Jamie Clayton, who plays Pinhead in the upcoming Hellraiser reboot, explains why she had to stay in character from the moment she first got on set. Released in 1987, the first Hellraiser film has since become a cult classic, introducing the villain Pinhead, played by David Bradley. Clive Barker's lauded original was followed by a number of sequels, many of which are generally considered to be disappointing. Now, Hulu is set to release their own reboot with Hellraiser, an upcoming horror film from David Bruckner.
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The reboot, which has already earned glowing reviews from early critics' screenings, sees Clayton step into the role of Pinhead. The character retains the same overall core design, but promotional images have already teased some gnarly deviations, including a number of fleshy cutaways in the throat and body. The first trailer for Hellraiser has already teased some of what's to come in the film, which follows a young woman, struggling with addiction, who summons the Cenobites (and Pinhead) after acquiring an ancient puzzle box. The Hellraiser reboot has already been confirmed to feature an R-rating, and Clayton has previously gone on record about how she prepared for the role, which involved listening to a lot of music.
In a new interview with EW, Jamie Clayton delves further into her experiences playing Pinhead in the Hellraiser reboot, revealing that she had to stay in character the moment she emerged from the makeup trailer. The actor explains that, while she's not a method actor, the role required her to go to some dark places, and it wasn't easy to just quickly go back to normal between takes. Clayton says that her intensity even caused a "hush [to] fall over the crew" whenever she walked on set. Check out Clayton's full comment below:
"I'm not Method per se, but I was in character from the moment I would leave the makeup trailer. Walking on set was funny. David's described it as this hush would fall over the crew. I'm very used to walking on set and everybody being like, 'Hi!' and I'm like, 'Hi!' On this, now, I walk on set, and I'm really quiet, and I'm like, 'Don't you f—king talk to me.' And I would stay in character while we were filming, while they were setting up different shots, moving the cameras around, fixing the set, doing the things. I had to stay in it because it's a heavy place to go to, and so to go that deep, you can't just come back when they're resetting a shot and have a sip of Schweppes Bitter Lemon and then go back in. I had to just stay there."
How Will The New Pinhead Compare To Original Hellraiser Villain
Like any reboot, Hellraiser needs to simultaneously pay homage to the original film while modernizing the material and breaking new ground. Bradley's Pinhead from the original Hellraiser is now considered one of the most iconic horror movie villains of all time, meaning the pressure is on for Clayton's version to be even more formidable, creepy, sensual, and all the other attributes that fans have come to expect from a Cenobite leader. From what little has been shown off so far, Clayton's Pinhead seems to be doing just that, and Bradley himself has even praised the character's updated appearance.
If initial reviews are anything to go by, Hulu's upcoming Hellraiser reboot might be the best entry in the franchise since the 1987 original. Should the film prove popular, it's possible that Clayton's Pinhead will return in future entries, just as Bradley's did. In any case, Clayton's most recent comment affirms that her Pinhead in the Hellraiser reboot is truly dark and disturbing, suggesting that, while the film may be updating many aspects of the original, it won't be sacrificing any of the scares.