The Patient star Domhnall Gleeson wears a black suit jacket and button-down and stands in front of a green backdrop.

‘The Patient’: Domhnall Gleeson Researched Serial Killers for His Role as Sam

Domhnall Gleeson plays Sam Fortner in Hulu's 'The Patient.' He researched real-life serial killers to help him prepare for the role.

by Erica Scassellati

Published on October 29, 2022

2 min read

Sam discusses Edmund Kemper in ‘The Patient’ Episode 9

In Hulu’s The Patient, Domhnall Gleeson’s character Sam is unassuming on the outside. He works as a food safety inspector and appears to be very good at his job. He’s passionate about food and the music of Kenny Chesney. However, under the surface, Sam is battling an irresistible compulsion to kill.

This leads him to kidnap Dr. Alan Strauss in the hopes that he can understand his compulsion and rid himself of it. Throughout his therapy sessions, Sam discusses the abuse he suffered from his father as a child. In episode 9, he references a real-life serial killer — Edmund Kemper.

Kemper killed ten people between 1964 and 1973. Sam shows Alan a clip of Kemper, where he talks about murdering his own mother. “Kemper said everyone he killed, he was just killing his mother over and over again,” Sam tells Alan. This leads Sam to believe that if he kills his father, he will be cured of his compulsion to commit murder.

Domhnall Gleeson researched serial killers for his role as Sam in ‘The Patient’

While speaking with Vanity Fair, Domhnall Gleeson discussed his The Patient character Sam’s motivations. “The big thing with Sam was always control. The reason I doubted his sincerity in terms of why he wanted to get better was because I think it was about the ultimate control over himself,” the actor stated.

“With any killer I read about and in the interviews I saw, I always totally doubted the sincerity of any of them who said, ‘I don’t need control anymore.’ I think they always wanted to have as much control as possible. That’s my thought,” Gleeson continued.

Gleeson doesn’t think Kemper regrets his crimes

Gleeson continued to share that he researched serial killers, particularly Edmund Kemper, who is mentioned in the show, for his role in The Patient. “I read lots of stuff, and I also watched lots of stuff. It was a surprise when they said the stuff about Kemper in Episode 9, but when I watch video of that person, I never, ever think that’s somebody who genuinely regrets what he did,” Gleeson said.

“When he cries, I just don’t buy it, personally. I think he loves having an audience. He loved mattering to the people in the room. I think the way he phrases things is all a manipulation to make his own ego feel very full.”

“He wants people to not be able to take their eyes off him,” the actor continued. “He loves it. It’s a disgusting aspect of his personality, and I think there has to be some element of that in Sam. He’s allowed himself to kill that many people and not hand himself in. His ego is bigger than any of us could possibly fathom.”