BY DAVID SERVER | Today, David Server had the opportunity to interview Ron Perlman, who has been cast in Guillermo del Toros Hellboy and is also playing a role in Star Trek: Nemesis. Read on for the full interview.

CD: Youve been quoted in interviews saying that the story and more specifically the character of Hellboy is phenomenal and magnificent  what is it that you love about Hellboy?

RP: Well, first of all, hes mythic in scopehes 1000 fold larger than life. The circumstances by which he comes onto the earth are extraordinary. Shakespearean in scope, and then his internal struggle is what makes him so compelling and so poignant. Hes born to serve evil, and hes socialized to serve good, and he has this constant dialectic happening within the girds of his loins that he is forever dealing with. And what Mignola captures in a very seminal form, and then what [director Guillermo] del Toro captures in a much more cinematic and sophisticated and entertaining way is the method by which he chooses to manifest that struggle, which is that he just becomes a total underachiever. Hes quite delicious and delightful to be around, because he aims so low even though his capabilities are so grandiose and so mythic. So aside from being a character that can live alongside the great great mythic characters in dramatic history, its also very very entertaining in a very modern 21^st century way.

CD: Both Guillermo del Toro and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola have stated that you were their number one choice for the role  were you concerned when the studio tried to force other actors into the role (i.e. the whole Vin Diesel fiasco)?

RP: No, its absolutely a natural happenstance that when studios have to pony up the kind of dollars that its gonna take to make a movie of this magnitude that they want to hedge their bets and insure their investment with a bona fide certifiable movie stars name. And so theres this constant struggle between the creative forces getting the actors that they truly wish for against the studio getting the actors they can truly bank on. And hopefully, yknow, somewhere along the way, you find a way to compromise. What del Toro was never willing to do was he was never willing to compromise. I thought he was nuts! When he adapted this thing, having read a large scope of his screen adaptations, being one of his dear friends, this is one of the best things hes ever written. So for this film to not get made simply because he wanted to stand by me, I always thought was folly. Delicious folly, and incredibly moving and humbling from my point of viewcause Id never had anyone stand by me to that degree where hes willing to sacrifice what could have been one of his greatest achievements in screenwriting. But I kept saying to him Make the movie, man  I know whats in your heart, I know you want me to do this, and thats good enough for me. And at the end of the day, this is too good a film to let fall by the wayside, and I mean, hes not del Toro, which translates into The Bull, for nothing. He assiduously stood by his guns, and I guess saw the opening of Blade 2 as the best opportunity to turn this dream into a reality, and with a stroke of genius, he was able to pull that off. As a way to repay him, I guess number one would be to give a decent performance. Its like a fairy tale for me, as far as Im concerned, you file this one under too good to be trueI still havent begun to believe that this is gonna be a reality. Im certainly training hard, so part of me is acting like it.

CD: What are your thoughts on the Hellboy script written by del Toro? Does it capture the essence of the character and the mood of the comic appropriately?

RP: I think hes captured it beyond anybodys wildest dreams. Because whenever you take something that is based in kind of a narrative form and has the luxury of time and no limitations and try to condense it for the purposes of the screen, youre always in kinda dangerous waters. And this is as perfect, as well nailed an adaptation in terms of the spirit of this character that Ive ever seen. And Im talking about 30 years of reading screenplays. And I think, more to the point (cause it kinda doesnt matter what I think), Mignola is thrilled. Which is first and foremost. This is a character that sprung from his creativity and his imagination. And if he is willing to sign off on it, than who am I to argue.

CD: This being your third collaboration with director Guillermo del Toro (following Cronos and Blade II)  what is it about him that keeps bringing you back into his productions?

RP: Well, I gotta answer that from a number of different perspectives. Number one, he keeps asking me. Theres only two directors on the planet that keep coming back to me, maybe three, and saying theyve put things in their movies for me to play. But Guillermo is leading the pack right now Id have to say (laughs). Number two, whether Guillermo and I ever work together as actor director will not diminish the affection we hold for one another. Hes just one of my very favorite people to be aroundhes got this amazing spirit; hes larger than life itself, totally enjoyableHes brilliant  he thinks of things that mere mortals usually dont. I feel like every moment I spend with him is kind of a gift. To do that in the milieu that weve both devoted our lives to, which is filmmaking, is like the ultimate gift. And then to be a part of the developing world-class director that Guillermo is on course to becomehes gonna leave behind, I believe, a very important body of work at the end of the day. And in each new work that he does, its a new chapter in his development. Hes so bright, and hes so voraciously curious about all of the bells and whistles of filmmaking that every time he comes out of the box, hes coming out with a brand new color palette. So to be part of his development on that level is very trippy. The director that he was on Blade 2 was not at all the director that he was on Cronos. But Hellboy is gonna be another quantum leap in his evolution, so Im very privileged to get a chance to just witness that evolution because I can safely say hes among the five most important directors on Earth in terms of his ability to move the camera and tell a story on screen in a sophisticated and elegant way that no one else can really approach.

