This weekend, The Shape of Water is expected to be a major contender at the Academy Awards, with acting nominations for Sally Hawkins, Richard Jenkins, and Octavia Spencer, as well as an Oscar nod for director Guillermo del Toro. But what about the film’s unnamed fish man? Doug Jones brought the Asset to life through his performance underneath layers of makeup and prosthetic pieces. For over three decades, Jones has been one of Hollywood’s most prolific creature performers, but the vast majority of his admirers probably couldn’t pick him out of a crowd.
Great Big Story recently released a short profile on Jones which describes him as “the most famous actor you’ve never seen.” Hopefully, that is about to change.
Even for fans of Jones’ previous film and television roles, there are still a few surprising details to be found in this video. For starters, Jones had one his more horrific roles in the ’80s as McDonald’s anthropomorphic moon, Mac Tonight!
Jones credits his stint in the Mac Tonight commercials for building his reputation as a performer who is willing to undergo hours of makeup and wear uncomfortable costumes without complaint. The actor also shows off his contortion skills, which go a long way towards making him seem more than human when he’s in character.
It’s not uncommon for Jones to so fully inhabit his creatures that viewers almost forget about the man portraying the monster. He brings a lot of humanity to his roles, and he shared his belief about the audience’s preference to see a human’s interpretation of a monster rather than just another CGI creation. Jones may not be getting any love from the Oscars, but he is getting more recognition, even from random fans on the street.
What did you think about the latest Great Big Story video? Share your thoughts below!
Image: Fox Searchlight
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