11 Photos Offer A Revealing Look At Hollywood Boulevard Characters

If you're anything like most L.A. locals, you avoid the Hollywood Walk of Fame like the plague. The traffic, the tourists — it's all too much to handle if you're not a wide-eyed out-of-towner visiting for the first time. Suffice to say, if you ever get roped into bringing your cousin to the famed boulevard, you're probably not thinking much about the costume-clad performers lining the street. But photographer Ken Hermann aims to change that.

The Copenhagen-based lensman shot a series of portraits titled "Behind The Mask." He captured striking, personal images of street characters on Hollywood Boulevard and got to know the men and women behind the fantastical images. But digging deeper was no easy task. "Some of the characters were reluctant to show their real face or even break character, citing professionalism," Hermann told us. "For the first few days, I found myself negotiating a photo shoot through a giant Minnie Mouse head."

Hermann was inspired by the characters' pursuit of the American dream. "I found this ambition meshed with the innocent fantasy world of dressing up intriguing," he said. Click through to peek 11 fascinating photos of these performers like you've never seen them.