Gunnar Milton Hansen was an Icelandic actor and author best known for playing the mentally impaired cannibal Leatherface in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974).
Hansen at Days of the Dead in Indianapolis, Indiana, 2012
Leatherface is a character from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series. He first appeared in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) as the mentally disabled member of a family of deranged cannibals, featuring his face masks and chainsaw. Created by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel, Leatherface was partially inspired by the crimes of Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein, in addition to confessions by serial killer Elmer Wayne Henley. The character has subsequently been represented in various other media, including novels, video games, and comic books; appearing in all nine films in the series.
Gunnar Hansen as Leatherface from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Gunnar Hansen (pictured 2009) was the first actor to portray Leatherface, later publishing a book on his experience.
Robert A. Burns applies paint to a latex mold cast, designing the first of three masks used in the original film.
Original unused concept designs for Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw 3D, concept art by Jerad S Marantz, using an earlier draft of the film's script, Marantz emphasized the time-span from the original film iterate the original draft of Leatherface wearing the faces of senior citizens.
