Hellboy 2 ‘like a family reunion’ for North actor Jamie

Aug 24 2008 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

NORTH actor Jamie Wilson has told how he went to hell and back as one of the stars of Hollywood blockbuster Hellboy 2.

The first movie — which introduced the character in 2004 — was a huge hit, taking more than £50m worldwide and, this time around, Hellboy and pals have to deal with an uprising of evil and fantastical beings, led by Luke Goss’s character Prince Nuada.

Jamie, of Marton, Middlesbrough, spent a month in Budapest with the huge cast and crew of the fantasy movie, which stars Ron Perlman as the red-skinned, cigar- chomping demon who fights evil.

And the young actor said the film shoot was more like a family reunion, because it’s the second movie he has made with director Guillermo del Toro, Luke Goss and Ron Perlman, having already starred in Blade 2 with the fellow thesps.

Jamie, 31, said: “The first day I arrived on set, Guillermo give me a big hug as he always does, as did Ron and Luke, and it was like we were back on Blade 2 and no time had passed. Everyone was one big happy family.”

As the Cat Vendor in Hellboy 2, you can spot him in the troll market scene, which was actually a former mushroom mine converted into a Moroccan-style market populated by all manner of weird creatures.

He said: “The set was mind-blowing, huge. On the first day, we were sent to set for a meet-and-greet and costume fitting, and to get used to my suit as I was to be walking on leg extensions.

“The mask I was wearing was beautifully designed by TyRuben Ellingson and made by Creature FX in London, and my character sells skinned, barbecued cats.

“The whole costume took around an hour to get into, which was great, as others can be a lot more time consuming.”

When Jamie played a mutant bloodsucker known as a reaper in the 2002 vampire movie Blade 2, he had to endure hours in the make-up chair as experts transformed him into an evil vampire.

But he confesses to quite enjoying the life of a movie monster.

He said: “I love playing monsters because they are magical and unworldly.

“Every creature is different, so you have to think of whole new ways these creatures will move, and so it’s a very creative and rewarding experience.

“It’s great also because you don’t get recognized, so I can comfortably go to the gents’ toilets in a restaurant without someone wanting to shake my hand!”

V Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (12A) is out now.