Remembering Texas Chainsaw Horror Icon: Gunnar Hansen
Eleven years ago today (November 7th, 2015), Gunnar Hansen passed away. He was mostly known for his role in playing Leatherface in the original (1974) Texas Chainsaw Massacre. We at Scary Vibes, would like to pay tribute to his memory by sharing Gunnar Hansen's most iconic roles in Horror. As well as talking about the love he had for horror and the horror community.
Gunnar Hansens Horror Career
Gunnar Hansen's career started in1973 to 2015. His horror career expanded into horror genres like slasher and horror-comedy films. Here is a list of all the films he happened to be in during his career.
Leatherface – The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) – iconic cannibal killer
Professor Peckinpah – The Demon Lover (1977) – horror film character
The Stranger – Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (1988) – horror spoof
Dr. Kildare -- Repligator (1996) ---- horror
Earl, The Bank Robber – Mosquito (1995) – slasher/horror
Freakmaster – Freakshow (1995) – direct‑to‑video horror
Walter – Exploding Angel (1995) – horror
Ralph – Campfire Tales (1991) – horror anthology
The Executioner--- Hellblock 13 (1999) - horror
Leatherface (in archive footage) --- Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)-- horror
Dr. Kurt Severson – Won Ton Baby! (2009) – horror comedy
Tex Ghoul – It Came from Trafalgar (2009) – horror
Porter Sandford – Gimme Skelter (2007) – horror comedy
Dr. Chambers – The Deepening (2006) – horror
Gunner – Swarm of the Snakehead (2006) – horror
The Elder – Aconite (2005) – horror
Nazi Mechanic – Murder‑Set‑Pieces (2004) – horror
Daddy – Chainsaw Sally (2004) – horror
The Piper – Sinister (2002) – horror
Ronald – Rachel’s Attic (2002) – horror
Michael Jones – Witchunter (2002) – horror
Other than his horror roles, he also was a writer (poetry collection and a memoir) and a director. Overall, his horror filmography includes over 30 titles. A lot of his later in life horror roles were in direct-to-video horror films which were often in small cameo parts.
His Love For The Horror Genre
Hansen would often speak about what made horror endure and he approached it with care. He was a very passionate figure in horror history, with his best known role being Leatherface. His love for the horror genre was professional and personal. Gunnar Hansen believed that true horror lay within disturbing the viewers psyche, not just by shocking them with the visuals. He wanted something that would remain and truly haunted the audiences after the credits were rolling.
In Hansen's interviews, he revealed that horror wasn't just about chasing trends or sensations; but about creating work that would disturb, unsettle, and remain relevant no matter how much time had passed. The way he saw horror was as a form of art that could connect across generations. He spent his career and his creativity making sure that happened. Gunnar Hansen's love for horror ultimately, was a blend of many things. Like artistic integrity, respect for the horror genre's history, and of course the desire to craft experiences that would forever haunt the viewers mind.
Scary Vibes Community Tribute
In honor of Gunnar Hansen we invite you the fans of horror, the community to the Scary Vibes discord to watch tonight at 9pm CT to watch the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Please make sure to message us for the discord link, thank you.
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