Doug Bradley

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Doug Bradley
Bradley in 2012
Born
Douglas William Bradley

(1954-09-06) 6 September 1954 (age 69)
Other namesDouglas Bradley, Bill Bradley, Charles Stead
EducationQuarry Bank High School
OccupationActor
Years active1973–present
SpouseSteph Sciullo
Websitewww.dougbradley.com

Douglas William Bradley[1] (born 7 September 1954)[2] is an English actor and author, best known for his role as the lead Cenobite "Pinhead" in the Hellraiser film series and for narration on various Cradle of Filth albums.

Early life[edit]

Bradley was born in Liverpool[3] and attended Quarry Bank High School.[4]

Career[edit]

Bradley is best known for playing the role of Pinhead, the lead Cenobite, in the first eight Hellraiser films, as well as Captain Elliot Spencer in two of the films, Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992).[5] He is one of only six actors to play the same horror character at least six consecutive times, the others being Christopher Lee (who portrayed Count Dracula), Robert Englund (who portrayed Freddy Krueger), Warwick Davis (who portrayed the Leprechaun), Brad Dourif (who portrayed Chucky) and Tobin Bell (who portrayed John Kramer/"Jigsaw").[6] Due to his eventual skill at application and removal of the Pinhead appliances and costume, he has been credited in some of the Hellraiser films as an assistant make-up artist named Bill Bradley, using his middle name.[7]

Bradley appeared as a gym teacher in an advertisement for Direct Line insurance in the UK. He has performed narrations on several songs by Cradle of Filth, an English extreme metal band. The first was 2000's "Her Ghost in the Fog", as well as "Death Magick for Adepts" and "Tortured Soul Asylum", from the album Midian. However, he could not appear in the music video and was replaced by actor David McEwen.[citation needed]

Bradley also appeared on "Swansong for a Raven" and "Satyriasis" from the band's 2004 album, Nymphetamine. In 2006, he lent his narrations to "Rise of the Pentagram" and "Tonight in Flames" from the album Thornography. Continuing in this vein, Bradley has contributed guest vocals to Cradle of Filth's 2008 album Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder, on all songs except "Tragic Kingdom".[citation needed] He returned for their 2021 album, Existence is Futile, on the songs "Sisters of the Mist" and "Suffer Our Dominian".

Bradley has appeared in many short horror films, such as Red Lines and On Edge. He is a member of the UK animation company Renga Media, makers of the independent Dominator films and shorts, dividing job roles between producer and voice actor. He voiced the Loc-Nar in the short animated crossover Heavy Metal vs. Dominator, in which characters from the Dominator universe meet and fight with characters from the film Heavy Metal 2000.[citation needed]

After his roles in the Hellraiser films and the 1990 horror film Nightbreed, 2006 saw Bradley star in Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes and 2008 saw Bradley once again returning to Clive Barker's cinematic universe by way of a featured appearance in Book of Blood. He had a small guest star appearance in the 2008 black comic horror The Cottage. In 2010, he starred in the Anglo-Spanish horror film Exorcismus,[8] and he joined the Nazi zombie horror The 4th Reich in March 2010.[9]

In 2011, he played a man called the Doctor in the British film noir Jack Falls. In June 2011, it was announced that Bradley would be providing a voice-over for an independent film called Lucifer's Unholy Desire,[10] as well as performing in the film The Reverend.[citation needed] In 2012, he played "Maynard" in the fifth film of the Wrong Turn series, Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines.[11] In 2013, he performed in the indie film Scream Park.[citation needed]

Bradley voiced the Sith Emperor for the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Star Wars: The Old Republic, based in the Star Wars universe.[1]

In 2018, Bradley joined Blackcraft Wrestling as “The Preacher”, a cult leader who acts as a General Manager type figure to the promotion.

In 2020, he created a YouTube channel on which he reads books and poems out loud. He returned on Cradle of Filth's 2021 album Existence Is Futile, providing narration for the track "Suffer Our Dominion" and the bonus track "Sisters of the Mist".[12]

In 2022, Bradley voiced the character Goayre Heddagh alongside actor Tim Curry in the animated horror film Dagon Troll World Chronicles.

In 2023 Bradley will be playing Batman villain Joe Chill in the CW television show Gotham Knights. This portrayals will be different than other live action versions. The actor says the episode he will be introduced in is titled "A Chill over Gotham".[13]

Writing[edit]

Bradley is the author of Sacred Monsters: Behind the Mask of the Horror Actor, which explores the history of masks in society and their applications in horror films.[14]

Personal life[edit]

