Ron Perlman on Hellboy

This year's most unlikely leading man chats about playing a demon superhero, and the plans for a Hellboy sequel

The casting of Hellboy is fast becoming a cinematic myth. Mike Mignola, creator of the 'Dark Horse' character and comic, and Guillermo Del Toro, the Mexican director hell-bent on adapting it, hit an impasse. Neither would reveal to the other the name of the actor they felt would be perfect for playing Mignola's satanic comic book hero. They counted to three and simultaneously came out with the name of Ron Perlman.

Known for his collaborations with French directors Jean-Jacques Arnaud (The Name of The Rose, Enemy At The Gates) and Jean-Pierre Jeunet (The City of Lost Children, Alien: Resurrection), Perlman has also been a regular collaborator with Del Toro since they worked together on the director's 1993 debut Cronos.

But the 54-year-old actor was not the first choice for backers Revolution Studios, who wanted Vin Diesel for the role. He admits he was surprised at winning the part "in as far as it's a starring role, and Guillermo knows how difficult it is to win the approval of a studio on behalf of someone who has no track record, carrying a movie or in this case, a possible franchise. He knew he had to fight a battle. But what was most surprising is how willing he was to fight it, and how long he fought it before he ultimately prevailed".

Next page • "He has no restrictions on diet or alcohol intake or smoking"