Guillermo del Toro’s stubborn loyalty is the reason Ron Perlman ever made it into Hellboy—and apparently, the director was ready to fight every studio executive in Hollywood to make it happen. Perlman revisited the whole saga on PeopleTV’s Couch Surfing (via Yahoo! Entertainment), explaining that while he loved the idea from day one, he didn’t believe it would get off the ground. Perlman said,
I said to him from the get-go, ‘That’s a great idea and god bless you, I love you for entertaining the idea, but it’ll never happen.’
The lack of confidence didn’t slow del Toro down.
Sure enough, for seven years he’d go to these meetings at these studios, and he’d say, ‘Ron Perlman.’
And for the longest time, studios simply didn’t bite. They wanted someone who had already cracked the mainstream. But after the success of Blade II in 2002, del Toro used that leverage to drag Perlman right in behind him.
Studios Wanted Famous Fast & Furious Star for Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy
Before Ron Perlman was anywhere near a giant red fist or filed horns, the studio had its eyes on names they thought would guarantee a blockbuster opening. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s name was considered. He is, after all, one of the era’s most bankable action stars—and was apparently floated as a potential lead.
Del Toro wrote in his autobiography that he (via Cinemablend) “never met with The Rock, but I met with two or three actors that I won’t name, but big stars.” But after every meeting, he would deliver the same message back to the studio: Nope. Or, as he put it more gently,
After every meeting I would go back to the studio and say, ‘Yeah, I like the guy… but I like Ron Perlman more.
This wasn’t stubbornness for the sake of drama. Del Toro had shaped his entire version of Hellboy around Perlman’s voice, face, humor, and oddball charm. The director never met with The Rock, despite the studio’s interest, because the character in his head was already Ron Perlman.
That became even clearer when Perlman once suggested using a different voice for Hellboy, just to experiment. Del Toro immediately shut that down with a classic filmmaker-to-actor reality check (via The Guardian).
What are you doing? Just be Ron Perlman and that will be Hellboy.
The man wasn’t being poetic. He meant it. And thank goodness, because Perlman’s gravelly, mischievous delivery is one of the biggest reasons the films still hold up today.
Ron Perlman Said He’ll Return as Hellboy Only If Guillermo del Toro Directs
Perlman returned to Hellboy 2 for del Toro. But after that, he has made it clear he’s not donning the red makeup again unless del Toro is the one calling “Action!” He told That Hashtag Show that he did get the chance to play Hellboy for others, but he shot those offers down without hesitation.
For Guillermo I would… I had an opportunity to play him for other people and I passed. That’s his franchise as far as I’m concerned and I’m his boy.
Ron Perlman would play Hellboy again for only one man. #guillermodeltoro #Hellboy #ronperlman pic.twitter.com/COtkkKfFi9
If the man could hand out loyalty points, del Toro would already be platinum tier. Perlman had lent his voice in the animated movies Hellboy: Sword of Storms and Hellboy: Blood and Iron, though. Those projects kept the spirit of del Toro’s films alive. And they proved something fans still talk about: the world isn’t done with del Toro’s version of Hellboy.
Considering Hollywood is now giving sequels to films like Gladiator and Top Gun decades after their big-screen debuts, the idea of del Toro finally completing his Hellboy trilogy doesn’t sound so far-fetched. And if the universe aligns, Ron Perlman is already waiting—with a six-pack of Tecate and that unmistakable smirk.
Here’s an overview of the del Toro Hellboy movies:
Are you all crossing your fingers for one more ride with Guillermo del Toro’s Big Red? Let us know in the comments.
You can now rent the movie Hellboy on Apple TV.
