In 1980, Doug Jones slipped into costume as Charlie Cardinal. As he ran around the basketball court, his gestures, expressions and movements defined his portrayal of the mascot. Yet he remained hidden - cloaked in mystery. He's since made a habit of it.
One of the Hollywood's most sought-after character actors, Jones has made a living out of hiding behind makeup, mask and mystery. Jones may rarely appear unmasked in his films, but that hasn't stopped the actor from making an impression in more than 60 film and TV credits. He was the Pale Man and Pan the Faun in "Pan's Labyrinth," Abe Sapien in "Hellboy" and this Friday stars as the Silver Surfer in "The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer."
A self-described "creature actor," Jones has another credit to his resume: Ball State alumnus.
Jones, a 1982 graduate with a major in telecommunications and a minor in theater, said his Ball State experience and professors helped him understand the importance of acting and shaped his understanding of the craft. Jones' Ball State experience remains fundamental to his development as an actor.
"I felt very confident with what Ball State inspired in me," Jones said in an e-mail interview while in Budapest filming "Hellboy 2."
"Dr. Al English was so good at getting into the soul of acting, creating a character from inside," he said.
Although he acted in plays - unmasked - while at Ball State, Jones' career has taken a more unusual turn.
"I thought I was ripening up to become a goofy neighbor on a TV sitcom."
His first high-profile role came as The Thin Clown in 1993's "Batman Returns." He played various characters in film and TV before he scored the biggest small role of his career in Guillermo Del Toro's "Mimic." While the role was small, its effect wasn't. Del Toro was impressed with Jones - and the actor has become the Uma Thurman to Del Toro's Quentin Tarantino. Over the last 10 years, Jones has worked with the director three times - in 2004's "Hellboy," 2006's "Pan's Labyrinth" and "Hellboy 2," which is in production.
John Zander, Jones' public relations agent, said Del Toro was so impressed with Jones' work in "Mimic" that the director has said he will never work with a different "creature" actor.
"When his movies have creatures in them, it will always be Doug," Zander said. "And his movies will always have creatures in them."
Gilbert Bloom, professor emeritus in Department of Theatre and Dance, was teaching when Jones went to school. Bloom has kept in touch with Jones through the years. He maintains that Jones' acting ability is what makes his characters jump off the screen.
"I know there are people who recommend him for a job because of quality of his work," Bloom said. "He's very well-respected."
Del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth" won three Academy Awards, including Best Achievement in Art Direction and Best Achievement in Makeup.
For "Pan's Labyrinth" entirely Spanish script, Jones refused to allow another actor do the voice work. Instead, Jones learned all his lines in Spanish. While Del Toro ultimately decided to dub another actor over Jones' lines, Jones' timing and pauses were invaluable to the character.
"I was terrified at the beginning, and needed to know that the role could be salvaged if I couldn't get the Spanish dialogue," Jones said. "Later, if another actor was brought in to dub over me, they had to go off my original performance - with my timing, my pauses - everything."
Jones' four biggest roles - Sapien, The Pale Man, Pan and The Silver Surfer - have all been dubbed. In the case of his work in "Pan's Labyrinth," Del Toro hired another actor because of the language barrier.
"I think he's sometimes upset he doesn't get recognition," Bloom said.
Despite the lack of recognition, Jones believes what he does is important.
"All I know is that acting is acting," Jones said. "Either way, I still have to find the heart and soul of that character and make any role I do a full body experience."
Despite Jones' anonymity - he's rarely seen in film without heavy makeup - he remains one of the most prolific actors in Hollywood. Jones' career status has afforded him a degree of creative freedom - Zander can't remember the last time Jones had to audition for a role.
"The type of work he gets, he gets because he's the best at what he does," Zander said.
Yet for an actor who has carved out such a niche - and successful - place in cinema, Jones' career remains blissfully anonymous - but Jones' work as of late has raised the actor's profile. Still, he relishes his privacy.
"I really enjoy the best of both worlds, though ... When I show up at a red carpet event or fan convention it's announced who I am. And I get to be a celebrity that day. But on off days - when I want to crawl into a Starbucks unshowered in my sweats - I have the luxury of no one knowing who I am."
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