Celebrities Who Smoke: Ron Perlman | JR Blending Room | Blending Room

April 28, 2025

Ron Perlman is a larger-than-life persona, best known to many as the title character in the Hellboy movies. More recently, he starred as the voice of Optimus Prime in the 2023 movie Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

Photographers often capture Perlman with a cigar in hand. Brian Bowen Smith took an iconic shot of the star perched on a motorcycle and lighting a cigar for a 2014 Cigar Aficionado cover.

Let’s briefly tour the actor’s career before diving into some candidates for Ron Perlman’s favorite cigar.

Who is Ron Perlman?

Ronald N. Perlman was born on April 13, 1950. He grew up in Washington Heights in New York City and struggled with his self-image because he was overweight as a child.

Perlman turned this into a strength, feeling drawn towards acting roles featuring “deformed people who are very endearing.” Hellboy is one example of this, but the best is his role as the Beast in the 1987–90 TV series Beauty and the Beast. The actor won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series for that role in 1989.

How is Ron Perlman Famous?

People know Perlman for his acting work. He’s a talented character actor, often appearing in significant leading and supporting roles.

Other career credits include:

• Police Academy: Mission to Moscow (1994).
• Alien: Resurrection (1997).
• Enemy at the Gates (2001).
• Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).

Does Ron Perlman Smoke?

Ron Perlman said, “Smoking a cigar, you have to take your act down a notch. It’s such an esoteric thing; it demands that you give it your attention. Some people meditate; I smoke cigars.”

The actor explained to Cigar Aficionado how a friend introduced him to high-quality smokes, which deepened his love for cigars. “I branched out and became a serious fan of cigar smoking,” he said. “It felt right; it did so much for me spiritually.”

An ‘almost’ moment for Ron Perlman cigars

After a local tobacconist inspired him by hand-rolling leftover leaves into great blends, Perlman considered becoming a cigar maker. “It was like turning water into wine—it tasted that good,” the actor told the lifestyle magazine.

He spent a week in the Dominican Republic tasting tobaccos as he planned a line of smokes. But Hollywood had other plans, and his acting career soon took over his time.

“I got distracted and never did end up developing it,” he admitted. “But my love for cigars was such that I wanted to present the world with my version of the cigar you could smoke every day.”

What are Ron Perlman’s favorite cigars?

If you’re looking for the perfect Ron Perlman cigar, here are a few linked to the actor in articles, interviews, and acting roles over the years.

Arturo Fuente Corona

Perlman started with the Arturo Fuente Corona, which he described as “not too big, not too small, not too intimidating.” But he also explored other vitolas in the Arturo Fuente Cigars family.

“I became obsessed with Fuente cigars,” he told Cigar Aficionado. “I discovered many different sizes through Fuente: the Hemingway, the Corona, the Churchill. That’s where I developed my taste for certain sizes and styles.”

Joya de Nicaragua Antano Gran Consul

The Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Gran Cónsul is a 4.75 x 60 full-flavor smoke with a cedar, espresso, and earth flavor profile. Perlman smoked it in character as Clay Morrow, president of the motorcycle club in the TV series Sons of Anarchy.

“It’s the perfect size with incredible flavor,” he stated in the same interview. “It may be the best value on the market. It’s what Clay smokes on the show. Although the Churchill is delicious, you want to be able to take your time and smoke it and just let life happen.”

Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona

Later in the interview, Perlman professed his love for the Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona, although he admitted “they’re hard to get.”

Ron Perlman’s favorite cigar is the Cuban Hoyo de Monterrey Churchill, as noted in several previous interviews.

Cohiba Cigars

Perlman shared a photo of himself with a cigar-smoking woman on Facebook in 2017. He captioned it, “I break for Cohibas.”

The US embargoes Cuban Cohibas, but authentic recreations like the JR Edición Limitada Alternative Cohiba Behike Laguito No. 6 are available. These are the next best thing, readily available, and won’t break the bank.