10 Things You Never Knew About The Silence of the Lambs
From free rights to a hockey mask maker, the making of the thriller is wilder than Lecter's cell.
Anthony Hopkins al Tuscan Sun Festival di Cortona — Elena Torre from Viareggio, Italia (edited by User:LeeGer), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Where to watch The Silence of the Lambs ↓Hackman Quit Because His Kids Asked Him To
Gene Hackman was lined up to both direct and star, until his own children intervened and asked him to stop making violent movies.
Lecter Rights Were Given Away For Free
Dino De Laurentiis, who produced Manhunter, gave Orion Pictures the Hannibal Lecter rights for free after Manhunter flopped financially.
Jodie Foster " Baltimore the city that reads " — John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Demme Signed On Before The Script Was Done
Jonathan Demme committed to direct after reading just the novel, even before screenwriter Ted Tally had finished the script.
Pfeiffer Passed On Clarice
Michelle Pfeiffer passed on playing Clarice Starling because she got nervous about the subject matter.
Hopkins Thought It Was A Children's Story
Anthony Hopkins first assumed The Silence of the Lambs was a children's story from his agent's pitch, but changed his mind after reading the first ten pages.
A Hockey Mask Maker Built Lecter's Mask
The iconic Hannibal Lecter mask was built by Ed Cubberly, a Frenchtown, New Jersey mask maker who previously crafted masks for NHL goalkeepers.
HAL And Capote Inspired Lecter
Anthony Hopkins shaped Lecter using the cold calm of HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey and the vocal patterns of writer Truman Capote.
Glenn Wept After Listening To Real Killers
Scott Glenn, who played Jack Crawford, listened to audio recordings of serial killers Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris describing their crimes. The tapes moved him to tears and shifted his views on the death penalty.
Buffalo Bill's House Sold For $195,000
The Victorian home used as Buffalo Bill's residence in Perryopolis, Pennsylvania sold for $195,000 in 2016 after sitting on the market for nearly a year.
The Pit Was Inspired By A Real Killer
The basement and pit set used by Buffalo Bill was inspired by the real kidnappings and murders committed by Gary M. Heidnik.