Charlie Hunnam's Chilling Confession: 'I Can't Stop Thinking' About His Dark Characters

Charlie Hunnam has opened up about the difficulty of switching off after playing dark characters, admitting that he can become so immersed in a role that he keeps thinking about it long after leaving the set.

In an interview shared on Instagram, Hunnam was asked how he unwinds after diving deeply into 'some dark ones,' referring to the darker roles he has played.

He revealed that the thoughts can follow him into bed, through the night and into the morning.

'I can't stop thinking about it,' Hunnam said, explaining that he can go to sleep thinking about the work, wake up in the morning thinking about it and even wake up in the middle of the night with the role still on his mind.

Hunnam Admits His Roles Can Become an Obsession

Hunnam acknowledged that there can be an almost obsessive quality to his work when he becomes deeply involved in a character.

'There's sort of an obsession that comes when you're in a job that I find that you just can't, I can't stop thinking about it,' he said.

The admission offers a glimpse into the intensity behind the darker roles referenced in the interview. Rather than simply leaving a performance behind when filming ends, Hunnam said the work can continue occupying his thoughts away from the set.

His comments also explain why learning to separate himself from a character has become an important part of his acting process.

The Actor Learned How To 'Switch My Mind Off'

Hunnam said he has developed what he called a 'cutoff point' as he has gained more experience.

'I've learned much more over the years to sort of leave the work at work,' he explained.

The actor said the key is managing to recognise when a project has ended and deliberately telling himself that the process is finished.

'All right, that's done,' he recalled telling himself before moving on.

The explanation provides an important counterpoint to his confession about constantly thinking about his roles. Hunnam said he has become better at deciding when to stop carrying the work with him.

Ed Gein Role Pushed Hunnam Into Darker Territory

The comments come after Hunnam's role as Ed Gein, the Wisconsin murderer and grave robber, in Netflix's Monster: The Ed Gein Story.

Hunnam has discussed the extensive preparation involved in portraying Gein, including studying his voice, mannerisms and behaviour.

The role provides a particularly stark example of the kind of character that can demand deep immersion, given that Gein was a real-life murderer whose crimes became associated with some of horror's most infamous fictional characters.

That context makes Hunnam's description of thinking about his work outside filming particularly striking.

Hunnam Found a Way To Close the Chapter

Hunnam also previously described visiting Gein's grave after filming as a way of bringing the experience to an end.

The visit gave him a physical moment to mark the conclusion of a role that had required him to become deeply immersed in Gein's world.

It also fits with the 'cutoff point' Hunnam described in the interview, showing how he sought to separate the completed performance from his life after filming.

'For all of the victories and all of the defeats that we've had through the course of this process. It's now finished and we move on,' Hunnam said.