Honestly, when you think about the actors in Beauty and the Beast TV series, your mind probably splits in two directions. You’ve either got the 1980s neon-noir vibes of Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton or the CW-era angst of Jay Ryan and Kristin Kreuk. It’s wild how different they are. One is a literal underground Shakespearean drama, and the other is a high-stakes police procedural with a side of genetic mutation.
Both versions worked because of the people in front of the camera. Without that specific chemistry, the whole "monster meets girl" trope just falls flat and feels kinda cheesy. But these actors? They made you believe it.
The OG Powerhouse: Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton
In 1987, nobody expected a show about a lion-man living in the New York subways to become a cultural phenomenon. But then Ron Perlman stepped into the prosthetics of Vincent. Most people know Perlman now as Hellboy or the terrifying Clay Morrow from Sons of Anarchy, but Vincent was his breakout.
He didn't just wear the mask; he acted through it. That’s a rare skill. He had this deep, rumbling voice that sounded like velvet and gravel at the same time. He won a Golden Globe for it in 1989, which is basically unheard of for a guy in full lion makeup.
Then there’s Linda Hamilton. Before she was the ripped, shotgun-toting Sarah Connor in Terminator 2, she was Catherine Chandler. She played a corporate lawyer turned investigator, and she brought a grounded, gritty reality to a show that could have easily been too "fairy tale."
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The chemistry between them was mostly emotional and psychic. They weren't even in the same room half the time, but when Vincent sensed Catherine was in trouble, you felt it.
The Supporting Players of the 80s
- Roy Dotrice as "Father": He was the patriarch of the World Below. If his voice sounds familiar, it’s probably because he narrated the A Song of Ice and Fire audiobooks. He was a legend.
- Jay Acovone as Joe Maxwell: Catherine's boss at the D.A.'s office. He brought that classic 80s "tough New York cop" energy.
- Armin Shimerman as Pascal: Long before he was Quark on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, he was part of the underground community.
It’s worth noting that George R.R. Martin (yes, the Game of Thrones guy) was actually a writer and producer on this version. You can definitely see those fingerprints in the world-building and the tragic turns the plot took.
The 2012 Reboot: A Different Kind of Beast
Fast forward to the CW era. The 2012 version of the actors in Beauty and the Beast TV series took a massive turn. Instead of a mystical lion-man, we got Jay Ryan as Vincent Keller, a former soldier who was part of a "super-soldier" experiment gone wrong.
Basically, he turned into a beast when he got angry or his adrenaline spiked. It was very Incredible Hulk meets The Fugitive.
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Kristin Kreuk played Catherine "Cat" Chandler. Coming off the massive success of Smallville where she played Lana Lang, Kreuk was the perfect choice for a lead who needed to be both vulnerable and physically capable as an NYPD detective.
The dynamic here was way more "hot-and-heavy" than the 80s version. Fans—who called themselves "Beasties"—obsessed over the "VinCat" relationship. Jay Ryan, a New Zealand actor who had to hide his accent for the role, brought a lot of physical intensity to Vincent. He spent hours in makeup too, though his "beast" look was mostly scars and some facial shifting rather than the full-head mask Perlman wore.
The CW Supporting Cast
- Austin Basis (J.T. Forbes): He was the quintessential "best friend/tech genius" who kept Vincent’s secret. Honestly, the show would’ve been way darker without his comic relief.
- Nina Lisandrello (Tess Vargas): Cat’s partner on the force. Their friendship felt real, especially when Tess eventually found out the truth about Vincent.
- Sendhil Ramamurthy (Gabe Lowan): He joined in season one as a D.A. and became a major foil for Vincent. If you recognize him, it’s likely from Heroes.
- Nicole Gale Anderson (Heather Chandler): She played Cat’s younger sister and brought a lot of the "normal life" drama to the series.
What Happened to the Cast?
Linda Hamilton’s exit from the 1987 show is still a bit of a sore spot for old-school fans. She got pregnant and decided to leave, which led to Catherine’s tragic death at the start of season three. It basically killed the show's momentum. She went on to become one of the greatest action icons of all time.
Ron Perlman, on the other hand, became the king of prosthetics. Between Hellboy and his voice work in Fallout ("War... war never changes"), he’s never really stopped working.
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For the 2012 crew, Kristin Kreuk moved on to produce and star in Burden of Truth, a legal drama that ran for four seasons. Jay Ryan landed a massive role as the adult Ben Hanscom in It Chapter Two, which was pretty huge for him.
Why We Still Care About These Casts
The 1987 series was about the "otherness" of people. The 2012 series was more about the beast within us and the government conspiracies that create them.
Despite the different tones, both shows relied on the lead actors to carry the "impossible" nature of the premise. If you didn't believe Vincent and Catherine loved each other, the show was just a guy in a mask or a guy with some scars.
The actors made it more than that. They made it about the loneliness of being different and the hope of finding someone who sees past the surface.
If you're looking to dive back into these shows, the 1987 version is great for its poetic, atmospheric storytelling. The 2012 version is your go-to for serialized mystery and high-stakes romance. Both are worth a watch just to see how these actors handled such bizarre, beautiful material.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Check out the original 1987 pilot to see Ron Perlman's incredible makeup work by Rick Baker.
- Follow Kristin Kreuk and Jay Ryan on social media; they still occasionally post throwbacks and interact with the "Beasties" community.
- Look into the "World Below" fan groups if you’re into the 80s series—there is still a vibrant community of writers and artists keeping that lore alive.