Netflix hit series Mindhunter got a lot of things right during its second season, but it especially nailed its casting of the many serial killers that Holden Ford and his team interview.
In the show's second season, FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) continue to pioneer serial killer research by interviewing the 20th century's grisliest murderers, including Charles Manson, the returning Ed Kemper and BTK Killer Dennis Rader.
But as well as hiring the best of the best talent – seriously, Manson actor Damon Herriman is an old hat at playing his role now – Mindhunter star Holt McCallany has explained that the reason the serial killers look so true to life is that the actors spent hours in prosthetic make-up to ensure an eerily life-like appearance.
Related: Why you recognise this Mindhunter serial killer from Game of Thrones
"You know we were very fortunate in that we just got tremendous performances from the actors this season," Holt told Rotten Tomatoes TV.
"We did last season also, but this season we hired the prosthetic make-up team that did Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, so both the actor who plays Charles Manson and the actor who plays David Berkowitz, they do a six-hour prosthetic make-up before they show up on set, so when they walk through the door, they look exactly like the character.
What to Read Next
"And then we also benefitted from having super-talented guys in the part. I think those scenes are going to among the most memorable of the entire season."
Related: What to expect from Mindhunter season 3 – serial killers, plot and questions we need answering
Meanwhile, Jonathan Groff recently opened up about the "intense" season 2 moment that stuck with him the most during filming, reflecting on the impact of the Atlanta Child Murders scenes.
"This season you're really getting to see the victim's side of the story in a way you didn't, necessarily, in the first season. So that was really intense," he said.
"In the first season, everyone would always ask us, 'Is it hard to go to sleep at night? Do you get demons...?' I never had anything like that, but I definitely do remember on the day with the mothers, when they were crying – these amazing actresses – that was the day that stuck with me the most."
Mindhunter season 2 is available to stream on Netflix now.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Instagram and Twitter account.