CD: Are you excited about the possibility that you will be able to work with make-up artist master Rick Baker?

RP: Well, Rick and I collaborated on Beauty and the Beast, so were old friendshe was pushing really hard to get me in Planet of the Apes; hes another guy who has been a huge ally of mine in terms of finding a way to work together. I couldnt think of a better project for that to happen again other than this one, with Guillermo as the conduit. Cause everybodys a fan of everybody elses here in the highest possible way. And Im looking forward to seeing what the animal is [in terms of the FX job], and how to tame it (laughs).

CD: Do you find the prospect of acting under what is sure to be a massive amount of make-up at all daunting?

RP: Yeah, its a bit daunting, but its not anything Im new to, I know exactly what to expect  I know how to protect myself just in terms of parceling out my energies to get through the course of what could be a very arduous day. When to rest, and when to pull back, and when to turn it onso I come to the party with enough experience to kinda know what to expect and how to deal with it. But yknow, each time you put the make-up on, as you get older as I am, that its for the right reason. And this is the penultimate reason  I mean, playing Hellboy, what an honor that is. So whatever one has to go through to that end, is a very very small price to pay.

CD: The role of Liz is integral to the story, as well as to you as an actor; no casting speculations have been made yet (Guillermo had no idea how he wanted to cast her). Are there any actresses you have worked with in the past (or would like to work with) who you think could fill the role well as written, or will you simply trust Guillermos opinion here?

RP: Im gonna completely defer to him and trust him, and know that theres so much regard and respect and revere from Guillermos point of view on this project, that hes going to cast that role, which is so pivotal to the big picture, so carefully and with so much care. Taking into account all of the proper considerations that Im sure its gonna be something far greater than anything I can imagine at this moment in time. And thatll be one surprise that one is happy to open on Christmas morning, not before.

CD: In the same vein, currently the two Abe Sapien casting candidates that Del Toro seems to be entertaining are Kevin Spacey and Steve Buscemi  do you feel one actor is better suited to the role than the other?

RP: Both those actors have a great deal of wisdom, and they would both bring very [different] things which would both be right for Abe Sapien, so either way we cant miss. And they are both actors that I would *love* to work with. And I hope one of them turns out to be Abe, and I look forward to forming an alliance with whoever it is.

CD: When Hellboy becomes the next big comic-book franchise, will you be back for Hellboy 2?

RP: Thats part of what is being discussed now in these most delicate negotiations, and Im very very open to growing old with this guy if the planets line up that way.

CD: Would you ever be interested in playing a role in any other of the current onslaught of comic book movies that are being produced?

RP: Ive never been much of a comic book freak, because most of the comic book characters that I grew up with, I found to be very pop-culture oriented, and fairly 2 dimensional. The thing thats great about Hellboy is the mythic scope of this guy, and the mythic scope of his internal strugglemuch more than a comic book character, hes a force of nature, and speaks to the darkest side of the human condition as well as the brightest side of the human condition. So, as a character to play, hell just jump right to the top of the list. Ill approach him the same way Id approach Hamlet or Leer of Macbeth. And theres nothing pop-culture about this guy.

CD: On a completely different note, can you tell us anything about your upcoming role in Star Trek X?

RP: Well, just the fact that I was in a Star Trek movie finallyWhenever one finishes a film, one just hopes for the best because theres so many ways a film can go right, and so many ways a film can go wrong. And the minute you walk off the set you have no control over any of that stuff. But I can say for sure that when you walk onto the set to do a Star Trek movie, its such a venerable iconic part of the American cultural quilt, that you really feel kinda blessed that you got asked to the dance. And that was kinda cool  make that picture on the Paramount lot, with all the bells and whistles for it, and to now say in my own little way, Ive contributed to the arc. I hope it turns out great, it was a wonderful script, that much I do know. And some great talent involved in it as well. The guy who I play opposite is this young British actor named Tom Hardy, who I really enjoyed watching. Hes a very young guy, at the total beginning of his career, and he just handles himself like hes been doing this for 30 years.

CD: And finally, to pair off the soon-to-be comic-book king with the current flavor-of-the-week: Spider-Man vs. Hellboy. Who wins?

RP: I dont think anyone can hold a candle to Hellboy.

CD: Haha, not really. Thanks again so much for your time!

RP: Sure thing. Take it easy, man.