At 10 movies and counting, theSawfranchise has built a massive ensemble of actors, includingMichael Emerson. The firstSawfilm was released in 2004, and introduced the horror movie world to Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), the twisted killer who puts his victims through a series of torturous traps and “games”, amassing a number of nihilistic apprentices along the way. Though the series has produced diminishing returns in terms of box office numbers and critical response, it has continued to endure for over 20 years, withSaw XIset to arrive in 2025.
In addition to Tobin Bell, other big names associated withtheSawcastinclude Cary Elwes as Lawrence Gordon, Donnie Wahlberg as Eric Matthews, and originalSawco-creator Leigh Wannell as Adam Stanheight. However,many forget that Michael Emerson had a prominent role in the first film. Emerson is best known for playing the villainous Benjamin Linus onLost, and has starred in the TV seriesPerson of InterestandEvil. Even if Emerson isn’t the face of theSawfranchise, the actor had some high praise for the first film.
Michael Emerson Played The Ill-Fated Zep Hindle In The First Saw Movie
Zep Was The Original Red Herring Before Jigsaw Revealed Himself As The Killer
Michael Emerson’s Zep Hindle is introduced in the firstSawmovie as an orderly who works at Gordon’s hospital. Initially, it looks like Zep is the mastermind behind thesesadisticSawtraps, as he is seen monitoring them via surveillance cameras. He also tries to kill Gordon’s wife and daughter, making him look even more villainous.
However, this is becauseZep himself is a victim of Jigsaw’s games. Jigsaw injects Zep with a slow-acting poison, forcing the orderly to follow his instructions if Zep wants the antidote. Zep only tries to kill Alison (Monica Potter) and Diana (Makenzie Vega) because Gordon failed to kill Adam in time, as per Jigsaw’s orders. When Zep arrives in the bathroom to kill Gordon as punishment,Adam (who was thought to be dead) bludgeons Zep to death with a toilet tank lid.
However, that’s when the big reveal happens. Adams finds a tape recorder on the deceased Zep’s person that explains the orderly’s actual role in the games. The corpse who had been in the bathroom the whole time rises to reveal himself as Jigsaw, the killer behind it all.
Saw (2004) Ending Explained
Saw completely changed the landscape of horror movies, and its shocking twist ending laid the foundation for nine sequels.
Zep Hindle represents the film’s themes of the disturbing lengths a person will go to to fight for their own life, as he was willing to kill the entire Gordon family for a shot at the antidote.The originalSawis the only movie Emerson appears in as Zep, and though the franchise certainly would have benefited from more Emerson, he leaves his mark, being at the center of the series' biggest twist.
Emerson Said Saw Has The “Best Ending” Of A Film He’s Ever Read
But The Zep Actor Confessed He Hasn’t Seen Any Of The Sequels
The firstSawmovie was a total sleeper hit, grossing over $104 million at the worldwide box office (viaBox Office Mojo), and becoming the most profitable movie afterScreamat the time. A big reason for this is likelySaw’s wild twist ending, and the Jigsaw killer/Zep red herring reveal.Michael Emerson agrees with this, saying, “It had the best ending of a piece of film writing that I had ever seen, and that’s why I did it.” (viaCollider)
This is incredibly high praise, and Emerson honors the movie by delivering a captivating and impassioned performance. However, he confessed that filmingSawwas incredibly challenging: “But it was a punishing shoot and it’s a punishing experience to watch the movie, I think, but a real adventure. I was glad to survive it.”
Some actors continue to support franchises even when their characters have been killed off, but Emerson was happy to part ways withSaw, despite his respect for the first film. The actor said, “I have never seen any of the spin-offs. Only that first one,” which is perhaps for the best giventheSawseries' diminishing quality.
But even though Emerson may no longer be attached toSaw, Zep Hindle is still very much a part of the series. His corpse continues to rot away in the infamous bathroom, and appeared inSaw X’s post-credits scene, cementingMichael Emerson’s legacy in the horror franchise.
Saw
Cast
Saw is the first installment in the horror franchise directed by James Wan. Released in 2004, the film follows two men who awake shackled in a derelict bathroom, discovering they are part of a sadistic game orchestrated by the enigmatic Jigsaw, requiring them to follow cryptic instructions to survive.
The Saw film franchise is an anthology of horror films centered around the Jigsaw Killer, a mastermind who crafts elaborate traps to test his victims' will to live. Victims, often morally flawed, are forced into gruesome games where they must inflict severe pain on themselves or others to survive.
