Simon Bamford | Butterball

What do you attribute to Butterball’s lasting impact and legacy, considering it’s almost forty-years since his last on-screen appearance?

The five original Cenobites, design and concept has to be credited to both Clive Barker and the artistic team at ‘Image Animation’ the SFX prosthetics company who were based at Pinewood Studios. When I first entered the picture there were sketches that Clive had drawn that had been expanded by the artists, my initial contact with him was at Pinewood whilst having my life cast taken.

I’ve always assumed Clive was thinking of the deadly sins, in particular Gluttony and Greed when he came up with the concept of Butterball. Universal themes, that affect us all in some form or other. I think that has helped to give him a legacy that never ages. The Cenobites as an idea is quintessential Clive Barker, totally unique and unexpected. High Priests from Hell, charged with finding humans who cannot satiate their desires, who feel something is missing. It talks to all of us as that feeling is very much a human (animal) condition. That the Cenobites promise to fill that void means, perhaps we all would like them in our lives (though maybe not quite as extreme). That, I think, is why our characters have found a longevity and a legacy that far exceeds the wildest expectations of the four actors who originally sat in a makeup chair nearly 40 years ago.

Butterball was originally meant to have the dialogue of the ‘Female’ it seems, but due to the prosthetics and the sharpened-teeth inserts, this became impractical. Do you feel that Butterball would have delivered those lines any differently, or were there any lines you would’ve loved him to have?

Absolutely! I have a Niece called Hannah. I created a character for her that we called ‘Pervy Uncle’ he was disgustingly bad and politically incorrect in every aspect. He had a leering, lustful, suggestive voice that was quite gross. That would have been Butterball. Dribbling saliva on Kirsty Cotton, whilst trying to touch her suggestively. The first line he had was “Perhaps we’d prefer you?”. I was gutted when I lost all of the dialogue but it was a very low budget movie and there wasn’t the money for studio ADR dubbing.

What are your favourite on-set and on-screen memories across Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II?

For many of us it was our first movie, first time on a film set, fist time with the old fashioned enormous film camera and lighting. Every day shooting was both exciting and terrifying as we didn’t want to screw up. On our first day I sat with Doug (Pinhead) opposite me in the make-up room and asked him to monitor how my makeup moved as I moved my face within in it. I knew that screen acting involved dialing back the performance, making it subtler, more nuanced. I started small but after a while it became obvious that nothing I did was making it through the two inches of foam latex that the head was created from. Eventually I was gurning my face, moving it in the most extreme ways humanly possible. “Nothing” said Doug.

I realised any performance would have to be through the body. This had its own challenges as the body was made of fibreglass with a latex coating so that the gash in his stomach could be really deep. Both Nick (Chatterer and I) were totally blind in our prosthetics. The message hadn’t reached the set so the first time we were led into the studio, the first AD gave us our directions, we tried to tell him we couldn’t see but as we both had false teeth glued into our mouths we couldn’t talk. When ‘Action’ was called we both wandered off into the totally wrong direction. Retrospectively its funny, but I remember the crew weren’t amused at the time.

With your own canon and insight, what do you see Butterball’s role as in Pinhead’s ‘Gash’.

Clive told me that I was the torturer of the group. It’s rarely seen but I had an apron of torture tools. They were designed by the same artist who created the Puzzle Box and they were all exquisitely detailed. It’s a real shame they weren’t featured more. I think in early drafts of the script we were more hands on with our victims.

However the make-ups were so visually extraordinary, Clive realised early on, that on a big screen, the less they did the more powerful they became. The audiences imaginations filling in the blanks. This also helped Clive get more past the censors at the time. So Pinhead just looking up and the meat hooks and chains flying supernaturally became our opus operandi.

Have you ever seen a cosplay or fan-art of Butterball that blew you away?

So many. From full sized re-creations of the room we first appeared in, to Butterball girlfriends, Cenobite candy, energy drinks, pinball machines, cars, giant puzzle boxes, children in Butterball cos-play and sculptures and art created by incredibly talented artists. It’s overwhelming. The most humbling are the tattoos. To see a character you helped to create painted indelibly on someone’s body has to be the greatest compliment.

Butterball is in a boxing-ring with all the other Cenobites, which ones does he defeat and are there any he would struggle with or lose to?

Great question. I think his bulk, size and sumo-sized weight would easily overcome slender chatterer and the delicate female Cenobite. However his sewn shut eyes would leave him vulnerable to Pinheads chains and the Engineers scorpion tale

Have you yourself seen all eleven Hellraiser movies – If not, which ones have you not seen or actively avoided?

