Ron Perlman and 'Mutant Chronicles'

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 11:35:52

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"Mind if I smoke?" asks Ron Perlman, holding a big cigar in his right hand.

Not at all, Mr. Perlman.

As he lights up the stogie, the Mutant Chronicles star exudes cool. He's got classic film heroism down to a science in Mutant Chronicles, and his stellar performance elevates the movie to the realm of epic sci-fi. Heroism is always on his mind. It's no surprise, since he's been in both Hellboy films, Blade II, Alien: Resurrection and numerous other action-packed flicks. He spoke to ARTISTdirect.com about being hero in Mutant Chronicles and much more.

What instantly resonated with you about Brother Samuel in Mutant Chronicles?

Everything about the character was attractive to me. I love who he is in the world that he finds himself in. The film is set hundreds of years in the future, and there are no more countries. There are only corporations running everything; it's a logical distillation of the world we're heading towards. He's a man who has held on to his spirituality, his humanism and his belief that the human being is God's most perfect creation and is worth saving. He's also willing to sacrifice himself for that end. Ultimately, Brother Samuel is an admirable guy to play.

Does the darkness in a hero like Brother Samuel or Hellboy appeal to you? They're both admirable characters, but they live on the edge.

I've been really fortunate with regard to getting these things dropped in my lap. Hellboy was a gift. It had so little to do with me and so much to do with the largeness of Guillermo Del Toro and his faith that this was something that he wanted. I was more of a recipient than someone who sought anything. It was the same situation with Brother Samuel. There have been a lot of instances in my blessed life as an actor where I read things and go, "Holy shit, they really want me to play this? This is too good to be true!" With those two characters, I felt that degree of enthusiasm and good fortune.

Would you say there's a certain poetry to Brother Samuel—like a classical hero?

There's a great deal of poetry to him. I think anybody who is gentle, kind and a lover of the vulnerabilities of mankind understands the duality of great suffering as juxtaposed against just desserts. Anything that has that kind of duality suggests a poetic nature.

Is that what makes a true hero?

I think the one thing that probably runs through all heroes is a willingness to sacrifice themselves and their own comfort for a greater good. Even if it's not that great of a greater good, it's something outside of themselves that they believe in, they would fight for and they would lay their life down for. That's true heroism for me. You see it on the news. There are guys who will jump onto railroad tracks when a train's coming because there's somebody down there that can't get up. You see firemen rushing in a building with great abandon because they're sworn to save people and help people who don't have the ability to help themselves. That's heroism.

Great art will reflect that. Something like Mutant Chronicles can be an amplification of the same sentiment.

Successful cultural works have the ability to uplift an audience. The crowd can have some sort of catharsis because they've just witnessed something extraordinary and noble. The art makes the viewers feel better about the shit that they're going through, which is why they go to the movies, the theater, the ballet or the museum in the first place. They're there to see works of art that people have poured a great deal of talent, time and inspiration into. Those works can uplift, instruct and say there's a collective consciousness here that shows you you're not alone in all of this.

Words & Photos: Rick Florino
04.19.09