Budapest Hungary, Written between Wed. July 4 – Sunday July 8, 2007
After a long block of working, I finally have more than one day off in a row, so I checked in with my e-mail accounts, MySpace messages, blog responses, and website guest book entries to find literally HUNDREDS of messages. So much love pouring in, and with so little internet time here, I feel absolutely guilty with my inability to respond to each one personally. Thank you for your patience and forgiveness.
Last week was nothing short of brutal. 18 to 20 hour days with an average of 4 hours of sleep each night. For instance, Thursday was a 21 hour day, followed by 2 1/2 hours sleep, followed by a 19 hour Friday. I finally woke up Saturday at 7pm wondering what my name was.
So with a few days off, I’m out walking about the city like a zombie one afternoon. Catching a glimpse of myself in the reflection of a store window I was shocked at how unkempt I looked and thought to myself, “Thank goodness I’m in a city half way around the globe where no one would ever know me.” I kid you not, four minutes later, as I’m approaching the front entrance of my hotel, three Hungarian fan boys point at me on the sidewalk …. “That’s HIM”. Yes, they had been waiting there for who knows how long, and all three of them whipped out 8×10 glossies and DVD covers from the first HELLBOY, BATMAN RETURNS, PAN’S LABYRINTH, and RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER for me to sign. Anyone who knows me, also knows how much I did not hate this. Adorable.
NEIL GAIMAN
Yes, the famous writer of such books as STARDUST (coming to theaters this summer as a movie!), AMERICAN GODS, THE SANDMAN, and soooo many more, including comic books and the animated film BEOWULF (in theaters November 2007). So why do I mention him here? Because he has been here visiting our set to shadow our director Guillermo del Toro. His amazingly sweet and intelligent 12 year old daughter Maddy is with him and has been taking over his blog while here. She is such an adorably funny young thing. On this blog of theirs, the first images of me as Abe Sapien from HELLBOY 2 were captured in Neil’s camera. Have a look at the June 27th entry:
http://neilgaiman.com/journal/
Neil had also been reading my little blog, so when we wrapped filming on Friday, Neil kindly informed me that he and Maddy were going to take me on a walk about the city on Sunday, because he knew if someone didn’t make plans for me, I would never leave my room. What a fantastic day Sunday was. Maddy and I giggled a lot together, as though we were BOTH 12 year old girls, and I have decided that Neil Gaiman is the most fascinating human being I have met in the past year. He is a wealth of knowledge with an enormous heart at the same time. I never thought I would be so captured by someone pointing out different tree types, or explaining the rush of air caused by a big fountain, or why a Buzzard was happy with a piece of raw meat covered with flies in it’s zoo cage ….. and all with the most eloquent language. He could make a grocery list sound like poetry when he speaks. He also gave me such a calming perspective on balancing fame in a normal lifestyle. From his work, you can tell he is deliciously imaginative, which comes out in his sense of humor as you walk with him. So, by the end of the day, I felt like I had earned another university degree, but also had my hair tossled from the thrill ride that is Neil Gaiman.
JUST A COUPLE MOMENTS ON THE SET
“ROLL CAMERA”, and just before Guillermo yelled action, Jeffrey Tambor made a grimacing face, saying, “I have the worst gas …. it’s ridiculous”, leaving Ron, Selma and me worthless for that take.
Out on the hillside set in heat of 90-some degrees, Ron, James Dodd (the other fellow sharing the role of Johann Kraus with John Alexander), and I were sweltering in our make-ups and suits. That’s when my lovely and sarcastic Selma Blair started fanning herself in front of all of us proclaiming, “Ugh! I can’t believe how hot I am with this extra tank top on! But I can’t expect you guys to understand.” As I laughed and told her I don’t know HOW she does it, she continued, “These socks are a really thick cotton too, you know that, right?”
Since Jeffrey and Selma are the only two NOT in some layered make-up, they are both so aware of the rest of us, bless their hearts. By the end of last week, Selma tilted her head and asked me, “How are you today, sweetie?” She quickly interrupted herself by saying, “You know what, never mind. I don’t even want you to have to go there. Stay in your happy place.” Jeffrey simply put his hand on my shoulder and said, “There is a place for you in Heaven.”
We had only minutes for lunch one day when filming outdoors because of our failing sunlight. Ron Perlman sat with me, and we had barely put a fork to our plates before they were calling for us to go back to the set.
DOUG: Oh, OK, be right there.
RON: We just got our food. I’ll come when Dougie’s eaten enough. (Then privately to me) Dougie, you’re too nice, you make me look like an ass.
DOUG: I’m sorry. I don’t have this movie star thing down yet, do I.
RON: You’re the Silver Surfer, man. (which he refuses to let me forget, bless his heart).
But my honor right now is being Brother Blue to my Brother Red. Ronny was telling me one day that he sees our characters kind of as parallels to the real Ron & Doug. He even went so far as to compliment me by wishing there was a place in this movie for Hellboy to look at Abe and say, “I will never know what it’s like to be as good as you are.” I have no idea where he got such an impression of me, but I adore this man beyond belief.
THE SANDBAG DANCE
Great, it happened again. “CUT” yelled Guillermo, and the entire crew broke out in laughter. Ron, Selma, and I were doing a scene in Hellboy’s room at the BPRD, and as often is the case for the partially blind Abe, they had to put a sandbag on the floor to mark my stopping point when I walk out into the room. It takes just a couple of practice runs for me to get my flight pattern down before I can do the move as someone with full vision would. But then there was this one take. As the camera rolled, I hit the sandbag earlier than it should have been, and as I tried to keep the scene going, I felt around with my foot to find that sandbag again to get my end look at the right angle ….. but the bag had disappeared. Leg extension this way. Leg extension that way. Using both feet now. Thank goodness he yelled cut before my Rockettes kick line routine went any further. “Where did my sandbag go!?!?”, I chuckled. That’s when Selma collected herself enough to tell me that I never hit the sandbag, but I DID kick one of Hellboy’s kittens! If you saw the first “Hellboy”, you’ll remember that Hellboy has a thing for kittens and his room is crawling with cats. About 50 of them to be exact ….. well ….. 49 now, as one has been sent off to therapy.
Alright, I’ll let you rest your eyes now. Thank you again for all the love, and I’ll be missing you, my cherished family and friends, when I am picked up tomorrow morning at 3:30am to start another 6 day week.
There’s Love!! — Dougie
