STACK #242 December 2024

FEATURE MOVIE

MADE IN HELL

Hellboy debuted in Mike Mignola’s dark, gothic comic series in 1993, and was brought to the big screen by Guillermo del Toro in 2004 and 2008, with Ron Perlman in the title role. Perlman also voiced Hellboy in the animated films Sword of Storms (2006) and Blood and Iron (2007). In Neil Marshall’s 2019 reboot, David Harbour took on the iconic antihero, followed by Jack Kesy in the latest adaptation, directed by Brian Taylor ( Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, 2011 ).

HELLBOYS IN FILM

Hellboy is back! After the lukewarm reception of the 2019 reboot, Crank director Brian Taylor has taken the reins, adapting the 2008 comic series The Crooked Man , and giving the character a fresh look with a touch of humility. Words Glenn Cochrane

Ron Perlman

T he new guy is Jack Kesy, an actor who’s appeared in movies like Baywatch (2017), 12 Strong (2018), and Deadpool 2 (2018). ”I was a kid from the street,” Kesy explains during casual banter while chatting with STACK recently. ”In my teens and early 20s, I was in

I'd seen Ron Perlman’s years ago, so it was all kind of faded and vague. Ron knocked it out of the park. ”And the thing is, the blueprint is done for you. It’s a collaborative team effort. I’m not making the hair, and I’m not making the prosthetics. So, I’m a little more like a cog in the

David Harbour

Jack Kesy

and out of jail, rolling around like a madman, you know? Then acting, plays, and all that stuff rescued me - as corny as that sounds. It really did. It gave me purpose and self-esteem, and it kind of took me out of the mud.” From the mud to a rapidly rising career, Kesy has now stepped into the shoes of one of cinema’s most iconic comic book characters. He becomes the third actor to portray Mike Mignola’s lovable antihero, following David Harbour and Ron Perlman. Kesy admits that he had both of them in mind when taking on the role.

system, so to speak. It’s definitely a team sport with this”. You might expect that casting a new Hellboy would require a long and arduous audition process and countless costume and makeup tests, but in the case of

instalments, with the story set in 1950s Appalachia, where Hellboy and co. face off against a bewitched community and a demonic figure called the Crooked Man. For fans of the movie series, this latest entry will require a reset of expectations, but for comic book fans, it might be the most accurate and organic adaptation yet. ”I was excited that it’s grounded,” Kesy explains, describing his initial reaction to the script. ”It’s a little more independent instead of – in Brian Taylor’s words – ’a space opera’.

• Hellboy: The Crooked Man is out Dec 11

The Crooked Man , the makers had their eye on the prize from the outset. ”It came out of leftfield, man,” says Kesy, as if still in a state of disbelief. ”I always

Jack Kesy in 12 Strong

And on set we were able to lean into the human element of the character, the younger element. I’m all about that. I like it when it’s stripped down and raw. ”I felt comfortable reading the script and said, ’I can make this my own.’ For me, the guy is close to home. I find him very relatable, aside from the fact that he looks like a supernatural maniac. But soulfully, intimately, emotionally, intellectually, I can relate to it, thankfully.”

”It’s the first thing that popped into my mind subconsciously. I didn’t watch David Harbour’s film until after the fact and out of curiosity. And

say that anything good, extremely good, or extremely bad just comes out of nowhere,” he continues with amusement. ”I got the call from the producer,

he’s a big fan, and we got along really well. He thinks that I’m just the guy for it. And I said ’OK’, and I put some stuff on tape,

and they said, ’Dude, you f-cking knocked that sh-t out of the park. You’re our guy!’” The film itself is unlike any of the previous

Jack Kesy and Jefferson White

19