Mr. Will Wong, Toronto Entertainment Blogger

#SPOTTED: RON PERLMAN, DAN FOGLER, JALEEL WHITE, TOMMY FLANAGAN, JONATHAN RHYS-DAVIES + MORE AT 2019 TORONTO COMICON

March 16, 2019
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By David Baldwin and Mr. Will Wong

Now in its 19th year Toronto Comicon takes place at Metro Toronto Convention Centre this weekend bringing together fans of Sci-Fi, Anime, Cosplayers, Gaming, Comics and more in one extravaganza. Toronto Comicon year after year has given fans a chance to connect with their favourite idols with Panels, Autograph Signings and Photo Ops. Known as one of the most exciting events each spring in Toronto, the event this year was headlined by several stars including Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Dan Fogler (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), Jaleel White (Family Matters), Tommy Flanagan (Sons of Anarchy), Jonathan Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings), Corbin Bernsen (The Punisher) and several more!

Funko Pop! vinyl collectibles, rare editions of comic books and the opportunity to get one-of-a-kind commissioned pieces by Artists, continue to be a huge draw at the three-day affair. Truly Toronto Comicon is a mecca of all things adored.

Our David Baldwin had the opportunity to sit-in on a couple high-profile Panels for Ron Perlman and Dan Fogler.

PERLMAN

Golden Globe Award winner Ron Perlman has had a celebrated career in Film and Television, including unforgettable performances on Television Series Beauty and the Beast and originating the titular role in a soon-to-be rebooted Hellboy. He delighted fans on Saturday afternoon with a lively Q&A session. He set the tone for the nearly hour-long discussion by taking the stage and immediately greeting the audience with “Sup motherfuckers?” He later apologized to everyone who brought their children with them, but did not change his casual demeanour. He says that “99% of the roles I’ve played, I’ve really loved” and likens that passion for his roles to his mantra of “Don’t say yes unless you really love the person you’re playing.”.

While he enjoyed talking about his popular roles (“Sons of Anarchy was larger than life”) and his close relationship with honourary Torontonian and Oscar-winning Director, Guillermo del Toro (going so far as to praise Pan’s Labyrinth as a “masterpiece” and calling it the “quintessential del Toro movie”), Perlman did not hesitate to get very candid with the audience. Upon hearing an audience question about his time on the ill-fated 1996 remake of The Island of Dr. Moreau, he flat-out said “We should have never made that movie,” and said that acclaimed Director Jean-Jacques Annaud saved his life and career more than once when he was “going to quit acting”. He also let the audience in on a very telling secret: “I’m not a big fan of watching my own stuff. I just do it and move on to the next thing.”.

Perlman next year can be seen in Paul W.S. Anderson‘s eagerly-awaited Monster Hunter.

FOGLER

Despite landing a breakout role in 2016’s blockbuster Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first of a few slated Films in the Franchise, Dan Fogler long has been honing his craft. Fashionably-late for his own Panel today, he was exactly as animated and wild a personality as you might expect: “I like acting in front of people.” In his discussion, he detailed how much joy it brings him to get to play roles in the likes of Fanboys, the Fantastic Beasts series and The Walking Dead saying the roles “speak to the little nerd in me.” He even went so far as to say that his work on Fanboys specifically gave him the “invitation to act like a kid again.”.

Fogler went the extra mile during the Q&A portion, handing-out comic books and memorabilia to each audience member who asked a question (and in a rather wonderful touch, personally delivered memorabilia and hugged an audience member in a wheelchair). He riffed on his time working with Christopher Walken on Balls of Fury (telling the audience Walken’s method of dialogue delivery: “It’s all about slow, medium, fast”) and reminisced about his inspirations, saying that after discovering that Voice Actor Mel Blanc was playing and creating voices for multiple Looney Tunes characters, “I want to do that!”. Fogler even tried his hand at Sign Language, poorly attempting to sign-out “Say hello to my little friend” to his on-stage interpreter.

The Brooklyn native currently can be seen on AMC’s The Walking Dead as Luke.

Check-out some more sights of 2019 Toronto Comicon:

Ron Perlman

Dan Fogler

Jaleel White

Jonathan Rhys-Davies

Tommy Flanagan

Corbin Bernsen

John De Lancie

Cosplay

Cool, rare stuff

Also, CAPTIVE STATE is in theatres this weekend. Don’t forget to check-out this need little installation where you can star in your own Poster for the Film!