‘Mindhunter’ Star Cameron Britton Reveals How He Pulled off His Disturbing Ed Kemper Scenes

Cameron Britton is revealing just how he got into the mind of infamous serial killer Ed Kemper in season 1 of Netflix original series Mindhunter.

Mindhunter‘s debut season captured fans as FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench started down the path of developing modern serial-killer profiling, but it was actor Cameron Britton’s chilling portrayal of the articulate, respectful, and intelligent real-life serial killer Ed Kemper that stole the show and drew critics’ praise. According to Britton, however, getting into the mind of a man convicted of murdering of 10 people, including his own grandparents and mother, was not easy.

“We did do a lot of takes,” Britton told TV Guide, adding that the goal was to “stop acting, so if you do enough takes you can no longer do what you’ve prepared. You just have to be alive and surprise yourself in the moment.”

Britton added that while he did his research on Kemper, including watching YouTube videos of him, the most important part of taking on the role was portraying Kemper not as a serial killer, but rather as your everyday person.

“I thought the most important thing for Ed was that he needs to be a regular person. It needs to feel like these murders mean nothing to him,” he said. “It’s more realistic and…more frightening if you believe this person could be someone that you’d meet at the grocery store or that you’ve already met them.”

While the series never depicts any of Kemper’s crimes, it was the way in which Britton as Kemper hauntingly details them during a series of interviews with FBI agents that captivated, and disturbed, viewers, though it was no easy feat.

“I had to just cut all of my emotions out. I had to not look up any of the victims names or lives so that I would have no empathy for them,” Britton said. “Had to just be completely shut off and cold. That allowed me to say these things as if they were nothing.”

Unfortunately for fans, it is not yet known if Britton is set to reprise the haunting role of Kemper in season 2 of Mindhunter, which will reportedly delve into the Atlanta Child Murders that saw 28 African-American children, adolescents, and adults killed between 1979 and 1981.

Despite the possible lack of Kemper, the upcoming season will reportedly see FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench interview a number of infamous serial killers, including Wayne Williams, Charles Manson, Tex Watson, David Berkowitz, and several more.

All ten episodes of Mindhunter‘s first season are available for streaming on Netflix. Season 2 does not yet have a premiere date.