Most well-known directors are inextricably tied to one actor more than any other collaborator. Martin Scorsese is known for casting Robert De Niro, Quentin Tarantino is known for casting Samuel L. Jackson, and, of course, Guillermo del Toro – one of the most prominent filmmakers in the fantasy and horror genres – is known for casting Ron Perlman. Perlman has been working with del Toro since his very first movie, Cronos, bringing his uniquely gruff charms to the dark, gloomy, richly drawn worlds that the iconic director conjures up.
Since his first collaboration with del Toro on Cronos, Perlman has played all kinds of characters for the director, ranging from lead roles like the titular demonic orphan in the Hellboy movies to scene-stealing supporting players like Hannibal Chau in Pacific Rim and Bruno the strongman in Nightmare Alley.
Angel De La Guardia (Cronos)
Del Toro’s debut movie, Cronos, established many of the familiar hallmarks of his filmmaking. It revolves around an ancient device that grants eternal life, exploring what would happen if such an object resurfaced in the modern day. After being discovered in an archangel statue, the device is acquired by a wealthy, dying businessman named Dieter de la Guardia. He sends his rough-around-the-edges nephew, Angel de la Guardia, to pick it up at the antique store.
Angel is, of course, played by Ron Perlman. He puts up with constant abuse from his uncle due to the promise that he’ll become rich from inheritance when he eventually dies. This role was a great start to del Toro’s collaboration with Perlman. The director hadn’t quite figured out what makes Perlman so unique yet, but he gave him a suitably tough-as-nails character to play in the first movie they made together.
Dieter Reinhardt (Blade II)
After his vision suffered from meddling studio executives in Mimic, del Toro returned to low-budget filmmaking for The Devil’s Backbone. The director returned to Hollywood for Blade II, the awesome sequel to Wesley Snipes’ groundbreaking vampire-infested comic book blockbuster. The sequel sees Blade taking on the Bloodpack, an elite vampire squad assembled with the specific goal of killing him.
The Bloodpack is like Blade’s own personal Sinister Six, and Perlman’s character Dieter Reinhardt is a member of the team. Everybody in the Bloodpack wants Blade’s blood, but what makes Reinhardt stand out is that he has a particular personal vendetta against Blade. This isn’t necessarily a three-dimensional role, but Perlman was the perfect actor to portray a vampire-hunter hunter.
Bruno (Nightmare Alley)
With its boatload of Oscar nominations, it’s fair to say that Nightmare Alley is one of del Toro’s most acclaimed movies to date. The story of Stan Carlisle, an alcoholic carny struggling to outrun a dark past, is anchored by Bradley Cooper’s breathtaking character study, but he’s surrounded by a star-studded cast of supporting players that includes such screen legends as Toni Collette and Willem Dafoe. Naturally, with such a sprawling ensemble, there was a part for Perlman.
The actor plays Bruno, the carnival’s strongman, who’s just as aggressive off-stage. Despite being surrounded by some of the finest actors in the world, Perlman is as scene-stealing as always in del Toro’s latest opus. As a father figure who’s protective of Molly, Bruno is naturally suspicious of Stan. The audience initially sides with Stan as they get swept up in the love story, but as he reveals his dark side in the second half of the film, it becomes clear that Bruno was right to be wary.
Hannibal Chau (Pacific Rim)
Del Toro’s affectionate homage to the kaiju genre, Pacific Rim, sees the last survivors of humanity suiting up in giant robotic exoskeletons to fight interdimensional monsters. Produced by Legendary Pictures, the film feels like a precursor to the MonsterVerse. While Pacific Rim was criticized as a somewhat conventional blockbuster following the familiar “hero’s journey” archetype, it has plenty of undeniably dazzling robot-versus-kaiju action sequences.
Perlman gives an unforgettable supporting turn as Hannibal Chau, an illicit entrepreneur who sells jarred kaiju organs on the black market. The character is as delightfully eccentric as Perlman’s fans expect. He’s more memorable than the lead protagonist, Raleigh Becket, and shares a hilarious on-screen dynamic with Charlie Day as kaiju-obsessed scientist Newt Geiszler.
Hellboy (Hellboy / Hellboy II: The Golden Army)
Perlman’s most prominent role in a del Toro film is, of course, Hellboy. Perlman played Hellboy in two movies – 2004’s Hellboy and 2008’s Hellboy II: The Golden Army – and perfectly embodied everything that makes the gun-toting demon a beloved comic book antihero. The 2019 reboot only served to prove just how perfect he was for the role. David Harbour is a fantastic actor, but no one can humanize Hellboy like Perlman did in del Toro’s movies.
The Hellboy movies beautifully adhere to the defining hallmark of del Toro’s filmmaking: the sympathetic monster. Like countless other heartfelt del Toro characters, Hellboy is a traditional movie monster with a relatably human side. He’s an orphan who just wants to fit in. Perlman gave a spot-on portrayal of Hellboy that could still be reprised in the long-awaited threequel.
