Exclusive Interview: DOUG JONES RETURNS TO THE BPRD FOR 'HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY' - PART 1
Abe Sapien gets to fight a lot more and fall in love in Guillermo Del Toro's new flick
By SEAN ELLIOTT, Senior Editor
Published 1/17/2008
Doug Jones is getting to be the man of a thousand faces. The actor was critically lauded last year for his roles in PAN’S LABYRINTH and his role as the Silver Surfer in FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER. Now he is returning to the big screen in, what some might consider the role that made him famous before everything else, Abe Sapien in HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY. iF MAGAZINE got to sit down with the actor and get the exclusive inside scoop in the making of this fantastic new supernatural comic book movie.
iF MAGAZINE: What are some of the new and exciting things you got to do for HELLBOY 2?
DOUG JONES: When I first read the script I was very excited about this one and the film shoot not only lived up to my expectations but surpassed them. I have never been so exhausted and hammered by a film schedule in my life, but I have also never been so satisfied by my involvement in a movie. [Director] Guillermo [Del Toro] wrote such a beautiful role for Abe this time, in addition to my two other roles in this film. I also play the Angel of Death and the Chamberlain, which is a smaller role, but both of those roles turned out to be yummy delicious moments of fun. The Angel of Death especially, I got goosebumps reading the script and people would come up and tell me that I gave them goosebumps on set, so it worked!
iF: What was new specifically for Abe?
JONES: Oh Abe! You are going to get to know him on so many different levels this time. In the first movie he was lovely, but he was kind one-dimensional and was a helper and part of the team, but he helped push everyone else’s storyline forward. He’s got a storyline of his own this time, which is so full. I think as an audience you find yourself laughing and crying and shrieking and phewing as you watch Abe this time. This time he’s much more buddy buddy with the BPRD team, especially with Hellboy and the brother relationship is much more cemented. It’s funny too, Guillermo wrote such a funny script with some great beautiful moments. The action is superb and the humor is superb.
iF: Speaking of comedy, can you tell me about the cat story you emailed everyone about during filming?
JONES: [Sighs] I kicked a cat. That was my little faux pas. I’m blind as Abe. Almost every character I play for Guillermo is either blind or severely sight impaired. As Abe my periphery is extremely narrow, and if you put two toilet paper rolls up to your eyes that’s my line of vision or smaller. I had to look up towards the ceiling saying ‘what’s that sound?’ walk and hit a mark on the floor. It’s impossible to do all of those things with no vision; so they ended up having to put a sandbag on the floor so I would know where to stop instead of putting a taped X. One take we were doing, I hit the lump on the floor and I didn’t remember it being on step number four, I remembered it being on step number six, but I kept putting my foot out feeling for the sandbag and couldn’t find it. Guillermo yelled cut, the crew was laughing and I didn’t know what had happened. I asked if I had hit the sandbag, and Selma Blair yelled at me, “No but you did just kick one of Hellboy’s cats.” It was a kitten, and there were fifty of them running around on the set. I didn’t hurt the cat, because they are very resilient beings and they always land on their feet so that’s the good part.
iF: In the first HELLBOY, Abe didn’t get a whole lot of action time. He fought in one bigger battle then got clawed and had to spend most of the rest of the movie getting better. So what are we going to see this time?
JONES: You’re going to see him with a gun in his hand firing at things. No sword, but you’ll also see him with no weapon in his hands doing a certain fighting style that Guillermo called ‘the way of the water’ and would be most reminiscent of Capeoira, that Brazilian dancing fighting style that everyone seems at least somewhat familiar with. They found an internationally ranked Capeoira fighter and instructor to double me for those scenes. I’m not one of those actors that insists that I do all of my own stunts, because I don’t want you to have an illusion that’s not true. This fellow did things I would never be able to do. There’s a scene where Abe comes up against a creature played by my friend Brian Steele, who plays several creatures I this film, which the scene starts out funny and ends up being cool how Abe out foxes him.
iF: What else can audiences expect in this new flick?
JONES: Well, I can’t tell you too many spoilers, but I can tell you more about my role in everything. Abe gets to do more action which is a first, but he also has a love interest. Reading it was very charming, but playing it out on film was another thing entirely. The woman they cast to play Princess Nuala, Anna Walton, is tall, has long limbs, and is gorgeous in her own special way. She has a regal quality about her, because when she is peaking you are sure she is really a princess. I’ve been on film with several people before and she was one of those rare actors that when action was called the crew and camera melt away and you are actually living the moment with her; she is so absorbing in that way. I think so of my best moments caught on film are those with Anna and my acting in those scenes.
iF: Since Guillermo did a director’s cut of HELLBOY, will the initial cut of this second movie be longer?
JONES: I hope so. He seemed like he had freer reign this time in general. This is a different studio, and since HELLBOY he had critical and commercial success with PAN’S LABYRINTH and studios are wise to take this project and allow Guillermo to have a long leash.
iF: Does Mike Mignola visit the set when you are filming?
JONES: Oh yeah, he’s very involved. He’s not just a consultant on paper, he showed up on set a few times for extended periods of time. All plot points, stories and twists are discussed with him and he has ideas and Guillermo really listens to him. Guillermo is such a comic book fan himself that he doesn’t want to stray too far from the source material and Mignola is the source.
CHECK BACK LATER FOR PART 2 OF THIS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW!
Reader Comments
Victoria from Louisiana sez.... Yes! I can't wait for this movie...Though, a friend of mine got really depressed when I let her know that Abe's getting a girlfriend.
5/20/2008 11:01:39 PM
Mos from Massachusetts sez.... I am so pumped for this movie! I love love love the first movie and after watching the teaser trailer, the second looks even better! More Abe is a definite plus!
1/18/2008 11:09:59 AM
Norvell from Texas sez.... Excellent! All good news! I'm so happy that Abe gets a bigger part and some action. Not to mention story. I'm so psyched for this film!
1/17/2008 6:45:23 PM
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HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY - Doug Jones as Abe Sapien
