Though it gained notoriety for its grotesque premise and boundary-pushing horror, The Human Centipede wasn’t just difficult for viewers to endure — it was apparently just as grim behind the scenes for those who brought it to life.
A cult horror film that shocked the world
If you haven't seen the movie in question... good. Don't. That's the best advice I can give you.
Released in 2009, The Human Centipede quickly became a cult horror classic. The film tells the story of a deranged German surgeon who kidnaps three tourists and surgically joins them—mouth to anus—into the now-infamous "human centipede."
Directed by Dutch filmmaker Tom Six, the first installment entertained and horrified audiences around the world. But its sequel took things even further.
The second film, focused on a disturbed man obsessed with the original movie, featured even more graphic depictions of violence, sexual assault, and body horror. It was heavily censored in multiple countries and outright banned in New Zealand.
But while the films were shocking on screen, few expected the real-life discomfort and psychological strain actors experienced behind the camera.
Cast had 'very little protection' on set
Speaking on JaackMaate’s Happy Hour podcast, TV presenter and DJ Alex Zane revealed that a friend who acted in The Human Centipede II described filming as genuinely unpleasant.
Zane recounted: “[The actor] said ‘Yeah, no we were meant to have these special pants to wear, but they were paper thin’. So you really did have your face… And she said it was horrible because you have your nose in between the buttocks of the person in front with very, very little protection.”
The Biggest Question Of All
In an earlier interview with The Guardian, Human Centipede star Ashley C Williams recalled the infamous bathroom scene from the original film — one of the most talked-about moments in horror history.
“The number one question I get asked is did anyone fart in my mouth? No!” she clarified.
She also explained that despite the unsettling content, the cast tried to remain respectful and professional. “We were very respectful of one another.
"The infamous scene where the character at the front of the centipede has to relieve himself was filmed in one take and took 10 seconds. It was easy but I was grateful Tom [the film’s director] didn’t film it for longer than he had to.”
Dieter Laser took method acting to the extreme
The discomfort wasn’t limited to physical proximity. German actor Dieter Laser, who played the sadistic Dr. Heiter, committed to his role in a way that left his co-stars genuinely unnerved.
In an interview with On Demand Entertainment, Laser admitted he was hesitant to take on such a controversial role at first. “It could become embarrassing, the intellectuals in Germany what will they think? The critics, my friends from the theatre,” he said.
But once committed, he took his preparation to method-acting extremes.
“I don’t want to talk to people, I don’t want to see people”
Laser revealed to HeyUGuys that he deliberately isolated himself from his castmates throughout filming.
“It was my choice from the beginning,” he said. “I said I want to be picked up from the hotel in the morning with a separate car, I want to come to the set alone. I have to be as far away as possible.
“I don’t want to talk to people, I don’t want to see people, I just will be called, go downstairs from my wardrobe and shoot so that I’m always on my track.”
He added, “We never exchanged private talks or were kind to each other. I will stick in my wardrobe and only come downstairs to do my shot, to do that sequence and go away.”
“They were a little bit afraid… it helped a lot”
Laser believed his aloofness heightened the realism of his character. “The girls and the Japanese guy, very disciplined and dedicated actors, were a little bit afraid,” he said. “Even privately I didn’t talk to them, I always looked very serious because anyway during work I look like I’m angry because I’m concentrated. Like a boxer with that tunnel view.”
He said the cast eventually came to admire his process: “They accepted that, admired it even and when we had our mid-shoot feast they said, it’s an honour to shoot with you and when we finished we had a celebration. Since then we like each other very much but that helped a lot. Them and me.”
While The Human Centipede was designed to push cinematic limits, the intensity and discomfort of the production process mirrored the disturbing themes on screen. Whether through ill-fitting costumes, on-set isolation, or grim method acting, the cast endured more than just fictional terror.
As Ashley C Williams said best: “It was easy… but I was grateful [Tom] didn’t film it for longer than he had to.”
For the actors, it wasn’t just horror for show — it was horror in real time.