Doug Bradley, the original star of Hellraiser, has weighed in on Jamie Clayton as Pinhead ahead of the upcoming reboot.
Bradley made his debut as Pinhead in 1987’s Hellraiser, leading the Cenobites onto the big screen for the first time. With lines like, “No tears, please. It’s a waste of good suffering” and “We’ll tear your soul apart”, he was an instant horror icon.
He starred in seven Hellraiser sequels, the last of which being 2005’s Hellraiser: Hellworld, and eventually departed as a result of the rushed turnaround on the films, often produced simply so the studio could retain the rights.
The franchise will soon get a high-budget reboot, with Hellraiser arriving on Hulu later this year, starring Clayton as Pinhead. Now, the original star has given his verdict.
Hellraiser star Doug Bradley weighs in on Jamie Clayton as Pinhead
Hellraiser, directed by The Night House and The Ritual’s David Bruckner, will follow “a young woman struggling with addiction [who] comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box, unaware that its purpose is to summon the Cenobites, a group of sadistic supernatural beings from another dimension.”
While appearing at Silver Scream Con, Bradley spoke about Clayton’s Pinhead, saying (as per Blood Disgusting): “It seemed like [a female Pinhead] was coming. It’s an interesting piece of casting.
“I don’t know Jamie. Of course, they’ve taken even a little bit of a wrinkle in that, because Jamie is transgender.
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“I’m not familiar with her recent work, but there was a science fiction series on Netflix several years ago called Sense8, which I was quite a fan of. Jamie was in that, and I really, really liked her performance in that.”
Doug Bradley on Jamie Clayton’s Pinhead: “Hellraiser has always been transgressive”
Bradley continued: “I really can’t say more than that. I do like to point out that I did wear a skirt as Pinhead [laughs].
“It’s an interesting casting decision. Well, that only goes so far. We say ‘female Pinhead’ like we know what that means, but there are a million shades of femininity. Where exactly are they going to go with that?
“Everything about Hellraiser has always been transgressive. Everything, always, from start to finish. It’s not a new idea in that sense, but I’m intrigued. I’m in the same position as all the rest of you, I guess, to see where that goes.”
Hellraiser will arrive on Hulu on October 7. Plans for UK distribution haven’t been announced.
