Ron Perlman
If Ron Perlman walked down any given street, he may or may not be recognized. But if he walked into a comic-book or sci-fi convention, he’d be mobbed. That’s because Perlman (who’s known for starring in the "Hellboy" movies and the "Beauty and the Beast" TV series) is an icon in the sci-fi community. He’s done a variety of projects in film, theater, TV and video games —and a great deal of them are set in a fantasy world where there’s a battle of good versus evil.
"Mutant Chronicles" is one of those films. Set in the year 2707, four mega-corporations have depleted Earth’s resources. During a brutal conflict, an ancient seal once embedded in the earth is ruptured, releasing a demonic army of underworld necromutants out to destroy humankind. Enter the monastic Brother Samuel (played by Perlman), the keeper of the "Chronicles," a book that predicts the rise of the mutants and the coming of a Deliverer who will destroy them. Samuel believes he is the Deliverer, and he recruits a ragtag army, led by soldier Mitch Hunter (played by Thomas Jane), to help him with his quest. In this exclusive interview, I chatted with Perlman by phone, just hours before he went to the Los Angeles premiere of "Mutant Chronicles." Here’s what he had to say about "Mutant Chronicles," the third "Hellboy" movie and how he’s handled fame and fortune without scandal or divorce.
What sets "The Mutant Chronicles" apart from other "save the world" type of sci-fi movies? Why should people see this film?
I think what attracted me to was, on the outside looking in, you could easily mistake this for a big, summer tentpole, studio kind of thing, with other-worldly creatures and all these genre elements [of] a real comic-book-sensibility. Then there’s the ["Mutant Chronicles"] script. The script had this theoretical future some 200 years from now. Nationalities and companies are broken up into four corporations …
These corporations are constantly at war with one another, jockeying for power and whatever it is corporations lust for. In their war with one another, they unearth an enemy that is even more diabolical and ore soulless and heartless than the corporations themselves. So mankind is already in danger of being completely marginalized is about to become extinct were it not for the ministrations of the character I play, who’s a real throwback to somebody who has a great deal of spirituality, a real love for humankind, and feels as though it’s God’s greatest creation and should be preserved and protected — even at the expense of his own safety and well-being. This is why I jumped onboard [to do this movie]: It’s a real thinking man’s genre.
You’ve done other movies about a hero saving the world from danger. If you knew the end of the world was possibly coming to an end, what would you want to save, besides your loved ones?
Just family. My wife, my kids, my mom, my dog. I would do everything in my power to save them.
What would you do if you knew you only had one hour to live?
I would pray, I guess.
Ron Perlman in "Mutant Chronicles"
What can you say about your upcoming projects?
There’s a film called "Bunraku," which also a postapocalyptic look at man’s need to be violent. Then there’s a picture I did with Nicolas Cage and Dominic Sena called "Season of the Witch," which is a 14th century mini-epic look at witchcraft and the Crusades. Finally, I’m getting ready to do Season 2 of this FX show called "Sons of Anarchy." We start production at the end of this week, and it will air in September.
You’re an icon for many in the sci-fi community, and you’ve been to several comic-book and sci-fi conventions to promote your projects. What have been the best and worst experiences that you’ve had at these events?
The best part of is that I kind of live in my own void, and I don’t get out that much or follow the Internet much — I don’t want to know what people are saying or thinking — and I don’t read reviews that much, but when you get out there [the fans’ feedback] is in your face. It’s unavoidable about how they think and how they feel about the stuff that you toil on, and that’s kind of cool to see the enthusiasm level — because ultimately, the reaching of the audience is the final part of the mathematical equation that we’re all involved in. You do these things and you hope that somehow they find an audience. There’s at least a small modicum of the population that thinks what you’re doing is cool. So you see it at those conventions. But you also see a lot of weird stuff, a lot of people whom this is a religion for. That’s cool, too, that our culture can be that persuasive.
I have to ask you a question about the third "Hellboy" movie, which a lot of people expect will happen, even though it isn’t in pre-production yet. If you could be the screenwriter for that movie, what would you want to happen in the third "Hellboy" film?
