9 Actors Who Took on the Terrifying Challenge of Playing Charles Manson

Playing Charles Manson isn't for the faint of heart, yet several actors have taken on the challenge — and with the fiftieth anniversary of the Manson family's heinous crimes fast approaching, new faces are diving into the terrifying role. In 2019 alone, we'll be treated to a couple new onscreen projects about the notorious cult leader [1] and the grisly murders he was responsible for [2] in the late 1960s: the Matt Smith-led Charlie Says [3] opens in May, and Quentin Tarantino [4]'s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood [5], starring Leonardo DiCaprio [6] and Brad Pitt [7], hits theaters in July.

Manson's menacing personality and erratic mannerisms have been portrayed onscreen since the '70s, with each performance seemingly aiming to uncover a new facet of his disturbing behavior. Keep reading to see the actors who have stepped into the role of Charles Manson so far.

Steve Railsback

In Helter Skelter (1976).

Marcelo Games

In The Manson Family (1997).

Jeremy Davies

In Helter Skelter (2004).

Ryan Robbins

In Manson, My Name Is Evil (2009).

Ryan Kiser

In House of Manson (2014).

Gethin Anthony

On Aquarius (2015).

Evan Peters

On American Horror Story [9]: Cult (2017).

Ben Mellish

In The Haunting of Sharon Tate (2019).

Matt Smith

In Charlie Says (2019).

POPSUGAR