The engaging, passionate, always-honest, and often-hilarious memoir of actor Ron Perlman,his triumphant story of perseverance and determination navigating the slippery slopes of Hollywood, with a foreword by Guillermo del ToroRon Perlman was a kid who had a myriad of self-image issues, yet he triumphed in an industry that trades on image and self-confidence. He landed a leading role in Quest for Fire , won a Golden Globe for Beauty and the Beast , and played the title role in two Hellboy movies, becoming along the way an icon among sci-fi and comic book fans worldwide.In Easy Street (the Hard Way) , Ron shares his life story, starting with his up-by-your-bootstraps background in New York's Washington Heights. He sheds light on his life as a working actor offers behind-the-scenes insight into the working styles of directors, including Jean-Jacques Annaud, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and Guillermo del Toro ( Hellboy and the Academy award-winning Pan's Labyrinth ) and provides a peek into Hollywood, where he's encountered Marlon Brando, Sean Connery, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., and others. He also turns his eye on the trajectory of American culture,the good and the bad,as observed by a man who started out in a mom-and-pop world where the arts were disseminated by individuals rather than corporations.Ron's memoir will inspire anyone who has ever dared to dream and offers a roadmap to the next generation of dreamers.