Disney Star Discusses Playing Gay Serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer

"My Friend Dahmer," a movie about gay serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer based on a graphic novel by Nerf Backderf, premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York Friday. It stars Disney actor Ross Lynch, best known for his role in "Teen Beach Movie," who opened up about what it's like playing Dahmer in a new interview with Variety.

"It's so twisted and scary to read about the things he did. He was also surprisingly smart and charming," Lynch, 21, said. "There are many interviews about him confessing about what was going through his head. It was cool to listen to how he spoke.

"He had somewhat of that Midwestern twang, almost like a Minnesota accent, but not really. I did a subtle version of it," he added.

When Lynch was first cast in the role, social media users were quick to point out the resemblance between the Disney star and Dahmer himself. Variety even noted Lynch "look[s] like a young Jeffrey Dahmer."

"I know. It's kind of scary," the actor responded.

Variety asked Lynch how he went from the Disney Channel to a dark independent film, noting he's not the first Disney star to follow this track.

"When I was doing the majority of the Disney stuff, I was always thinking, 'What's next?,' because Disney is not forever," he said. "Although it was a great time and I learned extraordinary things, I knew there had to be something [else].

"I didn't want to go off the rails and started partying. When 'Dahmer' came along, it was the perfect opportunity to really immerse myself in that role and hint at what I'd like to do in the future," Lynch added.

Speaking with Just Jared Jr., Lynch Confessed he had nightmares after filming the upcoming movie.

"I kept losing sleep because - in my imagination - I kept seeing him in the corner of my room," he said. "That was really frightening."