Leatherface is a fictional character in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre film series created by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper. ... The character was largely inspired by real-life murderer Ed Gein, who also wore masks made of human skin.

Was Leatherface a real serial killer?

Gein served as the inspiration for myriad fictional serial killers, most notably Norman Bates (Psycho), Leatherface (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre), Buffalo Bill (The Silence of the Lambs) and the character Dr. Oliver Thredson in the TV series American Horror Story: Asylum.

Is the Sawyer family real?

Since its release to cinemas forty years ago, THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE has infamously touted itself as being “based on a true story.” Although Leatherface and the bloodthirsty Sawyer clan never actually existed, the central inspiration for the film is widely-known to be Wisconsin-based murderer Ed Gein.