Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
Don't miss these
Fallout 3
Fallout Fallout 3, 4, Skyrim, and Starfield lead says Deus Ex was a "huge influence" on him and his RPGs at Bethesda
Fallout 4
Fallout Fallout 4 was "missing something," but Todd Howard helped confirm "there should be this overriding sense of paranoia"
Fallout screenshots from Retro Gamer Magazine issue 186
Fallout Most of the original Fallout's humor was added just to make creator Tim Cain laugh: "We made this game for each other"
A Vault-Dweller with a backpack looks at their Pip-Boy in front of the Vault door
Tabletop Gaming New Fallout solo RPG lets you go off the beaten track, no gamemaster or party required
Walton Goggins as Cooper Howard in a suit of power armor in Fallout season 2 episode 5
Sci-Fi Shows Fallout season 2 Easter eggs and cameos: All the nods to New Vegas and the Fallout video games you might have missed
Justin Theroux as Robert House in Fallout season 2
Sci-Fi Shows Fallout season 2 doubles down on not committing to a canon New Vegas ending – thanks to one Courier line
Kingsport Lighthouse settlement in Fallout 4
Fallout Fallout 4 is a great RPG, but it took 10 years and a radioactive lighthouse for me to see it
Fallout
Games Tim Cain worked 70+ hours a week making Fallout not because of crunch, but because "we loved what we were doing"
Fallout 2 promotional art
Fallout Fallout was a "B-tier side project" compared to the D&D "money teams" at Interplay, says series co-creator Tim Cain
Fallout 4
Fallout Fallout co-creator showed the engine that would eventually power the RPG at a secret after-hours pizza party
Fallout 3
Fallout Making Fallout, Bethesda Game Studios realized "being realistic sometimes isn't fun" in games, dev says
Dogmeat
Fallout After 10,000 hours, Ghost in the Shell lead still hasn't done Fallout 4's main quest as he just hangs out with Dogmeat
Ron Perlman as a Supermutant in Fallout season 2
Sci-Fi Shows Despite briefly appearing in season 2, Fallout showrunner says Ron Perlman's Supermutant will figure into future seasons
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout "I don't think Bethesda hates Fallout," says New Vegas lead, "they just don't fully understand its roots"
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout Fallout: New Vegas lead writer says "you can't just make your tyrants cardboard villains"
  1. Games
  2. RPGs
  3. Fallout

Fallout narrator and Hollywood legend Ron Perlman says he joined the RPG franchise for "$40 and a sandwich," wondered "why?" after being informed there was more than one game

News
By Ashley Bardhan published 12 January 2026

What's a little Fallout to a Hellboy?

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Fallout 3
(Image credit: Bethesda)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
0
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Legendary actor – and one of the most impressive chins in Hollywood – Ron Perlman has narrated nearly every Fallout game since the first RPG released in 1997, and he couldn't care less. It was a decision he made when he was hungry.

"They gave me $40 and a sandwich," Perlman says about agreeing to assist Interplay with Fallout in the '90s in a recent episode of The Joe Vulpis Podcast. "A year-and-a-half later, I get a call, 'Hey, you remember Fallout?' 'No.' 'Well, there's a second one.' I go, 'Why?'"

A stunned Perlman was informed the game – which sold a seriously impressive 100,000 copies by the end of '97 – "went through the fuckin' roof."

You may like
  • Ron Perlman as a Supermutant in Fallout season 2 After once being paid "$40 and a sandwich" for Fallout, Ron Perlman returns in a surprise Fallout season 2 cameo
  • Ron Perlman as a Supermutant in Fallout season 2 Despite briefly appearing in season 2, Fallout showrunner says Ron Perlman's Supermutant will figure into future seasons
  • Fallout 4 Bethesda didn't think Fallout 4 having voiced protagonists in the RPG would be so controversial

"I go, 'Really? Cool,'" he says. "Do the second one, and then, a year later, the third, the fourth… and now, it's like a whole brand. I didn't see that coming."

Perlman has never even played Fallout. He summarizes his time with the game like this: "I did a couple of lines, and, you know, got my $40 and my sandwich and went home." It had been seven years since he'd performed his breakout role as Vincent on the show Beauty and the Beast, and there were still seven more years to go until he'd play the title character in Guillermo del Toro's cult classic Hellboy.

