Charlie Hunnam brought his longtime partner, jewelry designer Morgana McNelis, as his date to the 78th Emmy Awards at Los Angeles' Peacock Theater on September 14, celebrating his first-ever Emmy nomination for his titular role in "Monster: The Ed Gein Story."
Hunnam wore an all-black ensemble that set off his trademark blonde hair, while McNelis chose a glamorous black gown with beading running down the sleeves.
A crowded lead actor race
Hunnam was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, competing against Matthew Rhys for "The Beast in Me," Riz Ahmed for "Bait," Jason Bateman for "Black Rabbit" and Oscar Isaac for "Beef." Rhys ultimately won the category for his performance in "The Beast in Me."
Hunnam was not the only person from "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" in contention. Laurie Metcalf was also nominated, for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, though the award went to Linda Cardellini for "DTF St. Louis."
The Monster anthology's third chapter
"Monster: The Ed Gein Story" is the third installment of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's true crime anthology series about the killer and grave robber Ed Gein. The franchise's first season covered convicted killer Jeffrey Dahmer, played by Evan Peters, while its second told the story of Lyle and Erik Menendez, played by Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch. A fourth season, centered on the case of Lizzie Borden and starring Ella Beatty, premieres on Netflix on September 17.
Hunnam has credited McNelis with pushing him to take on the role of Gein. "My partner had incredible conviction that this was an important thing to do," the "Sons of Anarchy" star told E! News in October. "She's a great fan of the psychoanalysts, so she understands shadow work and the value of staring into the abyss and confronting the darkness much more than I do. So she was an amazing support to me, saying, 'You just got to go do this thing. You've got to enter the cave and face the dragon.'"
Rules for coming home from a dark role
Hunnam and McNelis have been together for nearly two decades, and over that time they have developed guidelines for how he transitions out of demanding roles. "We've been together almost 20 years, and she got frustrated with me showing up and being a bit of a shell after doing a role," Hunnam said. "So, she said to me, probably about 10 years ago, 'Here's the rules of engagement, kid: Go do your work. Be as selfish as you need to be, but then take some time, because when you get back, you better be ready to see me.' Which is completely fair and really lovely."
After finishing the Gein role, Hunnam visited the killer's grave in Wisconsin, calling it "a healing way to say goodbye and put a full stop" at the end of filming. He admitted, though, that the character's voice was not easy to shake. "I was slipping in and out of it all the time," the 46-year-old said on "Live From E!: Critics Choice Awards" in January, "and she would say, 'Dude, you have to stop at the voice. At breakfast, it's a little too much.'"
