Gunnar Hansen

Gunnar Milton Hansen (March 4, 1947 – November 7, 2015) was an Icelandic-born American actor and author. He played the deranged cannibal Leatherface in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

Early life Hansen was born in Reykjavík, Iceland, to Icelander Skúli Hansen, a dentist, and Norwegian Sigrid Hansen. He moved to the United States with his mother and brother when he was five years old. He lived in Maine until age eleven, when his family moved to Austin, Texas, where he attended Austin High School and the University of Texas at Austin. He majored in English and mathematics as an undergraduate and then went to graduate school in Scandinavian Studies and English.

Career His first job out of high school was as a computer operator before he began theater work during college. He was also a football player during high school and for a while a bar bouncer. In 1973, just after finishing graduate school, Hansen heard that The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was being filmed in Austin and decided to audition. He got the part of Leatherface, the masked killer in the movie.

After writing (and occasionally editing) for magazines and writing books, Hansen returned to acting in 1988, appearing in the horror spoof Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. He acted in 20 films thereafter, including Texas Chainsaw 3D as one of the Sawyers. He stated that he considered his later acting as a side project and continued to write books.

Hansen was also an author; his nonfiction travel memoir, Islands at the Edge of Time; A Journey to America's Barrier Islands, was published in 1993.

Death Hansen died at his home in Northeast Harbor, Maine, of pancreatic cancer on November 7, 2015, at the age of 68. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered into the ocean.

Filmography + Film and television Year Title Role Notes 1974 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Leatherface 1977 The Demon Lover Professor Peckinpah 1988 Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers The Stranger 1991 Campfire Tales Ralph 1995 Mosquito Earl, The Bank Robber Freakshow Freakmaster Direct-to-video Exploding Angel Walter 1996 Repligator Dr. Kildare 1999 Hellblock 13 The Executioner Direct-to-video 2002 Hatred of a Minute Barry Witchunter Michael Jones Direct-to-video Rachel's Attic Ronald Sinister The Piper Short film 2003 Next Victim Dr. Howard (segment "rehabilitation Center") 2004 The Business Grandfather Short film, direct-to-video Chainsaw Sally Daddy Murder-Set-Pieces The Nazi Mechanic 2005 Wolfsbayne The Elder Apocalypse and the Beauty Queen Reggie 2006 Swarm of the Snakehead Gunner The Deepening Dr. Chambers 2007 Brutal Massacre: A Comedy Krenshaw Shudder Samson Direct-to-video Gimme Skelter Porter Sandford 2009 Won Ton Baby! Dr. Kurt Severson It Came from Trafalgar "Tex" Ghoul Reykjavik Whale Watching Massacre Captain Pétur 2013 Texas Chainsaw 3D Boss Sawyer / Jedidiah Sawyer / Leatherface (archive footage) Cameo, final role 2017 Death House Albert Kenny Cameo; Posthumous Release

As self 1984 Terror in the Aisles archival footage 1988 Texas Chainsaw Massacre: A Family Portrait 2000 Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth 2001 Leatherface Speaks: An Informal Interview with Gunnar Hansen 2002 Behind the Attic Door: The Making of "Rachel's Attic" 2004 UnConventional 2006 Flesh Wounds: Seven Stories of the Saw