Actor Ron Perlman, who stars in Universal Pictures' movie, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and can be seen in the recent 20th Century Fox DVD release, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, has been active in the convergence of Hollywood and video games over the years. The actor was recently heard in THQ's Conan game, and Disney Interactive's Turok reboot.

"The only games I played growing up were outdoor ones; including stickball and scully, games indigenous to growing up on the streets of New York," said Perlman, who has embraced games as another form of acting. When signing on for Uwe Boll's $70 million Dungeon Siege adaptation, he didn't know it was based on Gas Powered Games' video game.

"I am not nor have I ever been a video game devotee," said Perlman. "I was not familiar with Dungeon Siege. Nor was I familiar with Hellboy, the comic book. Of course, once one is assigned to making decisions concerning the acting challenges that come with the filming process, one immerses oneself to the degree possible so as to give as well-rounded a performance as one can. I'd love to become more familiar with the game and see where this (movie) came from."

In the Name of the King is among a crowded field of film adaptations based on video games, which includes this October's Max Payne and next year's Street Fighter reboot focusing on Chun Li -- both from 20th Century Fox.

"There is a logical jumping off point to the adaptation of video games into films just as there is to other forms like comic books, and that is the intrinsic theatricality of those forms as infused by the creative forces behind them," explained Perlman. "The goal of movie studios is the same as those of publishers of books, comics and games; that is to reach the widest number of potential audience members as is possible. A cool idea is a cool idea, no matter what its original form was."

There are those in Hollywood who have called video games the "new comics" as far as source material for films. Perlman remembers that 10 years ago, "we were having the same conversation about comics because there was a proliferation of comics being made into movies."

"The fact of the matter is that anything that's theatrical in nature and loans itself to fantastical elements that make for great storytelling, that's grist for the mill," said the actor. "It's almost as if the tail is wagging the dog in a sense. We've grown more used to video games being an adjunct to cinema, but now it's the other way around. As a film script, this thing (In the Name of the King) stands on its own two feet very, very well and it has some beautiful things to say and show."

The actor has a long resume of voice acting for animated shows like "Teen Titans," "Justice League," "Afro Samurai" and "The Batman." He's also parlayed that talent in the burgeoning video game business, he's reprising his Hellboy roll for Konami Digital Entertainment's new game, Hellboy: The Science of Evil and he can be heard as the narrator in the much-anticipated Fallout 3 from Bethesda Softworks.

"I think artists are constantly looking for ways to contribute new levels of creativity to old forms, perhaps forms that might have been considered weak sisters in the past," said Perlman. "So great artists, who are also the most visionary, feel they have something to add, whether it be music videos, games, or whatever new forms are in the pipeline."

On the opposite side of Hollywood convergence, Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy franchise has been turned into an original game by Konami with the help of the director and comic book creator Mike Mignola.

"The same goes for the Hellboy game," said Perlman. "I have not played it, nor have I seen it played. But anything that contributes to the general public's engagement and interest in as beloved a character as Hellboy is to me is of major concern to me. I too, would like to reach the broadest audience possible."

Since the game will be shipping before the summer Hellboy sequel, fans will be able to explore a new story that lasts much longer than the two-hour movie. It also allowed the actor the chance to skip the prosthetics chair.

"The main freedom that comes with voice acting is not having to shave... or wear pants," said Perlman. "I like voice acting because you're in and you're out and in one day you cover a whole lot of ground. You're completely going for as theatrical result as possible without going through weeks and weeks of rehearsals. I've done a lot of voices for cartoons and the new market is video games. I segued into that. I just like it. I have a great time going for the gusto on the first time out. You're performing on a completely instinctive level. There's no time to think or massage a character. Whatever your first instincts are -- that's what the player is receiving."

Perlman has watched the game business explode into a nearly $40 billion global industry over the years.

"I think it's like everything else," said Perlman. "Things start off very primal and the pioneers in any new industry don't know what they have and where they're going. As they try out things, the more cinematic games become, the more they capture the imagination of the audience. Games now are starting to really borrow from cinema and storytelling in suspense and theatricality. I see an evolution whereby that media is becoming more sophisticated."

The actor was even part of the most successful video game franchise of all time.

"I did a voice in Halo 2 and that was like being in a big Disney animated feature," said Perlman. "The same type of care and sophistication went into each of those characters and they really went after top-drawer actors to do the voices, myself not included, of course. They were scraping the bottom of the barrel when they got me, but they knew I needed the work."

Perlman's self-deprecating sense of humor keeps things fresh on the sets of his films, even when he's buried beneath latex and paint. And although he's not a gamer, he keeps active in the game space.

"I can only judge games on the level of what my experience acting the roles offered to me was like," explained Perlman. "And I thought the writing for these games was smart and well realized, with the extra added attraction of Guillermo's personal involvement in the Hellboy game."

Perlman said Hellboy holds a special place in his heart, and is the only character worth the tedious hours of make-up.

"After a lifetime of fairly consistently transforming myself through special effects make-ups I have resolved to pull away from that process," said Perlman. "That is, unless a character comes along for which the process is worthwhile. The enthusiasm I possess for the character that Guillermo Del Toro adapted for the screen far outweighs the sacrifices that come with putting on the make-up. And as far as the big picture goes, there are worlds of jobs that are much harder to do than sitting in a make-up chair entails. I consider myself blessed for every opportunity that has ever come my way."

And fans of his diverse offerings of fantasy, from "Beauty and the Beast" to Hellboy, likely feel blessed by his performances, as well.