5:01PM, Dec 05, 2007
Summer 2008 - Nestled between the shiny and polished armour of Iron Man and the sombre moodiness of The Dark Knight an altogether different kind of superhero made one hell of a comeback; the cigar chomping wisecracking Hellboy.
Returning for the ride were Ron Perlman, Selma Blair and director Guillermo del Toro, who alongside newcomer, Luke Goss shared their thoughts on raising big screen hell.
Ron Perlman is Hellboy
Getting in to shape
I have this video called 5 minute abs (laughs) I only watch it though. I just watch the video while I’m eating ice cream and brownies. You should try it.
Don’t mess with Del Toro
I got a call from Guillermo saying, “Listen you fattie, you’ve got to lose 50 pounds. I’m going to come over there myself and I’m going to perform liposuction on you!” (Laughs)
A lighter load
The coat was leather in the first film, which was probably about 20 pounds, because it was a big duster. Leather is heavy. And they changed it to cloth. They didn’t do it for my comfort by the way. Far be it for them to ever think about my comfort! (Sarcastically) They did it because it flowed better.
Give the guy a big hand
I’m naturally left handed, but I was taught by my dad to play all sports right handed. So if I was going to box, I would box right handed. Which means my right is my strongest punch. The left is the jab; the right is the strongest punch. So, I was born to play Hellboy.
That Barry Manilow song
Everywhere I looked, while the music was playing, people were in tears laughing and enjoying what we were doing, as were Doug Jones and I. We just had a ball. I just wish we worked on that thing for a week.
Selma Blair is Liz
Coming back to Liz
It was strange to play her differently. I kept wanting to go back to the more hesitant Liz, maybe with a little less confidence. Guillermo kept having to say, “No, no she’s stronger! Raise your voice!”
Working with Ron
It’s pretty surreal. He and Jeffrey Tambor like singing show tunes. Just talking with those teeth in and that prosthetic, I don’t know how he does it. That in itself is a performance. It’s staggering.
Solidarity with the cast
I’m so lucky. Jeffrey and I would mock everyone. Abe Sapien can’t see through his goggles, and all day he had to walk around blind and sweating and Jeffrey and I would say, “Shoes! They made us put on shoes today! Can you believe it!? All day!”. Yeah - they hated us.
Geek Chic
There’s some nice geeky fans. They’re cute too. I like geek boys. I married one and I divorced one! We’re still very good friends. He sent me flowers for the premiere.
A Fiery performance
I think nothing covers up a little bad acting like a good flame (laughs). “Oh wow, that might not have been so real without all this stuff covering it up. You know, that Guillermo, he knows how to save a girl.” I was really grateful for it. It was good.
A stink on set
There was a lot of kitty litter. 75 cats produce a lot of cat litter. I mean, you barely see them in the movie but we’re on that set with those cats a lot. It was so stinky.
Luke Goss is Prince Nuada
Weapons training
The spears were so unforgiving. This was one of the hardest weapons I will probably ever have to use. It’s truly a technique based weapon. It was weeks and weeks and weeks of just looking stupid and being a student and trying to achieve something, for when you step on set.
When will I, will I be famous
The music industry can be soft if people are waiting for you to deliver that product. With film it’s a constant evolution. A constant evolution, it’s intimidating. The possibilities are endless, so I don’t really miss it. No. I really feel like I found my home, I feel blessed beyond belief to be a part of it.
Jamming with the family
Actually it’s not something I’m really looking to do to be honest with you. I got a lot of things going on with film and I’m having a great time, like a kid in a candy store. My brother doesn’t need me around anyway. I’m nowhere near as talented as him musically. So he should get on with it by himself because he’s very gifted.
A sixth sense on things
I don’t really want to be feeling what my brother is feeling. That would be disturbing. I really believe you lose some of that instinct and some of that kind of sixth sense as you get older. Not because you lose it. I just think you’re too busy being cynical. Cynicism sucks. It’s a flawed concept, I think.
Del Toro's the boss
He’s the director. He’s also an incredibly established and respected director and very capable man. It doesn’t mean the lines of communication are closed. If you have an idea he welcomes it but make sure it’s fuelled deeply in the roots of sense and for the benefit of the film and the character.
Guillermo del Toro directs Hellboy II: The Golden Army
I did it my way
I did Mimic, and I had a horrible experience. I did Blade II and had a great experience. I was essentially doing a movie the way I thought an action movie existed and so forth. Finally with Hellboy I did a big Hollywood movie the way I think should be done. I broke every rule that was in front of me in doing it but I’m finally very happy.
Going full throttle
In the movies, I’m a hundred and ten percent. I demand at the very least, a hundred percent. But loyalty I believe is there. Many of them can have a weakness or a week of weakness, a month of weakness and I’ll understand that. Those are exceptions. I do believe in commitment.
The Peter Jackson tour
One of the early days, meeting with Peter, he said to me, “I would love for you to see the miniature warehouse.” We share a fascination with miniatures. I essentially would love to steal all the miniatures he has! I said, “When do you want to do it?” And he said, “Let’s do it right now.” We came down his kitchen, we jumped into his car and drove to the miniature warehouse. He climbed out of the car. He opened the padlock. He opened the gates. We drove in. He returned. Closed the gates. Put the padlock. He gave me a tour. We didn’t see a single assistant or security guard.
Not Goss as the big bad Boss
When we first cast him on Blade II, I got all this Internet fury saying, “The guy from Bros is going to try to kick Wesley Snipes ass?” (Everyone laughs.) I really don’t care about those things. I happen to love the guy and get along with him. I wrote the part for him. I wrote it specifically for him. I met him at the Virgin Megastore one day and I said, “I’m writing a part for you in the next Hellboy,” and I did.
