Who Plays Young Joyce Dahmer In Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story?

Ryan Murphy's Netflix tenure has had its ups and downs. Still, while critics remain divided on it, it's probably safe to say that "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" ranks on the impressive end of Murphy's TV series. The first iteration of the planned true crime anthology series is one of the heaviest tales Murphy has ever brought to the screen, depicting the life and unfathomable crimes of cannibalistic serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. 

"American Horror Story" mainstay Evan Peters has largely (and rightfully) earned raves for his work in the polarizing title role, and so have many of his co-stars — including Richard Jenkins, Molly Ringwald, and Niecy Nash." Savannah Brown also delivers a powerful performance as the younger version of Dahmer's troubled mother. Although Brown only appears in two of the series' 10 episodes, she makes the most of her moments — painting a haunting and heartbreaking portrait of young Joyce Dahmer. Her work illuminates some of the darker corners of Dahmer's tumultuous youth.

As the show tells us, Jeffrey Dahmer's formative years were terribly unsettling. As if that part of Dahmer's story wasn't rife with turmoil, Joyce Dahmer's personal issues provide no end of drama for Brown to work with on-screen. If you've seen the actor at work in "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," you know she really captures the depth of the character's inner pain.

If you're wondering where you might've seen Brown before, she's relatively new to the acting scene. Her earliest role was in the 2014 true crime docudrama "I Killed My BFF," followed by a one-off appearance in 2015's "National Lampoon's Final Edition Radio Hour.". In 2018, she fronted the limited comedy series "Fangirled," before appearing in an episode of the Oxygen drama "Murdered by Morning." Just before booking "Dahmer," Brown also appeared in J.R. Niles' Hawaii-set indie, "A Hui Hou." She re-teamed with the writer-director for her first post-"Dahmer" gig, the LGBTQ drama "Night in the Garden of Eve." 

What's next for Brown?  She's continuing her work with Niles on two upcoming projects, and set to appear in the comedy series "Dick Bunny." If Brown continues to deliver the level of work she has in "Dahmer," the roles will no doubt keep on coming.