Who Was Ed Gein's Father? All About George Gein By Jordana Comiter

Monster: The Ed Gein Story leaves viewers wondering more about one of the titular serial killer’s family members: his father, George Philip Gein.

The third installment of the Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan-created anthology series premiered on Netflix on Oct. 3, giving viewers a closer look at the life of Ed Gein, one of the most notorious American serial killers of all time. Otherwise known as the Butcher of Plainfield, Gein was a 1950s murderer and grave robber who killed at least two women, exhumed multiple corpses and turned his secluded Wisconsin farmhouse into a gruesome “house of horrors” before his 1957 arrest.

Gein was diagnosed by psychological experts as schizophrenic and described as a “sexual psychopath,” per A&E Crime and Investigation, and was later deemed mentally unfit for trial, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. However, he was institutionalized until his death on July 26, 1984, at the age of 77 due to complications from lung cancer.

The eight-episode series sees Charlie Hunnam as the serial killer, providing a closer look at Ed’s complex relationship with his mom, Augusta Gein (Laurie Metcalf). As depicted in the series, Ed had an intense fixation on and attachment to his mother, and per History, he later confessed to having dug up the graves of women who reminded him of her. Meanwhile, Ed’s father George (Darin Cooper) is only portrayed in one scene of the series, leaving viewers wondering what larger role he played in the serial killer’s life.

Below, here’s everything to know about Ed Gein’s father, George Gein.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Monster: The Ed Gein Story.

George married Augusta in 1900

George married Augusta in 1900, and the pair went on to welcome two children together. They first welcomed son Henry, followed by second son Ed in 1906, per Biography.

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Henry and Ed were born in La Crosse, Wis., though the Gein family relocated to a farm outside of Plainfield, Wis., around 1915.

According to The New Zealand Herald, George held several roles over the years, including carpenter, tanner and insurance salesman, though struggled to hold down a job.

He was an alcoholic who abused Henry and Ed

George, was allegedly an alcoholic who passed off primary parenting duties to Augusta, according to A&E Crime + Investigation.

Augusta was a devout Christian who often lectured the Bible to her sons and blamed alcohol and women for the evils of the world, per the outlet.

According to EBSCO, George was physically and verbally abusive to both Henry and Ed.

He died in 1940

George died in 1940 from heart failure, per Britannica. In the aftermath of George’s death, Henry and Ed picked up odd jobs around town to make ends meet back home.

As for Ed’s other family members, his brother Henry died under mysterious circumstances in 1944. He had reportedly also died of heart failure while he and Ed were battling a fire on their farmland after they tried to burn away marsh vegetation, per USA Today.

According to A&E Crime + Investigation, no autopsy was performed on Henry, and although his official cause of death was ruled asphyxiation, some investigators suspected that Ed may have been involved in his brother’s death.

Just one year later, Augusta died from a stroke on Dec. 29, 1945, per Biography. She was 67 years old.

George is only portrayed in one scene of Monster: The Ed Gein Story

George is only portrayed in one scene of Monster: The Ed Gein Story. Episode 3 opens with Augusta telling him to leave their house after he passed out drunk and pissed himself on the kitchen floor. The pair get into a physical altercation, leading Augusta to again advise Ed to “never touch a woman.”

Most of the series takes place in the years after George’s death, given that the first episode includes Ed covering up his brother Henry’s murder. Since Henry died in 1944, the majority of the series presumably takes place after George’s death.

While George is played by Cooper and Augusta by Metcalf, Henry is portrayed in the first episode by Hudson Oz. The series primarily focuses on Ed’s upbringing and obsession with his mother, and how it ultimately inspired his murder spree that began in the years to follow.

The cast is rounded out by Tom Hollander, Suzanna Son, Vicky Krieps, Olivia Williams, Lesley Manville, Addison Rae, Joey Pollari, Charlie Hall and more.