Bradley is a longtime close friend of novelist Clive Barker, the two having met when they attended secondary school. He has worked with Barker in various projects since the early 1970s,[15] most notably Hellraiser, which is adapted from Barker's novella The Hellbound Heart. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,[16] and is married to Steph Sciullo.[17]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1987 Hellraiser Pinhead
1988 Hellbound: Hellraiser II
1990 Nightbreed Dirk Lylesberg
1992 Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth Pinhead, Captain Elliot Spencer
1993 Shepherd on the Rock James Culzean
1995 Proteus Leonard Brinkstone
1996 Hellraiser: Bloodline Pinhead
1996 Killer Tongue Wig
1998 Driven Eric Myers
1999 An Ideal Husband Brackpool As Douglas Bradley
2000 Hellraiser: Inferno Pinhead Direct-to-video
2002 Hellraiser: Hellseeker Pinhead, Merchant Direct-to-video
2003 Dominator Dr. Payne, Lord Desecrator Voice role
2005 Hellraiser: Deader Pinhead Direct-to-video
2005 The Prophecy: Uprising Laurel Direct-to-video
2005 Hellraiser: Hellworld Pinhead Direct-to-video
2008 The Cottage Villager with Dog
2008 Ten Dead Men The Narrator
2009 Book of Blood Tollington
2009 Umbrage Jacob
2010 Exorcismus Padre Ennis as Douglas Bradley
2011 Jack Falls The Doctor
2011 The Reverend Reverend Andrews
2012 The Infliction Agent Wilson
2012 Deer Crossing Sheriff Lock
2012 Lucifer's Unholy Desire Rev. McDowell Voice role
2012 Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines Maynard Direct-to-video
2012 Scream Park Mr. Hyde
2013 Shame the Devil Victor
2014 Nerd Love Doug Bradley
2016 Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom Nyarlathotep Voice role
2017 Howard Lovecraft and the Undersea Kingdom Voice role
2018 Howard Lovecraft and the Kingdom of Madness Voice role, Direct-to-video
2019 Back Fork Sheriff
2021 Alien Danger 2! With Raven Van Slender General Legs Voice Role
2022 Corrective Measures Senator Zechariah
2022 The Barn Part II Walter Daniels
2022 The United States of Horror: Chapter 2 Narrator Voice role

Short film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1973 Salome King Herod
1978 The Forbidden
1999 On Edge Dr. Matthews
2002 Red Lines Teacher
2008 To The Devil His Due John Armstrong
2010 The Hairy Hands Voice role
2013 A Hand to Play Mr. Trent

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1990 The Bill Pete Henderson Episode: "Friends and Neighbours"
1992 USA Up All Night Pinhead Episode: "Glitch!/Eating Raoul"
1993 Inspector Morse Clergyman Williams Episode: "Twilight of the Gods"
1995 The Big Game Harry Woolf Television film
1996 Jim's Gift Mr. Winthrop Television Film
1998 Archangel Thunderbird Dr. Churchill Television Film
1999 Honky Sausages Honky Doctor 1 episode
2000, 2010 Doctors Graham Sharpe, Greg Steel / Doc Jones Episodes: "God's Will" and "The Living Gaylights"
2001 Judge John Deed Inspector Lannon Episode: "Exacting Justice"
2001 The Armando Iannucci Shows Episode: "Time Passing"
2002 Paradise Heights Customs Officer 1 episode
2005 The Commander Tim Gad Episodes: "Blackdog (Part One)" & "Blackdog (Part Two)"
2005 No Angels Mr. Asquith 2 episodes
2006 Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes Doc Fraser Television film
2018 Lore Dr. Robert Knox
2020 JJ Villard's Fairy Tales Kenneth Voice role, episode: Boypunzel
2021-2022 Dota: Dragon's Blood Kashurra, Byssrak Voice role, 8 episodes
2023 Gotham Knights Joe Chill Episode: "A Chill in Gotham"

Audio[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2009-2014 Doug Bradley's Spinechillers Narrator Audio books, 13 volumes
2022 Hollow Kurtz Podcast series

Music Video[edit]

Year Title Artist Role Notes
1992 Hellraiser Motörhead Pinhead
2015 The Misfits: Tour Video Collection Misfits Abraham van Helsing video shown only live on stage

Video Game[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2011 Star Wars: The Old Republic Vitiate the Sith Emperor, Additional voices Voice role
2014 Star Wars:The Old Republic - Shadow of Revan Vitiate the Sith Emperor Voice role
2016 Dead by Daylight The Cenobite Voice role
2022 Star Wars:The Old Republic - Legacy of the Sith Vitiate the Sith Emperor Voice role

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Doug Bradley - Behind The Voice Actors". Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  2. ^ "Doug Bradly". Hollywood.com. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  3. ^ "Interview: 'Hellraiser' star Doug Bradley - Your Move Magazine". 28 October 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  4. ^ "Abertoir - Talk by Doug Bradley". Archived from the original on 24 March 2012.
  5. ^ "Experience Hell on Earth with Doug Bradley in Vegas". 26 June 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Doug Bradley and William Powell discuss bringing Horror Las Vegas". 28 June 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  7. ^ Doug Bradley Archived 30 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine, RengaMedia.com; accessed 15 January 2018.
  8. ^ "Exorcismus Expands Cast and Updates Storyline". 24 May 2012.
  9. ^ "Doug Bradley Joins The 4th Reich". 8 August 2012.
  10. ^ "UPDATED: 'Hellraiser' Actor in Town for Local Movie Role". 14 June 2011.
  11. ^ Owen Williams (27 April 2012). Bradley Takes a Wrong Turn. Empire online.
  12. ^ "CRADLE OF FILTH Announces 'Existence Is Futile' Album Details, Releases Music Video For 'Crawling King Chaos'". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 30 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  13. ^ Overaitis, Joseph (7 March 2023). "Interview with Horror Icon Doug Bradley: Joe Chill in CW's Gotham Knight". GoCollect. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  14. ^ Power, Ty. "Behind the Mask of the Horror Actor - Book Review", sci-fi-online.com; retrieved 25 October 2013.
  15. ^ "Doug Bradley & Nicholas Vince join 'The Hairy Hands'". carrionfilms.co.uk. Carrion Films. 11 November 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  16. ^ Bradley, Doug (2018). "The Official Page of Doug Bradley". Doug Bradley. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  17. ^ "Doug Bradley (Official Facebook page)". Facebook. Retrieved 1 March 2020.

[1]

External links[edit]

  1. ^ Overaitis, Joseph (7 March 2023). "Interview with Horror Icon Doug Bradley: Joe Chill in CW's Gotham Knight". GoCollect. Retrieved 8 March 2023.