Doug Jones

Acting

Doug Jones (born May 24, 1960) is an American actor, contortionist, and mime artist. He is best known for performing in character roles, often portraying non-human creatures, usually via heavy make-up and visual effects. He has most notably collaborated with acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, appearing in the films Mimic (1997), Hellboy (2004), Pan's Labyrinth (2006), Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), Crimson Peak (2015), and The Shape of Water (2017).

Jones has also had roles in other films, including Hocus Pocus (1993) and its sequel (2022), Tank Girl (1995), The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (2005), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Absentia (2011), Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016), and The Bye Bye Man (2017). He has appeared in the science fiction series Falling Skies (2013-15) and del Toro's horror series The Strain (2014-16). From 2017 to 2024, he portrayed Saru in the science fiction series Star Trek: Discovery. From 2019 to 2023, he portrayed Baron Afanas in the vampire comedy show What We Do in the Shadows, appearing both with and without creature makeup.