Actor Brock Powell shares his experience playing Leatherface on Netflix’s horror series “Monster: The Ed Gein Story”, and honoring the original actor who first portrayed the iconic horror figure, Gunnar Hansen.
Powell’s impressive resume spanning nearly 100 fan-favorite animated series and video games, such Disney’s Phineas an Ferb, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Insomniac’s Spider-man 2 and more! Known for his range and passion, and breathing life into characters across genres, Powell steps behind the mask of one of the most iconic figure in horror – Leatherface.
How Did This Role Come About?
Powell remembers when the audition came through, and his agent calling him to say “Don’t miss this.” The actor was just returning from another project at Disney World.
Brock Powell: I’m a big horror fan and so I knew, um, I believe the audition was under ‘Gunnar Hansen’ so it wasn’t ‘Leatherface’. Maybe it was Leatherface but Gunnar was the name and I was like, “Oh I know exactly who this is and what this is for”. And the audition was really unique because it was a two-minute monologue that you’re the reader or your who’s helping you with the audition is reading and I’m sitting in a chair having makeup applied.
The Audition Process
The audition for the role didn’t require much speaking, as it was the scene where director Tobe Hooper was talking about Leatherface’s different personas with each mask. Powell felt that having the Leatherface mask would make the audition great, and called up a friend for help to acquire a mask.
Brock Powell: In the trailer, Tobe’s applying the makeup and we’re doing that whole thing about the different [masks], that was the audition scene. And um I had to go to a friend’s house because I was like I need a Leatherface mask and I think at the time it was around Christmas, and Halloween had just passed. I was like “Where do I find a Leatherface mask?” And so, one of my buddies works in horror had a whole, like, wardrobe of masks and so I actually still have the audition mask right here.
Powell showed off the mask he wore for his audition during our interview.
Powell: True story. And this was the one that we wore for the audition and we ran my hair through um instead of wigging it because it was Yeah, it was a little too tight, but we had to make it work. And so just sitting in a chair and so much of acting is obviously reacting. And so just listening and the scene was and the piece was really about Gunnar getting into the character for the first time.
Embodying the Physically of Leatherface
Powell not only had to sound like the Gunnar Hansen in the role, he also had to embody the physicality of the character and work with a chainsaw.
Brock Powell: So not a lot of people know this. I got OSHA certified to work a chainsaw before before we filmed. So, I was like, because I didn’t know what I was walking into. I didn’t know, you know, are we going to be using the exact chainsaw that I think was real without teeth. Um, and then I got on set and it was not the real chainsaw. It was an incredibly screen accurate, very safe replica, um, made by Cameron Loen, our production designer, um, who put a lot of care into that. But they had two versions of the chainsaw for me. There was one that was pretty much just with the the gears and the pieces out so I could have for weight. And there was another one that was maybe five to seven pounds that was essentially like a rubber mold. And I can’t even tell you now watching which time I’m using which.
So I practiced prior with a real chainsaw. I also practiced prior trying to um walk and run and sort of stumble in these in these boots, in the dark before we film stuff because you’re obviously got the mask on.
It was a lot of the you know physical stuff and then as soon as I had the mask in the costume and I was on set, um, going well ahead of the scenes to walk the space with the stunt coordinator, have a conversation with the stunt coordinator what the expectations are, what speed we’re going, working with the other actors.
Watch his performance as the iconic horror figure in “Monster: The Ed Gein Story”, now streaming on Netflix.
