'The Whole Fallout Thing Is a Mystery to Me' — Ron Perlman Jokes He Was Paid '$40 and a Sandwich' to Record Iconic 'War Never Changes' Intro for Fallout 1

Hellboy prima Ron Perlman has expressed his bemusement astatine the Fallout franchise and his legendary presumption wrong it arsenic narrator of each the video games, joking helium was paid "$40 and a sandwich" to grounds his iconic “war ne'er changes” enactment for Fallout 1.

Perlman archetypal recorded the "war ne'er changes" enactment arsenic portion of the intro for 1997's Fallout video game. He's played the narrator for beauteous overmuch each Fallout video crippled since, with the "war ne'er changes" enactment becoming seared into the memories of a legion of fans. It’s a enactment that adjacent made it into Amazon’s Fallout TV show, though Perlman didn’t accidental it himself.

Ron Perlman astatine the premiere of Fallout Season 2 successful Los Angeles, California. Photo by Steve Granitz/FilmMagic.

Speaking connected the Joe Vulpis Podcast, Perlman clarified that he’s not a gamer, truthful overmuch truthful that “I wouldn't cognize which crippled goes into which portion of hardware.” Perhaps much surprising, helium says he’s ne'er played a Fallout video crippled ever — not adjacent for a minute. “This full Fallout happening is similar a enigma to me,” helium added.

It’s worthy noting that Perlman isn’t expressing choler astatine his paltry paycheck for Fallout 1 present (it was astir 30 years agone aft all). He's not adjacent needfully saying helium was really paid $40. And it sounds similar it was a throwaway brushwood adjacent successful his caput backmost then, due to the fact that helium had forgot each astir Fallout erstwhile helium got the telephone to travel successful for Fallout 2 the pursuing year.

"They invited maine to bash the precise archetypal Fallout backmost successful the '90s, I think,” Perlman said. “They gave maine $40 and a sandwich. And a twelvemonth and a fractional later, I get a call: 'Hey, you retrieve Fallout?' 'No.' ‘Well, there's a 2nd one.' I go, 'Why?' 'Because the archetypal 1 went done the f***ing roof.' I go, 'Really? Cool.' Do the 2nd one, and past a twelvemonth aboriginal the third, fourth, and present it's similar a full brand. I didn't spot that coming."

While Perlman is the narrator of Fallout, he’s ne'er really played a Fallout quality before. At least, that's what helium says. "I've ne'er been successful the game,” helium insisted. “I conscionable did a mates lines and, you know, got my $40 and my sandwich and went home." Did helium hide helium voiced Butch Harris, Far Go Traders caravan leader, successful Fallout 1 arsenic good arsenic the intro?

Tim Cain, 1 of the main creators of the archetypal Fallout, has spoken astir Perlman’s relation successful the games before. Posting connected the Obsidian forums backmost successful 2015, Cain said helium wrote the intro to Fallout, including the “war ne'er changes” line, and described Perlman arsenic “a large narrator,” adding: “He managed to dependable decisive and bittersweet astatine the aforesaid time.”

$40 and a sandwich successful hand, Perlman went connected to play roles successful a fig of video games, including Lord Hood successful Halo 2 and Halo 3. And the aforesaid twelvemonth Fallout 1 came out, Alien Resurrection, successful which helium played mercenary Johner, deed theaters, helping Perlman scope caller heights. Perhaps his astir iconic movie role, however, is the much-loved Hellboy, which came retired successful 2004.

Photo by Steve Granitz/FilmMagic.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].