From Men's Health The masks of tragedy and comedy—Melpomene and Thalia, respectively—are the international symbols of drama. Ron Perlman, who radiates rage, righteousness, and regret as Clay Morrow on FX’s powerhouse Sons of Anarchy (Season 3 just out on DVD, Season 4 launching September 6), knows this better than anyone; he’s worn more masks in his career than any actor since Lon Chaney, Jr. He’s played cavemen and hunchbacks, demons and beasts. In conversation, Perlman, 61, is quick, erudite, and given to quoting Shakespeare—a hog and a helmet away from the character for which he is now most famous. We recently caught up to one of America’s great character actors to talk about the TV show, Perlman’s career, and how he dropped 90 pounds as a young man. Congratulations on Sons of Anarchy. It must be nice doing a project where people can actually see your face. I know, huh? It only took me 60 years. Regardless, you’ve played some truly indelible characters. That’s a good ride, right? Almost all of your life is lived by the seat of your pants, one unexpected event crashing into another, with no pattern or reason, and then you finally reach a point, around my age, where you spend more time than ever looking back. Why did this happen? Look where that led? You see the shape of things. Without trying to sound hyperbolic or sentimental, this unbelievable ride I’ve been on—though its felt like flying by the seat of my pants all the way through—was exactly what I always dreamed. A lot of movie stars become well-known for one kind of thing. No one ever knows what to expect from a Ron Perlman performance. I’ve never been pigeonholed and I’ve experienced so many different kinds of skin—what man will do and won’t do, what you should do and shouldn’t do. This is what’s exciting about being an actor; where philosophy majors sit in classrooms or write books about human behavior, we’re actually acting them out in front of cameras. Your character on Sons of Anarchy is more of a monster than many of the actual monsters you’ve played. Is that tough to play? Even though there’s no makeup involved and it might seem like Clay Morrow is the most naturalistic performance I’ve given, he’s probably the most foreign to me of anyone I’ve ever played. He’s the first and only character I’ve played who doesn’t see two sides of an issue. And he’s the first and only character I’ve played who has no sense of humor about himself. Clay takes everything too seriously, and that can be very dangerous. He is not afraid of going down in flames. I’m very uncomfortable with him sometimes, which is a nice challenge. Are things going to get tougher for Clay during Season 4? When Kurt (Sutter, SOA’s creator) first mentioned the use of the Hamlet saga as the grounds on which to build the superstructure of our little story, I didn’t realize how serious he was. I could see he had the king and queen and the prince, and there was an assumption that the original king was the victim of foul play, but Season 4 is where we begin to get very Shakespearean. As a classically-trained actor, how much fun is it to play Shakespeare on hogs? TV is not known for being groundbreaking week in and week out, so I’m in a very, very, rare place, and I truly appreciate that. When Kurt first told me he wanted to do Hamlet with a motorcycle club, I thought he was crazy and maybe pretentious; I just didn’t realize who I was sitting across the table from. Kurt is relentless and his reach is extraordinary, exceeded only by his grasp. You were a really overweight kid, dealt with some health issues, dropped 90 pounds, and have become a beloved actor. How has that journey informed who you are as a man today? Distortions control my self-image, like they do for a lot of us. It’s irrational. It’s not in control. I will now share with you that I have never stopped thinking of myself as a fat guy, no matter how skinny I’ve been. The psyche is the psyche. That irrational part of you takes over sometimes, no matter how much cognitive thinking you do. You get overpowered, and then you manage it. That’s what my life’s been about—managing my way through the demons. On my good days, I’ll tell you I’ve managed very well. I’ve certainly been very blessed with opportunity. A good jazz record and a cigar help at the end of the day, right? I’m smoking a Camacho in my hand right now, but I’m cutting back. I’m trying to quit. I’m trying to wean Clay Morrow off the cigars too. We’ll see if we can get away from the crutch. You did Guys & Dolls in college. Any chance we’ll see you singing and dancing again? You’d have to come and catch me in the shower sometime, because that’s where it begins and ends these days. The universe has given me plenty of very clear signals that I should keep the singing to myself. (Laughs) Anything else is fair game, though.