I think the stage is set quite powerfully by Guillermo del Toro, [director of the "Hellboy" movies. He’s created a character that has this inevitable destiny. He [Hellboy] was brought here to prevail up the destruction of the earth. And according to the lore of the storytelling, there’s no choice in that matter … There’s no escaping that.
At the end of the second film, he and Liz [Sherman, Hellboy’s love interest, played by Selma Blair] find out that they’re pregnant with twins. So you know the third film will have something to do with these two offspring. Liz has also been told by the Angel of Death [played by Doug Jones] that they will be suffering. The stage is set for all the … possibilities to be dealt with.
Ron Perlman in "Hellboy II: The Golden Army"
Speaking of Guillermo del Toro, what’s the latest update on "At the Mountains of Madness," another one of your expected collaborations with him?
The annoying thing about Guillermo del Toro is that he is so prolific and has so many amazing ideas that need to be put to the screen, and yet he’s more in demand than any other living filmmaker. Even though he has "Mountains of Madness" on the one-yard line, and "Hellboy III" on the other one-yard line and probably 15 to 20 other things inside the tent. He’s going to go off and do two "Hobbit" movies back-to-back with Peter Jackson, which are going to take him four to five years to complete. Everybody’s going to have to wait, and basically enjoy and appreciate whatever he chooses to put his energy behind. We all know it ["At the Mountains of Madness"] is going to be formidable and worth the wait.
Knowing what you know now as an actor, what advice would you have given to yourself as an actor when you first started?
Just surviving. It’s a tough business. I’ve had a lot of really amazing, beautiful things happen to me, with an awful lot of really bad times in between. An awful long period of time when the phone wasn’t ringing and I was wondering how I was going to keep the kids in school, etc. With the passage of time, you realize that God has a plan for you. And if you sweat out every minute and you don’t have some faith that it’s going to be OK, then it’s going to be torture.
I’m at the point now — I’m pushing 60 — I realize now that it’s been good for me, that I really didn’t have anything to worry about. That has led to a lot of inner peace, and a lot of self-confidence that makes me more relaxed in my work, makes me not seem I was working as hard as I used to feel that I needed to. Really, that’s what’s going on with me right now.
I wish I had that much inner peace and confidence in the early days. I think things might’ve been different. But I wouldn’t change places with anybody or anything. If you had given me a piece of paper and a pencil and asked me to write down my fantasy 35 years ago when I first became a professional actor, I couldn’t have written a better story for myself. I’m really, really proud and really happy with the way things turned out. The people I’ve met along the way and the times I’ve had have been incredible.
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Ron Perlman and his daughter, Blake
Most well-known entertainers have had at least one divorce by the time they reach middle-age, but you’ve never been divorced, you’ve been married since 1981 and you and your wife have successfully raised two children. What advice would you give to showbiz people who want to have a long-term marriage and keep their family intact?
I don’t have any advice to give. I know how hard it is. I would never presume to walk in anybody else’s pockets. I know our family could’ve been broken up on many different occasions.
I can’t tell you what held us together. I just know that being part of that family that I built for myself was the most comfortable place that I could possibly be, even when it was torturously difficult. I love my kids. I ultimately love my wife, no matter what crazy sh*t we’re going through at any given moment. If I tried to place myself in another situation, I know it couldn’t be nearly as good as the one I have. I refuse to give in to any of the temptations. I’m glad I did, because it was worth the struggle.
You’ve done voice work for several video games. Do you have any favorites?
If I could confess with you, I’ve never played a video game. I’ve never even put one into the computer. So I can’t make any recommendations. I hear the "Halo" games are pretty cool.
Can you give an update on the animated film "Red Nails," in which you do the voice of Conan the Barbarian?
I can’t. I recorded that five years ago. I don’t know what happened to it.
If there could be anything you could change about the entertainment industry, what would it be?
I wish the [movie] studios were still owned by individuals. I think the corporatization of the movie industry has not been particularly a good thing. I think the days of when guys read a story, believed in a story and wanted to tell that story have sort of been diluted by worrying about the stockbrokers and worrying about the bottom line. Not that there aren’t indie people out there all the time who are finding ways to tell stories and make great films. The corporatization of the world in general has been a dehumanizing thing.
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