Actor Gunnar Hansen, who terrified millions in Texas Chain Saw Massacre, dies

The actor who terrified a generation as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre villain Leatherface has died. Gunnar Hansen, who appeared in the original 1974 slasher flick, had been suffering from pancreatic cancer. He died at his home in Maine, on Saturday. He was 68. Hansen’s character in the movie “is one of the most iconic evil figures in the history of cinema,” said his agent, Mike Eisenstadt, who announced his death.

Sad news about the passing of Gunnar Hansen. Interviewed him a few times and found him - as so many horror icons - to be utterly charming.

Film critic Mark Kermode

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, in which friends visiting their grandfather’s house are hunted by a chainsaw-wielding maniac, became a classic among horror-movie aficionados and spawned a series of sequels. Hansen secured the part of Leatherface just after finishing graduate school, after he heard it was being filmed in Austin. In 2013, he published his book Chain Saw Confidential, which gave readers a behind-the-scenes look at how the film was made,  In it, he revealed that the inspirations behind the film included the fairytale Hansel and Gretel. Iceland-born Hansen lived in Maine for about 40 years, where he worked as an actor and writer. At the time of his death, Hansen was working on a film called Death House, due for release next year.

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