Guillermo del Toro Defied the Studio to Keep Ron Perlman in an Apple TV Gem Hiding in Plain Sight

Guillermo del Toro had one name in his head for Hellboy and would not let go. Studios wanted a shinier, safer pick. He kept saying Ron Perlman. Here is how that actually happened, why Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson got tossed into the mix, and why Perlman still will not touch the role unless del Toro is back in the chair.

The long, stubborn road to Big Red

Perlman says he loved the idea from the start but figured it was a fantasy. On PeopleTV's Couch Surfing (picked up by Yahoo Entertainment), he remembered telling del Toro: great plan, love you for dreaming it, but this will never get made.

Del Toro did not blink. For seven years, he marched into studio meetings and pushed one thing: 'Ron Perlman.' Executives kept passing. They wanted someone already broken into the mainstream. Then Blade II hit in 2002, del Toro suddenly had heat, and he used it to pry the door open for Perlman. That leverage made Hellboy with Perlman real.

Yes, the studio circled The Rock

Before Perlman was slinging a stone fist, the studio kicked around bigger names, including Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson - now a Fast & Furious headliner and perennial box-office bet. Del Toro wrote in his autobiography (via Cinemablend) that he never actually met with Johnson, but he did sit down with two or three other big stars. After each meeting, he delivered the same verdict to the suits: good guy, sure... but I still want Perlman.

That was not stubbornness for sport. Del Toro had already designed his Hellboy around Perlman - the voice, the face, the dry humor, the oddball charm. There is a great little moment from The Guardian: Perlman once floated trying a different voice for the character. Del Toro shut it down on the spot.

'What are you doing? Just be Ron Perlman and that will be Hellboy.'

He meant it. One of the reasons those movies still play is Perlman's gravelly, mischievous delivery. The character and the actor are welded together.

Perlman only returns if del Toro calls 'Action'

Perlman came back for Hellboy II, again for del Toro. After that, he drew a clear line. On That Hashtag Show, he said offers came in to play Hellboy for other people and he turned them down without blinking.

'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.'

The loyalty runs both ways. Perlman even kept the flame going in the animated movies Hellboy: Sword of Storms and Hellboy: Blood and Iron, which carried over the tone and world-building that del Toro established.

So... could we actually get a third del Toro Hellboy?

Look at the release slate. Hollywood is dusting off classics like Gladiator and Top Gun decades later. A long-delayed Hellboy 3 suddenly does not feel impossible. And if the stars align, Perlman sounds ready to crack a Tecate and slip right back into that smirk.

Quick refresher on the del Toro movies

• Hellboy (2004) - Director: Guillermo del Toro; Production: Revolution Studios, Lawrence Gordon/Lloyd Levin Productions, Dark Horse Entertainment; IMDb: 6.9/10; Rotten Tomatoes: 81%; Box office: $99 million.
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) - Director: Guillermo del Toro; Production: Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, Lawrence Gordon/Lloyd Levin Productions, Dark Horse Entertainment; IMDb: 7/10; Rotten Tomatoes: 86%; Box office: $168 million.

Where to watch

You can rent Hellboy right now on Apple TV.