Ulliel Steps Into the Mask of 'Hannibal'

Before he developed a taste for liver—with fava beans and a nice chianti, of course—Hannibal Lecter was a just a disturbed young man. Stepping into the iconic super-villain role is French actor Gaspard Ulliel, star of “Hannibal Rising,” the latest installment from Thomas Harris’ book series. Ulliel admits that tackling such a legend is “a bit scary,” but knows he can make Hannibal his own.

“People are going to walk into the movie looking for similarity, but this is a different character and another story at another time,” he says in a phone interview. This innocent Lecter, completely unlike Hopkins’ manipulative portrayal, offers a glimpse at the man that existed before the monster.

“Hannibal Rising” serves as a prequel to “Red Dragon,” attempting to humanize the psychopathic cannibal that sends shivers down the spines of even the most hardened of horror fans. Harris worked on the book and screenplay simultaneously, a rare feat in the entertainment industry, and released the work last December. While critics were not enthused by the book, the jury is still out on the movie.

Set after World War II, the film follows Lecter as he witnesses multiple atrocities of the Eastern front with his sister Mischa. After Mischa is gruesomely murdered—devoured, you could say—by a group of Nazi sympathizers, he is adopted by his uncle and the beautiful Lady Murasaki Shikibu (Gong Li), a foil to Clarice Starling and the love interest for Lecter.

Though Hopkins was not the first cinematic Lecter (that honor goes to Brian Cox, star of the original 1986 “Manhunter”), his Oscar-winning performance in “Silence of the Lambs” disgusted and horrified viewers, and the cult-status villain was born. Ulliel, the third actor to portray Lecter on the big screen, takes a more psychological approach to the character, exposing a “degree of sympathy” in the otherwise repellent doctor.

“The audience has always been seduced by this man,” he reiterates, emphasizing that Lecter’s history needed to be explained. “He is a mixture of all the best and worst of the human being. He is a real monster, but at the same time he is so witty and talented.”

And while some critics are frustrated that Lecter, whose past is only alluded to in previous books, would no longer remain a figure of mystery, Ulliel recognizes the merit of unearthing a Lecter’s history. “You may ultimately lose the mystery, but you gain a good thing in explaining the past.”

To better understand the character of Hannibal Lecter, Ulliel watched dozens of films, read true stories about serial killers, and even spent several weeks at an autopsy clinic in Prague.

A huge star in his native France, though relatively unknown to American audiences, Ulliel perfected his English though many hours with a dialogue coach. The transition challenged the actor, particularly because of the importance of precise intonations and accents.

Under director Peter Webber, whose sole previous film “Girl with A Pearl Earring” met with critical praise but disappointing sales, Ulliel says he felt comfortable stepping into such a lofty role.

“I like the way he works with actors, and he just made himself so available,” says Ulliel.

Webber’s direction hardly guarantees that “Hannibal Rising” will open to the fanfare surrounding any of Lecter’s previous on-screen appearances, but Ulliel did win Harris’ prior to filming. The infamously reclusive author—he declines most media interviews—passed along a handwritten note to Ulliel about the nature of Lecter’s character, the very same note he gave to Hopkins years before.

The message? Ulliel remains silent. As Hannibal Lecter says, “All good things to those who wait.”

—Staff writer Jessica C. Coggins can be reached at jcoggins@fas.harvard.edu.