen, a dentist, and Norwegian Sigrid Hansen. He moved to the United States with his mother and brother when he was five years old. He lived in Maine until age eleven, when his family moved to Austin, Texas , where he attended Austin High School and
17466-537: Was as lead character Heather Miller in the slasher film Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013). In August 2013, Daddario reprised her role as Annabeth Chase in the film sequel Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters . She then appeared in the romantic horror comedy Burying the Ex . Burying the Ex premiered out of competition at the Venice Film Festival in 2014. In January 2013, Daddario was cast in the first season of
17608-511: Was attempting to express. Jacks went on to explain that the masks themselves were meant to resemble real-life caricatures of the typical family dynamics, which he claimed was the filmmaker's intention in the original film. The personality of Leatherface evolved from that of a frightened child and rebellious teenager into a sadistic, rage-fueled serial killer in Platinum Dunes remake series. Although still mentally disabled, Leatherface
17750-536: Was being filmed in Austin and decided to audition. He got the part of Leatherface, the masked killer in the movie. After writing (and occasionally editing) for magazines and writing books, Hansen returned to acting in 1988, appearing in the horror spoof Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers . He acted in 20 films thereafter, including Texas Chainsaw 3D as one of the Sawyers. He state that he considered his later acting as
17892-456: Was both able to elicit sympathy while continuing to be a source of dread for the audience. While the characterization of Leatherface acting out of fear and for the protection of his home placed the character in a somewhat sympathetic light, commentators have commented on the character's screams, grunts and squeals imply his mentality as more animal than human. Scenes where Leatherface jabbers and squeals incoherently to Drayton were intended to convey
18034-456: Was created as a replica of the mask seen in the first film using modern-day materials, while the "Slaughterhouse" and "Comfort" masks were both original designs by the KNB EFX team. The "Slaughterhouse" mask was intentionally designed to feel distorted and warped from old age; pieces of facial hair were added to the design to make it look and feel distinct, while granules of salt were mixed into
18176-439: Was defined by his mask, and what his family told him to do." Sherwood approached the film as a story of identity , and wanted to delve deeper into why the character became who he was, believing the concept of a Leatherface shaped into a near-mindless monster through events that occur in his life, as opposed to being born that way, to be a more interesting side to the character. As he stated, the young man who would become Leatherface
18318-423: Was explicitly shown in earlier drafts of the script during a scene where Leatherface is unmasked, hinting that his face might have been skinned off at one point in his life. Northstar Comics' four-part series, loosely based on the third film, delved even deeper into the character's psyche while abandoning the concept of Leatherface as a brain-damaged individual. Described in the comic as mentally impaired from birth,
18460-453: Was given the task of developing Leatherface's design, in addition to designing "Grandpa" and the film's set design. In total, three separate masks were created and used for the film: the "Killing Mask", the "Old Lady Mask" and the "Pretty Woman Mask", the latter of which was affectionately referred to by Kim Henkel as the " Clarabell Clown " mask due to its resemblance to the character from The Howdy Doody Show . The "Killing Mask", described in
18602-459: Was hired to portray Leatherface in Platinum Dunes 's 2003 remake of the original film, and the only character to reappear from the original film. Bryniarski, a huge fan of the original film, learned from producer Michael Bay that the producer was working on the remake after meeting up with him during a party and would adamantly lobbied for the role of Leatherface. In preparation for the role, the 6 foot 5 inch (1.96 meters), 265-pound actor subsisted on
18744-410: Was in. Stuntman Bob Elmore was hired, alongside Tom Morga as Johnson's stunt doubles. Elmore performed many of the physical scenes for the character including the chainsaw battle with Dennis Hopper , and the overall stunt portion of the infamous "chainsaw love" scene. Morga only performed part of the stunts required for the opening bridge scene. Filming was particularly grueling for Johnson, Elmore, and
18886-795: Was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie in 2022 . Daddario starred in the 2022 coming-of-age film Wildflower . Beginning in 2023, she starred in the AMC series Mayfair Witches , based on the Anne Rice novel series Lives of the Mayfair Witches . Since about 2020, Daddario has been in a relationship with producer Andrew Form . On December 2, 2021, they announced their engagement. They married in June 2022. In July 2024, Daddario announced she
19028-428: Was not fully formed, having yet to embrace his true monstrous nature. Wanting to avoid casting someone physically fit "bodybuilder types", producer Carl Mazzocone opted for someone with an imposing stature but also one that "had a bit of a belly". To that effect, actor Daniel "Dan" Yeager was hired early on in production for the role of Leatherface. John Luessenhop recalled meeting the 6 foot 6 inch (1.98 m) actor at
19170-471: Was protected and insulated from the outside world by his family. In contrast to other incarnations of the character, which have depicted Leatherface as child-like in his behavior, Brynuarski stated that Leatherface was fully aware of his murderous actions and violent nature to the point where he enjoyed killing , seeing it as a way of revenge for the way he was treated throughout his life and an outlet for his long-suppressed rage. The novelization further explored
19312-406: Was quickly abandoned by the effects crew, who felt that it did not work for the character. Other abandoned ideas included a scene from one of Schow's earlier drafts, depicting Leatherface removing his mask, revealing his noseless and mangled face. The final mask design, which one media outlet opined as one of the character's most disturbing mask designs, was to be more graphic than previous versions of
19454-560: Was raised on Manhattan 's Upper East Side . She attended Brearley School and the Professional Children's School . Daddario said she decided to be an actress at the age of 11. "I always loved storytelling," she stated in 2019. "It was just something I genuinely wanted to do – and I could've done anything, really. I did have every opportunity on the planet." She attended Marymount Manhattan College before dropping out to pursue acting full-time. She has spent years studying
19596-408: Was redefined as a transvestite that dressed in the flesh of female victims, something film scholar Scott Von Doviak described as a "tortured drag queen ". The three interchanging masks for the character returned for the film to show off the character's sexually confused and deranged mental state. As actor Jacks explained, each mask represented a different "character" or aspect of Leatherface, which he
19738-447: Was something other than 'just a crazed killer'; observing the character's child-like behavior and submissive demeanor in regards to the orders dictated to him by other members of his family, made the character something different than just a madman and more of an obedient child. Critic and author Jason Zinoman compared Leatherface's depiction to that of Boris Karloff 's performance as Frankenstein's monster , commenting how each character
19880-481: Was the first to portray the role of Leatherface, auditioning for the role after hearing from a friend about a group of filmmakers that were making a horror film and needed someone to portray a 'crazed murderer'. The filmmakers were impressed with the actor's imposing figure, and later cast him in the role. During his first meeting with the filmmakers, Hooper explained the character in detail for Hansen; describing Leatherface as being mentally impaired, and insane, which made
20022-448: Was tormented as a child due to his appearance which carried on into adulthood, affecting his mind in the process, "In my estimation, Leatherface is like a beaten dog — he was ostracized and ridiculed, and treated harshly by his peers. The psychological damage they inflicted was immense — there's no chance for him." This was further elaborated by Terrence Evans , who played Leatherface's uncle Old Monty , stating, "I think there
20164-439: Was used to make the "Killing Mask". Once the molds had been set, Burns modified them with the help of Barnes, using dental algenate to create facial expressions for each mask. Burns also experimented with different latex mixtures to make the masks appear like layers of dried skin , eventually using a combination of liquid latex and yellow fiberglass insulation . Pieces of the material for each mask were then sewn together with
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