Guillermo Del Toro’s Key Creature Collaborator Doug Jones On Shedding Makeup (Mostly) For ‘Operation Taco Gary’s’

After wearing heavy makeup and prosthetics for the classic Guillermo del Toro films Hellboy and its sequel, Pan’s Labyrinth, Crimson Peak and The Shape of Water — in addition to dozens of other movies and TV shows — film icon Doug Jones said he is moving on to a new phase in his acting career.

That’s not to say Jones is going to ditch movie makeup completely; he’s just going to wear a lot less of it, as he does as a powerful alien humanoid in the new indie sci-fi comedy Operation Taco Gary’s.

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“This movie came along at the right time because it’s kind of a transition piece for me. I am not playing quite so many rubber-clad, glued-on monsters anymore,” Jones said in a recent Zoom conversation. “I’m playing more humans in the last couple of years and Operation Taco Gary’s gave me a chance to be an alien, but one who looked like Doug Jones.

“So, I basically was in a bald cap, some lighter bluish gray makeup and some gold contact lenses,” Jones added. “You can still tell it’s me, but it’s in my wheelhouse of not-quite human roles.”

As far as a costume, Jones’ alien character in Operation Taco Gary’s is basically next to nothing in comparison to the elaborate prosthetic suits he’s worn in the past. Basically, Jones’ extraterrestrial wears an apron and a gold Speedo.

“I’m 65 years old now and no one — no one — at my age should be wearing a gold Speedo,” Jones cracked. “Yeah, nothing else besides an apron, and I’m still in pretty good darn good shape!”

Shiny attire aside, Jones said he enjoyed the fewer physical restrictions placed upon him as alien in Operation Taco Gary’s in comparison to the full body makeup and prosthetics he wore for his del Toro characters, including Abe Sapien and The Angel of Death in the Hellboy movies, the Faun and the Pale Man in Pan’s Labyrinth, and the Amphibian Man in The Shape of Water.

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“In films like The Shape of Water, for instance, I was encased in this latex foam rubber suit all day, and there are certain bodily functions that you have to time out,” Jones mused. “At my age, it’s not smart to try to dehydrate yourself in order to not have to go … So, when I was an alien in Operation Taco Gary’s, it was just like ‘Whoop!’ with the Speedo so I could do my bathroom business if I needed to.”

Doug Jones Enjoyed Playing A Character For Laughs

Opening in theaters nationwide on Friday, Operation Taco Gary’s follows a pair of estranged brothers, Danny (Simon Rex) and Luke (Dustin Milligan), who embark on a cross-country road trip in a bid to stop a global takeover by aliens who are operating out of a taco joint called Taco Gary’s.

Doug Jones stars as the alien leader, simply known as the Elder, who possesses particularly harsh powers involving guacamole and salsa should any humans get out of line.

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Written and directed by Mikey K — whose real name is Michael Kvamme — in his feature film debut, Operation Taco Gary’s also stars Brenda Song, Tony Cavelero, Arturo Castro and Jason Biggs.

While Jones has starred in his fair share of sci-fi and projects — from his films with Guillermo del Toro to Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (as the Silver Surfer) and the series Star Trek: Discovery (as Saru) — he rarely gets an opportunity to exercise his comedic chops.

Operation Taco Gary’s, however, turned out to be just what the doctor ordered.

“Comedy has always been my first love, believe it or not. And even though my career has consisted of more science fiction, comic books and superhero-kind of fantasy, comedy is really what I grew up watching and loving,” Jones enthused.

“So, when I got the chance to do something like my recurring role as the Baron in What We Do in the Shadows, I was in heaven being able to laugh all day,” Jones added. “On Operation Taco Gary’s, that’s all we did. We laughed all day because we were doing the zaniest, off-the-wall material.”

Operation Taco Gary’s opens Friday in theaters nationwide.

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