Niecy Nash received critical acclaim for her performance in the series (Picture: Netflix)
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story star Niecy Nash has spoken out on the impact of the Netflix series, expressing her belief that it ‘shines more of a light on the victims than on the killer’.
In September this year, the true crime anthology show was released on the streaming platform, starring Evan Peters, 35, as the real-life serial killer and sex offender who murdered 17 boys and men between 1978 and 1991.
While the drama created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan has received backlash from members of the public and surviving members of the victims’ families, it surged in viewership, becoming the third series on Netflix to surpass 1billion views in 60 days.
Nash, 52, plays Glenda Cleveland in the story, a neighbour of Dahmer’s, who in real life was convicted of 16 murders and sentenced to life in prison in 1992, before being beaten to death by a fellow inmate two years later.
The actress has received acclaim for her performance, as well as a nod for best supporting actress in a television limited series/motion picture at the upcoming Golden Globe Awards.
In a new interview, she addressed fans of hers who praised her performance without having actually watched the dramatised series about Dahmer.
Jeffrey Dahmer actor Evan Peters has starred in several of Ryan Murphy’s shows (Picture: Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Netflix)
‘I feel like it’s shining more of a light on the victims than it is on the killer,’ she said, despite the criticism the show has received.
She added to Deadline: ‘Normally, you view it from the lead character’s point of view, but you actually get to enter the story through the eyes of his neighbor.’
Nash spoke further about her role as Glenda Cleveland, explaining that the character was ‘a blend of a few different women and people in the community who had an experience with Jeffrey Dahmer’.
Nash is up for a Golden Globe (Picture: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
‘I did the best I could while understanding there’s a commonality that all people share who have been hurt,’ she stated.
‘When your voice goes unheard, when your needs go unmet, when you are crying out and no one is listening, that’s a space that if we haven’t been in our life, at some point we will be.’
In October, Murphy spoke out in defence of the Dahmer series, stressing that the creation of the production was ‘always about the victims’.
The Glee creator said: ‘We weren’t really interested in Dahmer the monster. It was [about] who was complicit in making the monster. There were many, many different things involved in that. It was a complicated human story.
‘It tackled systemic racism, homophobia. We were always thinking of the victims.’
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is available to watch on Netflix.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Follow Metro on Snapchat
You can follow our new Snapchat show Pop Cultur’d, the go-to place for all things pop culture.
Keep up with the latest Showbiz exclusives by following Metro Showbiz on Snapchat.
And football fans can indulge in all the transfer gossip and more on Metro Football on Snapchat.
The actress is up for a Golden Globe Award for her performance.
