Comic-Con: Benicio, the Wolf Man

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Unannounced star Benicio Del Toro introduced ‘The Wolf Man’ trailer as he sat beside costar Emily Blunt and makeup/FX guru Rick Baker.

Baker enjoyed the experience, and let it be known that ‘Bene’ is ‘a monster fan. Everytime we’d do the makeup, he’d come in with a different magazine’ showcasing the Wolf Man or another monster movie. And for Del Toro, it was definitely a role he wanted.

‘Becoming [the Wolf Man], putting it on and getting in character ... that was exciting,’ said Del Toro. ‘It was taking it off that was difficult.’

Blunt, for her part, did not believe it was difficult to act in.

‘When I heard they were doing a monster movie, I said ‘Hey, I can run and I can scream,’ said Blunt. ‘The first time I saw it [Benicio in full makeup], it was really disconcerting. ... I really was running. In a corset!’

Many of the questions were directed toward Rick Baker, Here’s a sampling:

Is the makeup harder to do on a movie like ‘Wolf Man’ as opposed to ‘Norbit?’

Baker: The makeup, like a Mr. Wong, an older Asian man played by Eddie Murphy [in ‘Coming to America’], was actually harder to do than ‘The Wolf Man.’

Practical makeup & effects versus CGI?

I think that if it’s done right, they can actually work hand in hand. [For ‘The Wolf Man],
it’s more of an old-fashioned gothic film.

Can you comment on Stan Winston’s passing?

It’s really so sad to lose Stan ... People always thought that we hated each other because we competed for the same jobs. And they’re right. I hated him ... He was a bastard ... But really, it’s a wonderful thing when you have someone [who’s your rival] that cares about what you’re doing so much, it helps you out.

-- Jevon Phillips