Introducing a new feature...
Unsung Heroes of Cinema!
While it’s generally a film’s main stars and director who get all our praise, a hell of a lot of people are involved in bringing some of our favourite films to life (If you’ve ever sat waiting for the post credit scene of a Marvel movie you’ll know what I mean).
Stuntmen and women, composers, puppeteers, voice actors you name it!
So many people are integral in making these films what they are, and yet some I feel, sadly don’t get the praise they deserve.
With that in mind I’ve decided to shine a light on a few of them over the coming weeks.
Some actors bring countless characters to life without the audience ever really knowing who they are. That’s because they’re often hidden behind a mask, or under a tonne of make up and prosthetics or CGI.
This is Doug Jones.
Doug is an American actor, contortionist and mime artist who has played some iconic characters and creatures in films and TV shows you definitely will have seen over the years.
The most notable being:
Billy Butcherson in Hocus Pocus (1993)
Abe Sapien in Hell Boy (2004) and Hell Boy II: The Golden Army (2008)
Fauno/Pale Man in Pans Labyrinth (2006)
The Silver Surfer in Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
The Amphibian Man in The Shape of Water (2017)
Other film credits include Batman Returns (1992), Mimic (1997), Mystery Men (1997), Three Kings (1999), The Time Machine (2002), Men in Black II (2002), Doom (2005) and M. Night Shyamalan’s Lady in the Water (2006).
He’s also had roles in TV shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer (check out the episode called Hush), What We Do in the Shadows, Sons of Anarchy, Teen Wolf, Arrow, The Flash, Falling Skies and The Strain, not to mention a regular role in Star Trek: Discovery playing Captain/Cmdr. Saru.
Doug has over 160 acting credits in films and TV shows since 1988 and yet many of us could pass him in the street and not even know who he was. That's tragic!
Doug Jones, we salute you!