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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 21st 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.
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