Everyday struggle of a Hollywood Boulevard superhero - in pictures

Life isn't all glamour for those dressed in the costumes of Superman and Iron Man as they try to make enough money to get by

Wearing a $5,000 Iron Man costume, actor Paul Louis Harrell leaves his apartment building, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. "I'm successful because I have the best costume on the block and it's the most expensive one on the block," said Harrell. Longtime street performers like Harrell have concerns. They say business used to be more lucrative until the boulevard became overpopulated with costumed characters. What's worse, some look grungy, while others turn off tourists with aggressive demands for money. Jae C Hong / AP Photo

Donte, a musician who only gave his first name, straightens out dollar bills on his first day in a brand new Chewbacca costume purchased from eBay for $441, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Donte said he replaced the old one because he wasn't making any money with it. Jae C Hong / AP Photo

Ramiro Rodriguez in a Bumblebee costume, a character from the Transformers movie series, shakes hands with young tourists on Hollywood Boulevard, in Los Angeles. The 39-year-old former restaurant worker from Guadalajara, Mexico, changed his career after watching a film on Hollywood characters. Rodriguez and his brother invested all their savings in the costume. Even on bad days, Rodriguez said they still make enough to buy dinner. Jae C Hong / AP Photo

Two Spider-Man impersonators, Rashad Rouse, front, and Juan Carlos Banegas, an immigrant from Honduras, change in the alley next to the TCL Chinese Theatre after working on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. The boulevard is a place of diversity with a cast of superheroes from all over the world including Ukraine, England, Mexico, Germany and Nigeria. Jae C. Hong / AP Photo

Wearing a Superman costume, Toly Shtapenko, of Ukraine, takes a long stride along the Hollywood Walk of Fame to impress tourists, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. While the Hollywood we see in movies is a place of glamour and beautiful celebrities, the cast of superheroes filling Hollywood Boulevard is frequently anything but. Many are people struggling to make a buck as they pursue their dream of stardom. Jae C. Hong / AP Photo

Captain America impersonator Henry Hodge, a cinematographer from England who lives a stone's throw away from Hollywood's Dolby Theatre, opens his apartment door in Los Angeles. "The boulevard is the only thing that gives me the freedom to do what I really want to do," said Hodge. "I never have to miss a film meeting. I'm always available to shoot." Jae C Hong / AP Photo

Superhero impersonator Justin Harrison, left, rides a Metro train wearing a Superman costume on his way to Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. "I always go out in a costume," said Harrison. "I love seeing people happy and seeing them smile." Jae C Hong / AP Photo

Belnarr Golden, wearing a SpongeBob SquarePants costume, dodges a tourist trying to pull the nose of his costume on Hollywood Boulevard, in Los Angeles. Longtime street performers say the business used to be more lucrative, until the boulevard became overpopulated with costumed characters. "I crack jokes on them. That's my trick. I make them laugh," said Golden. "If I stand still, I'm not getting paid." Jae C Hong / AP Photo

Superhero impersonator and actor Dan Inigo, left, uses a tourist's smartphone to take a selfie on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. "It's a place of diversity, it's a place of drama, it's a place of illusion … a place of broken dreams," says the 25-year-old actor who prowls the boulevard dressed as Spider-Man. Although he barely scrapes by, Inigo says it's still a great gig for a struggling actor who needs to keep a schedule open for auditions. Jae C Hong / AP Photo

Superman impersonator Justin Harrison, centre, high-fives a commuter wearing a sweatshirt with a Superman symbol printed on it as he and his roommate, Reginald Jackson, in a Red Power Ranger costume, head back home after working on Hollywood Boulevard, in Los Angeles. "When I put on any costume of any character, I automatically feel like I am that character," said Harrison. Jae C Hong / AP Photo