In an interview with Scroll In, Cox discussed who inspired him to play the part of Lecter. It might surprise some to discover that Cox looked to his childhood in Scotland where tales of serial killer Peter Manuel seemed to be on the tips of everyone’s tongues. Manuel killed at least seven victims between 1956 and 1958 and was among the last convicts to be executed in the country before it abolished the death penalty in the 1960s (per The Glasgow Evening Times). Manuel fired his attorneys in the middle of the trial and defended himself in court. It was this bit of information that stood out to Cox.
Cox told the outlet “I was obsessed with him. He was this bogeyman for us, but he conducted his own defense. He was so rational and so apparently empathetic, but actually, there was no empathy, and that’s how I saw Lecter. A man with a huge part of personality missing, who just cannot feel empathy for other people.”
Read Related Also: The Story Of Tilly Devine’s Australian Felony Empire
Cox served as the first of several actors to play Lecter, and was followed by Hopkins in “Silence of the Lambs,” “Red Dragon,” and “Hannibal.” Gaspard Ulliel portrayed him in the 2007 film “Hannibal Rising,” while Mads Mikkelsen conquered the role in the TV series “Hannibal” (via Movie Web).
Harris had another inspiration when creating the character. As he traveled south of the border for work, he made the acquaintance of an unusual character.