"I'm not a gamer [...], I wouldn't know which game goes into which piece of hardware. I've never played any of the games," he muses, having spent a reasonable chunk of his career acting in a shopping list of AAA games like Call of Duty, Halo 2, Halo 3, and more. Anyway, "this whole Fallout thing is like a mystery to me."

"I don't think Bethesda hates Fallout," says New Vegas lead, "they just don't fully understand its roots and arguably, don't care."

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
TOPICS
Bethesda Softworks Bethesda Game Studios
CATEGORIES
PS5 PS4 Xbox Series X Xbox One PC Gaming Platforms PlayStation Xbox
Ashley Bardhan
Ashley Bardhan
Social Links Navigation
Senior Writer

Ashley is a Senior Writer at GamesRadar+. She's been a staff writer at Kotaku and Inverse, too, and she's written freelance pieces about horror and women in games for sites like Rolling Stone, Vulture, IGN, and Polygon. When she's not covering gaming news, she's usually working on expanding her doll collection while watching Saw movies one through 11.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
Ron Perlman as a Supermutant in Fallout season 2
After once being paid "$40 and a sandwich" for Fallout, Ron Perlman returns in a surprise Fallout season 2 cameo
 
 
Ron Perlman as a Supermutant in Fallout season 2
Despite briefly appearing in season 2, Fallout showrunner says Ron Perlman's Supermutant will figure into future seasons
 
 
Fallout 4
Bethesda didn't think Fallout 4 having voiced protagonists in the RPG would be so controversial
 
 
Fallout New Vegas
RPG legend Josh Sawyer figured his "dream" of making a Fallout game was dead – until New Vegas came along
 
 
Fallout 2 promotional art
Fallout was a "B-tier side project" compared to the D&D "money teams" at Interplay, says series co-creator Tim Cain
 
 
Fallout screenshots from Retro Gamer Magazine issue 186
Most of the original Fallout's humor was added just to make creator Tim Cain laugh: "We made this game for each other"
 
 
Latest in Fallout
Fallout 4
Fallout 4 was "missing something," but Todd Howard helped confirm "there should be this overriding sense of paranoia"
 
 
Fallout New Vegas
No, a Fallout New Vegas remaster isn't coming from the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 dev
 
 
Fallout 3
Fallout 3, 4, Skyrim, and Starfield lead says Deus Ex was a "huge influence" on him and his RPGs at Bethesda
 
 
Fallout New Vegas screenshot showing a sniper looking over the wasteland from the jaws of a dinosaur statue
Fallout: New Vegas remaster rumors get fresh ammo as Fallout 76 support studio posts a familiar loading screen
 
 
A character in power armor talks to Dogmeat in Fallout 4
Fallout 4 is now on Switch 2, and first impressions say it's way better than the disastrous Skyrim port last year
 
 
Posing with a rifle in the Fallout 76 Ghoul update
The Bethesda game Todd Howard is most proud of isn't Skyrim, it's Fallout 76, even though "it didn't launch great"
 
 
Latest in News
Battlefield 6
Battlefield 6 designers say developers have a "responsibility" to make games intuitive
 
 
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Gustave winces
"The first track spoils the whole game": Clair Obscur Expedition 33 dev confirms it was filling your ears with spoilers
 
 
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lead Gustave faces a gommage
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 took inspiration from a surprising anime - Soul Eater creator's Fire Force
 
 
A close-up of Grace talking with someone through glass in Resident Evil Requiem
Resident Evil Requiem leads let actors re-do "technically" perfect scenes if it made them happy, says Grace actor
 
 
Kratos approaches Aphrodite's bedchamber in God of War 3
"The God of War sex mini-games were designed by women," which is why Aphrodite's bed looks "like a labia"
 
 
Alan Ritchson in Reacher season 3
Reacher star Alan Ritchson says season 4 is coming this year: "It's by far the best season we've had yet"
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Emily Rudd as Nami and Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy in Netflix's One Piece
    1
    One Piece season 2 ending explained: Who is Mr. Zero? Who dies? Will there be a season 3?
  2. 2
    Where to read in the manga and what episodes to watch after One Piece season 2
  3. 3
    One Piece season 2 review: "It's hard to imagine a better version of One Piece in live action"
  4. 4
    Everything we know so far about One Piece season 3
  5. 5
    The best anime shows to watch after Netflix's One Piece season 2

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...