Self-deprecating David Harbour keeps a framed photo of Hellboy in his home so his ego stays in check

It’s always important for any celebrity to stay humble regardless of the success they find in their career, and while not every member of the A-list can be called grounded, David Harbour uses the disastrous failure of Hellboy as a way to keep his feet on terra firma.

The actor thought he was onto a winner when he agreed to headline director Neil Marshall’s ill-fated reboot, which not a single soul was asking to see when Guillermo del Toro’s third movie with Ron Perlman was right there being ignored. As fate would have it, Big Red’s reinvention died a painful death at the box office and found itself savaged by critics and fans alike, which was exactly what it deserved.

Harbour has admitted that part of his reasoning for joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Red Guardian was to atone for the sins of Hellboy, and he even revealed to Architectural Digest that he keeps a framed photo of the comic book favorite in his home so that his ego remains in check at all times.

“Just whenever I’m feeling particularly good about myself. I like to always remember where I came from.”

The Stranger Things alum went so far as to call Green Lantern‘s Ryan Reynolds for advice when Hellboy immediately tanked upon its theatrical release, and you get the feeling that he won’t be making any similar mistakes again, especially when the horned hero is staring right back at him every time he steps through the door.