Yes that’s right, this months “Where are they now?” is on Gunnar Hansen AKA “Leatherface”
Hansen had the lovely job of being the first person to play “Leatherface” in the awesome “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, a film that was banned even though it contains virtually zero gore. Hansen threw himself into the role, giving Leatherface characteristics based on his study of mentally challenged children and enduring physical suffering due to the limited budget. In his own words: “They didn’t have enough money for a second costume. So I wore that mask 12 to 16 hours a day, seven days a week, for a month.”
After the success of the movie “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, Hansen co-starred in “Demon Lover”, but after the bad experiences he had with the film he decided not to continue acting, instead pursuing a writing career. In 1975, after one extra year of graduate school, Hansen moved back to Maine, New England, USA and started writing. During this time he rejected a part he was offered in Wes Craven’s cult horror film “The Hills Have Eyes”.
Hansen returned to acting for the 1988 film “Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers” which he also co-wrote and has subsequently appeared in twenty films, although he now makes documentaries and considers acting a mere hobby.
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| Gunnar Hansen Nowadays |
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