Excerpt from Backstage.com
Scare Tactics
Audiences love a good villain. But what does it take to make one — and how do actors break free of that image?
November 03, 2006
By Jenelle Riley

There can also be a certain freedom in embracing the dark side. Ted Levine, a busy character actor currently appearing as Captain Stottlemeyer on the USA show Monk, found his experience portraying the unforgettable serial killer Jame Gumb, aka "Buffalo Bill," in 1991's The Silence of the Lambs a chance to explore territory he never had before. "It's sort of easier to play the evil and crazy people because there's nobody to tell you what's right or wrong," he says. "It's like building a hot rod: You can just bolt crap on, and it has less to do with function than with form and flash. Jame Gumb had pierced nipples and tattoos, and you could raise all kinds of strange questions. It was very freeing to play somebody who was...nuts."

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Thanks for posting the article, Teresa. I always enjoy reading about Ted.

What a good article by Ted. Anything Ted is a good read for me. It's interesting that he felt a sense of freedom playing Buffalo Bill. He could play many different characters, he has the talent; I'm just happy he chose to accept the role of Stottlemeyer on Monk, each week a different episode so I don't have to rewatch his movies.

One of my all time favorites with Stotty is Cabin Fever, seeing him in street clothes, tied to the bed, snoring, just a little glimpse into his life outside the office.

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One of my all time favorites with Stotty is Cabin Fever, seeing him in street clothes, tied to the bed, snoring, just a little glimpse into his life outside the office.

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I agree, Kees! That was a good episode of seeing him not in the office (and yes, tied to the bed!