Actor Lew Temple is known for his many roles within the horror genre, including The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006), Rob Zombie's Halloween (2007), and Devil's Rejects (2005). Recently, Temple appeared in the season premiere of the fourth season of Righteous Gemstones and will next appear in the true crime horror Ed Kemper.
Ed Kemper hails from Epic Pictures' specialty horror label Dread and was directed by Chad Ferrin (Pig Killer, H.P. Lovecraft’s The Old Ones). Ferrin co-wrote the film with Stephen Johnston (Ted Bundy, The Hillside Strangler). The movie will be released in select theaters on April 4 and available to rent, purchase, or watch on VOD on April 8.
The movie is the first of Dread's series of biographical true crime stories that will be followed by Dorothea, which Ferrin also directs, and Richard Ramirez, with more to come.
Ed Kemper is a serial killer currently serving eight concurrent life sentences in the California Medical Facility for the murders of seven women and one young girl that he committed between May 1972 and April 1973. The movie's official description reads: the horrifying true story of Ed Kemper, a cunning and sadistic serial killer shaped by childhood abuse, whose charming facade masked his grotesque obsession with murder, mutilation, and the ultimate act of revenge against the woman who scarred him most—his mother.
The film stars Lew Temple (The Walking Dead), Cassandra Gava (Conan the Barbarian), Robert Miano (Fast & Furious), Brinke Stevens (House on Haunted Hill), Susan Priver (Night Caller) and Brandon Kirk (Scalper).
Watch the official trailer for Ed Kemper below.
Director Chad Kerrin will see three of his movies released in 2025. This includes Ed Kemper and Dorothea, of which Temple also stars. "Having three films releasing in 2025 is a watershed moment for me. And with two of those, Ed Kemper and Dorothea, in the capable hands of Epic Pictures, their cinematic future couldn't be brighter," says Chad Ferrin.
Stephen Johnson adds: "I originally envisioned Ed Kemper as having a sort of punk rock horror energy, and seeing that realized by Chad Ferrin’s sure-handed direction, deft performances from the cast, and the hard work of a great crew, and now learning the movie’s going to have its release through Epic Pictures has truly been magical. Sure, it’s a disturbing sort of magical, but that’s the best kind.”
Lew Temple - recent roles
Temple is fondly remembered for his role as Axel in season 3 of The Walking Dead. With over 150 credits to his name, you've likely seen him in many of his other roles. His most recent role was in the season four opener of Danny McBride's dark comedy Righteous Gemstones, along with fellow TWD actors Josh McDermitt and Ethan McDowell.
Temple has also recently appeared in an episode of the Netflix original comedy Mo and several episodes of the BET+ series The Family Business, which led to a reprisal of his role as Billy Bob Nugent in The Family Business: New Orleans.
He appeared in the Danny Trejo-led movie Seven Cemeteries, streaming on Freevee, which also stars fellow TWD actors Vincent M. Ward and Noel Gugliemi. Temple also appeared in You Gotta Believe, a family sports movie based on the inspiring story of a Forth Worth, Texas, team that played in the 2002 Little League World Series. The movie is streaming on Netflix and stars Luke Wilson and Greg Kinnear.
The actor also stars in My First Year Living Off Campus, a dark b-comedy horror that streams on AppleTV+. The movie tells of two girls tormented by their Hitchcock loving landlord.
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