More than three decades after terrifying audiences in “The Silence of the Lambs,” actress Brooke Smith is turning heads again. However, this time it’s for her dramatically different look during a rare public appearance in Los Angeles. The former horror star, who memorably portrayed Buffalo Bill’s captive Catherine Martin in the Oscar-winning thriller, kept things low-key while celebrating her 59th birthday, giving fans a glimpse at the actress behind one of cinema’s most unforgettable scream queens.
A Horror Icon in the ‘90s
After starring in the 1991 psychological thriller alongside Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, Smith became instantly recognizable. In this role, Smith played Catherine Martin, the kidnapped daughter of a U.S. senator. She was held captive by serial killer Jame Gumb, better known as “Buffalo Bill.”
One of the movie’s most iconic scenes featured Catherine, as she was trapped in a pit while Buffalo Bill ominously tells her, “It rubs the lotion on its skin, or else it gets the hose again.” This chilling moment became one of the most quoted scenes in horror movie history and helped cement the movie’s legacy.
The movie went on to become a cultural phenomenon, winning all of the “big five” categories at the Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
For her role, Smith stated she gained 25 pounds because Buffalo Bill specifically targeted larger women in the film’s storyline.
Smith Continued Working in Hollywood
While many fans associate Smith with her breakout role in this horror movie, she did go on to build a long-running television career.
She played Dr. Erica Hahn on “Grey’s Anatomy” during the show’s second and third seasons. She also played Sheriff Jane Greene on “Bates Motel.”
During a recent outing in Los Angeles, which Daily Mail shared, Smith was dressed very casually in leisurewear while walking her dog. She can be seen wearing sunglasses with her hair pulled back. Smith looks way different from the terrified young woman audiences remember from the iconic thriller.
Smith has managed to keep her personal life private outside of Hollywood. She married Steve Lubensky in 1999, and the couple has two daughters together.
Smith Talks ‘The Silence of the Lambs’
In a 2021 interview with Den of Geek, Smith looked back at the intense experience of filming the movie. While the role turned iconic for Smith, it was a role she actually never even auditioned for.
Smith said, “That would never happen now. They would never just hire an unknown actor for such an important part.”
She also talked about how emotionally and physically draining the shoot became. This was especially true for her after she quickly gained weight for the role. She joked that surviving on pizza, milkshakes, and ice cream during production did eventually make her sick of junk food altogether.
While the horror film scared many viewers, it seems like one particular moment in the script terrified her before filming even began.
Smith explained, “When Catherine sees the fingernails on the side of the pit … it just said, ‘screams and screams and screams.’ I thought, ‘Oh my God, I don’t think I can do that.’”
