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Doug Jones has had a historic career. He’s played Saru in Star Trek: Discovery, Baron Afanas in What We Do in the Shadows, Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and plenty of monster and creature roles.

However, one of his greatest memories was being a background player in Batman Returns.

“In Batman Returns Danny DeVito played Penguin, and I was in his Red Triangle Circus gang,” Doug Jones recalls during a panel at Tampa Bay Comic Convention. “I was called ‘Thin Clown.’ Appropriate. He was fantastic. By the way, he stood about half my height. And he called me kid. That was thirtysomething years ago. ‘[DeVito impression] Hey kid, how are you doing today.’ ‘[Nervously] Good Mr. DeVito. He noticed me!’”

“We had makeup chairs next to each other. And that Penguin makeup was [chef’s kiss]. Ve Neill, the brilliant makeup artist. She designed my favorite clown makeup as well. That’s when I met her and we’re still friends to this day. Danny was hilarious, and great, and a trooper, because that whole suit was heavy and cumbersome for him too.”

The next time you watch Batman Returns look for Jones. He’s the clown who says, “Great speech, Oswald,” after Penguin’s mayoral bid falls apart.

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