Ron Perlman has compared acting to having sex.

The 72-year-old 'Hellboy' star opened up about his on-set technique during an interview with trade publication Variety during a trip to Saudi Arabia for a screening of his new movie 'How I Got There' and he insisted the craft of acting is much more intimate than most would think.

He said: "Acting's a very intimate form of discovery. It's something that happens in stages. First, you read it, to try to understand the world you're entering into, and your place in that world, then you give your interpretation of it. You're being watched by a filmmaker who has the whole thing in his mind. It's almost like sex."

Ron then added: "It's very intimate, and it's very, very personal."

The actor went on to express his fear that the rise of streaming services like Netflix is leading to a decline in cinema-goers who are missing out on a transformative experience.

Ron explained: "My kids, who only know streaming, don't know what they're missing. The advent of people not leaving their homes to get their culture is taking away one of the great dimensions of the way we get our culture. You should leave your f****** house. That's basically one of the essential strengths of cinema, to experience our commonality."

Ron previously cited Marlon Brando as his acting inspiration and wishes he'd been more communicative with him when they worked together on 1996 movie 'The Island of Dr Moreau'.

He told The Independent: "He’s my acting idol. But being around him made me very quiet. I wasn’t me around him. I felt like I wasn’t worthy.

"I wish I had another shot at Marlon. He just loved to laugh. If me and Marlon were hanging out now, we’d have a great f****** time."