Actor Ted Levine attends the premiere of FX’s “The Bridge” at Pacific Design Center on July 7, 2014, in West Hollywood, California. (Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images)
By Samuel Short February 19, 2026 at 2:53pm
Actor Ted Levine is regretful about his portrayal of Buffalo Bill in the 1991 film “Silence of the Lambs,” but considering recent news, the character was spot on.
The Hollywood Reporter released Levine’s comments about his role Saturday, the film’s 35th anniversary since hitting theaters.
Looking back, Levine finds the character to be unsettling, as it portrays a man deeply confused about his identity and sexuality as a deranged serial killer.
Anthony Hopkins’ character in the film, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, even states in one scene, “Billy hates his own identity, you see, and he thinks that makes him a transsexual. But his pathology is a thousand times more savage and more terrifying.”
In other words, Buffalo Bill takes on many of the aspects of transgenderism seen playing out today. Levine, working in a notoriously left-wing industry, condemned the portrayal.
He told The Hollywood Reporter, “There are certain aspects of the movie that don’t hold up too well.
“We all know more, and I’m a lot wiser about transgender issues. There are some lines in that script and movie that are unfortunate.
“[It’s] just over time and having gotten aware and worked with trans folks, and understanding a bit more about the culture and the reality of the meaning of gender,” he said.
“It’s unfortunate that the film vilified that, and it’s f***ing wrong. And you can quote me on that.”
Levine said this is an unkind and inaccurate portrayal of the transgender experience, but in light of recent news, it’s eerily accurate.
The shooter in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, who left eight dead before turning the gun on himself, was a self-proclaimed transgender.
Tuesday’s shooting at Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, was committed by a man whose daughter, according to KATV, said, “I think his gender-identity issues are a symptom of a deeper issue.”
This is the Transgender Rhode Island shooting suspect. pic.twitter.com/50Mu0Vvlwe
— YORKING 👑 (@kingforever001) February 17, 2026
Looking back further, the shooter at the Assumption Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2025 was also transgender.
The shooter at the Covenant School in Nashville Tennessee in 2023 was a female claiming male identity.
Buffalo Bill is perhaps the most accurate portrayal of a trans person to date — violent, murderous, and resentful, being fueled by delusions stemming from sexual identity problems.
The character aged incredibly well.
If only Levine could see that.
Sam Short is an Instructor of History with Motlow State Community College in Smyrna, Tennessee. He holds a BA in History from Middle Tennessee State University and an MA in History from University College London. The views expressed in his articles are his own and do not reflect the views or opinions of Motlow State Community College.
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