In the 2000 film Ed Gein (often called In the Light of the Moon), Alfred Hitchcock is played by actor John Bedford Lloyd. Wait—don’t scroll away! I promise this gets way more interesting.
Lloyd is a solid, character-actor type you’ve seen in things like The Bourne Identity and Law & Order. But the real magic? It’s not just his performance—it’s the bizarre, true story behind why Hitchcock even appears in a film about a serial killer.
Wait—Hitchcock in an Ed Gein Movie?
Yes! You might be thinking, “Did the Master of Suspense actually know Ed Gein?” And the answer is a fantastic yes. In the 1950s, Hitchcock literally interviewed Gein for research on Psycho. True story: the details of Gein’s crimes—skin suits, trophy heads—helped shape Norman Bates.
The film Ed Gein recreates that meeting. So John Bedford Lloyd steps into Hitchcock’s shoes, playing a man who’s both fascinated and horrified by his subject. It’s a cinematic ouroboros: a film about the guy who inspired the character that inspired the film you’re watching.
