Evan Peters faced an internal struggle about accepting the role of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
In a joint interview with the show's creator Ryan Murphy for Variety, Evan admitted his faith in his longtime collaborator was ultimately what convinced him to tackle the evil character.
Talking about the decision, the 35-year-old disclosed, "It was a real struggle. I was really thinking about it and trying to process it. I went back and forth a lot."
He then told Ryan, "I knew that you're an incredible support system and I trust you and there's an honesty there. I knew that, with the goal in mind of finishing this thing as strong as I started it, that you would create a great safety net. If I fell down, I could get back up and we could finish this thing. I was up for the challenge."
In addition to the mental strain of playing Dahmer, Evan underwent a dramatic physical makeover for the part, beginning with a no-carb, no-sugar diet to lose 15 pounds (six kilograms).
Despite receiving his first Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal, Evan revealed he was looking forward to more humorous roles in the future.
"I'm going to take a little break from darker roles and explore the light. 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," he explained.
Evan and Ryan have worked together on almost every season of American Horror Story since 2011.
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story debuted on Netflix in September.