Disney star Ross Lynch on playing Jeffrey Dahmer: 'I was excited to do something unexpected'

There comes a point in the career of every young Disney star when they start looking around for a more adult project on which they can showcase their maturing skills. But few have pulled quite as hard a 180 as Austin & Ally and Teen Beach Movie actor Ross Lynch, whose new film, My Friend Dahmer, finds him playing infamous mass murderer Jeffrey Dahmer.

“My Friend Dahmer is basically the coming of age story of Jeffrey Dahmer,” says Lynch. “I play Jeffrey Dahmer around his high school years. [It’s about] how he became the serial killer that we know him to be. I was looking for a role that would somewhat be a challenge for me. I had done a lot of work with Disney, and sort of a younger demographic, and I was excited to do something that maybe people didn’t expect from me. And I had a really good time doing it.”

Not that Lynch has turned his back on the idea of working further for the House of the Mouse.

“If Disney would take me, I’d love to go back,” he says. “I love variety. I just love to do all sorts of work.”

My Friend Dahmer is written and directed by Marc Meyers, based on the graphic novel by the serial killer’s actual high school acquaintance Derf Backderf, and costars Alex Wolff, Anne Heche, Dallas Roberts, and Vincent Kartheiser. The film receives its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival tonight.

Watch Lynch talk about My Friend Dahmer, above.