Billy Zane Says Actors Should Get 'Emotional Stunt Pay' For Dark Roles

Billy Zane says emotional acting can be just as difficult as high-flying physical stunts ... arguing both take a toll on the body -- so, performers need to be paid fairly for each.

The actor sat down for a recent conversation with Entertainment Weekly where he reflected on playing the title character in Lifetime's "Devil on Campus: The Larry Ray Story" ... and, he says portraying the convicted sex trafficker did a number on his psyche.

BZ says even playing a role -- secondhand diving into the darkness -- is a lot for actors ... adding the body recognizes all the chemical reactions it's going through, and it does affect you physically, so a few extra bucks ain't outta line.

As for the old saying actors can't judge their subjects ... Zane's kinda calling BS here -- explaining it's impossible not to judge such a guy like Larry, but that doesn't mean he can't understand the thoughts going through his head.

BTW ... Billy says he also physically changed his body for the part -- gaining a ton of weight to play Larry, and telling EW he pounded sugar to adds the extra pounds he needed.

If you don't know ... Larry Ray moved in with his daughter at Sarah Lawrence after getting out of prison -- and, he was later accused of establishing a "sex cult" of her friends.

He was convicted on 15 criminal counts in April 2022 and sentenced to 60 years in prison last year.