Evan Peters Reveals He Went Through 'Real Struggle' For His Role In 'Dahmer'

Evan Peters has revealed that he experienced "real struggle" as he went through a physical transformation and prepared mentally for his role as serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in the Netflix series "Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story."

Peters, who got nominated for a Golden Globe Award for the first time this year, looked back on his challenging journey while speaking with director Ryan Murphy during an interview with Variety that came out Monday.

"It was a real struggle. I was really thinking about it and trying to process it. I went back and forth a lot," Peters told Murphy. "I knew that you're an incredible support system and I trust you and there's an honesty there."

The 35-year-old actor went on to praise the director for creating a "safety net," explaining even if he fell down, he could get back up and "could finish this thing."

"I was up for the challenge," he added.

Peters also shared that he started filming the series after dropping 15 pounds. He said the weight loss took place after he cut down on carbs and sugar.

"I didn't really have an appetite during the early stages of shooting," he recalled. "Then I was working out for episode 3 when Dahmer gets into working out and gained about 20 pounds for the end in prison to show how he looked then."

Peters' sacrifices seemed to have paid off, as his performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination under the category Best Actor - Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Motion Picture.

However, the actor clarified that he was not looking forward to playing "darker roles" anytime soon.

"I'm going to take a little break from darker roles and explore the light," he said. "It would be interesting to me to play something that is a little closer to home, a little more mundane and to explore the details of those kinds of experiences."

Dahmer, the serial killer on whom Peters' series is based, was also known as the Milwaukee Monster or the Milwaukee Cannibal. He killed a total of 17 young men from 1978 to 1991. He died on Nov. 28, 1994.