What Netflix’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story got right about Anthony Perkins’ sexuality

One of the most unexpected parts of Monster on Netflix as season three tackles The Ed Gein Story is the time jumps to the era where big films were being made with the villains inspired by Gein’s crimes. The most famous of these is Psycho, the controversial Alfred Hitchcock film that changed the horror genre forever. The show explores how the making of Psycho influenced horror forever, not just for violence on screen but beginning to feed the public’s appetite for the goriest of crimes and the eternal legacy of real life horror. As The Ed Gein Story explores this, Monster also portrays Anthony Perkins – who shot to insane levels of fame after playing Norman Bates in Psycho – and his sexuality. Anthony Perkins’ sexuality was complex and he went through the wringer because of the conservatism of the time. Heres’ what Monster: The Ed Gein Story on Netflix got right about Anthony Perkins’ sexuality.

The show accurately depicts his relationship with Tab Hunter

In episode two, we see Anthony Perkins and his partner Tab Hunter arguing over the fact Perkins is going to be playing Norman Bates in Psycho. Tab freaks out after Anthony comes in dressed as Norma Bates – the big ending of Psycho and directly tying to how Ed Gein had a dark obsession with his own mother which led to his crimes.

Anthony Perkins and Tab Hunter were in a secret – but lowkey known if you knew them – relationship for four years in the late 50s. The two did split up just before Psycho – but it’s unknown if the argument we see in The Ed Gein Story is what caused the split.

Anthony Perkins did undergo conversion therapy

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We see in the show Anthony Perkins discussing his sexuality with a therapist. Sadly, the actor did undergo conversion therapy in his life.

Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates in Psycho

Was Anthony Perkins gay? 

There is a lot of discussion surrounding Anthony Perkins’ sexuality because he had relationships with women and men, including becoming the father of eventual Longlegs director Oz Perkins with his wife Berry Berenson. Oz Perkins says his dad was “a gay or bisexual man” – but most people say that Anthony Perkins was gay because he himself described himself as a homosexual man on several occasions.

It was an open secret that Anthony Perkins was gay in Hollywood and beyond – but Oz Perkins says the subject matter was outlawed by Berry Berenson in their home.

Oz Perkins said of his father’s sexuality to the Irish Times last year: “The surprise about it was that it was no surprise. Right? The surprise was that we hadn’t been talked to about it.

“I don’t know who would have that talk. Maybe, even today, I’m not sure how that conversation goes for people whose public lives don’t allow it. I don’t know how that conversation happens with children.

“I certainly don’t blame anybody. But I do think that a gauze was put over everything – a membrane. Everybody seemed to know it. Certainly all of their friends. It wasn’t like [top agent] Sue Mengers and [top director] Mike Nichols were like: ‘Oh, really? You’re kidding?’”

The actions of his therapist Mildred Neman – which is seen on The Ed Gein Story as Anthony Perkins discusses his sexuality with her – were condemned as inhumane by friends of Perkins like Stephen Sondheim in years to come.

Tragically, Anthony Perkins died of Aids in 1992 – he was only 65. Berry Berenson, his ex wife and mother of Oz Perkins, was married to Perkins until his death despite knowing his sexuality. She too had an ill-fated death. She was a passenger on one of the planes in 9/11.

Monster: The Ed Gein Story is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

Anthony Perkins image by:  THA/Shutterstock