I confess, I haven’t. I watched the first four films but none of the others until the Shudder movie recently with Jamie Clayton in the Pinhead role.

Is there a particular form or medium you would love to see Butterball finally materialise in?

I always thought he leant himself rather well to food. So the Butterball cookbook or Halloween Bake off judge? When we shot the second film I suggested we would make a great band with our leather outfits. It struck a chord (pun intended) and we still talk about making it happen when we get together.

Hellraiser has been experiencing a real renaissance, with the 2022 reboot and the upcoming Hellraiser: Revival, introducing the franchise to a whole new generation of fans. Does it bring you joy to see the series continue to thrive, and how does it feel to know you are part of such an enduring and fascinating legacy?

We hoped, when making the original that it might lead to some more work in the industry. That it continues to take us all over the World decades later is mind blowing. On a personal level it also means as a cast we still regularly see each other and have become lifelong friends. During Covid we had several Zoom calls, about how the 2022 reboot might diminish our influence over the franchise, but it actually seems to have given us even more prominence. Extraordinary. I’m really looking forward to playing the new Sabre game on its release.

Would you ever don the Butterball costuming again if ever presented with the opportunity? Bonus points for you if the costuming and application-process is the exact same as it was in 1987/88?

Without hesitation. Although these days the mask is most likely to be made from silicone so hopefully more comfortable. I would insist on being able to talk though. Butterball’s voice deserves to be heard.

What happened with all the prosthetic pieces and costume garb that comprised Butterball? Do you still have any items personally, or are there any pieces you wish you could have kept?

I didn’t keep anything apart from the original scripts which were sold on Propstore recently. some of the heads were at ‘Image Animations’ office. A collector bought the ones from Hellraiser 2 and we were reunited when he had a display at one of the conventions in America. Foam latex tends to deteriorate with time, but they still looked good and you could see all of the detailed artwork, veins, shading. I would have liked to have kept a head and maybe an apron with the torture tools. I played an old lady called ‘Mrs Wiltshire’ a few years ago and have her prosthetic head sitting in a cabinet in my lounge.

Were you asked to consult on the character for Hellraiser: Revival, such as his poise, presence and physicality?

No. I did chat to their PR team though. So hopefully we will get to help with some promotion closer to release.

What kind of contributions would you like to have given the development team in the featuring of Butterball?

Again it would have been awesome to finally give him his voice. It gives him a dimension that up until now has been missing. I haven’t seen the game yet so, not sure how he is portrayed.

Are there any particular scenes or set-pieces you’d love to see Butterball perform or be involved in in-game?

Perhaps being lascivious, coming towards the player in a sexual manner, Threatening to overwhelm them physically, whatever their gender. I think that would be gross. If you can’t get beyond Butterball, you get screwed by him, literally. Too much? Or maybe he carves you up into his next meal. Your head on a silver salver and apple in your mouth? A version of the Hellraiser characters at the last supper has been doing the rounds for many years now. The failed player being the meal would be fun.

The game is set twenty years after Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II. How do you expect they will explain away his ‘death’ at the hands of Dr. Channard?

As High priests of Hell, death isn’t an option. Failing to Dr Channard would have meant we were demoted in the Nine Circles and had to work our way back up through the ranks. Hence why its taken 20 years to re-emerge.

How does it feel to essentially be immortalised in video-game form now as well as screen?

Insane! Several of us were also in Clive’s movie ‘Nightbreed’ which was made into a Nintendo game 35 years ago, but this is on another level. Video games have evolved exponentially.

Are you a gamer yourself? If not, will you experience Hellraiser: Revival hands-on yourself?

Not really. Because I’m in my 60’s I struggle to keep up with the speed of action games. I prefer less pressure. However I would consider it rude not to master this one. Maybe a YouTube page of me giving helpful hints should be on the cards?

What games are some of your personal favourites?

The Room (all versions), Monument Valley (all versions), Plants vs Zombies, I’ve just downloaded Lara Croft but haven’t started it yet.

Which platform will you be playing the game on – Playstation, PC or Xbox?

I don’t have any, so probably Steam?

Where can fans look forward to seeing you next – whether on-screen, on stage, or at upcoming conventions?

I’m attending the ‘Northern Frights’ convention in Glasgow at the end of October. A couple of weeks later I’m heading to Hungary to shoot ‘The Black Eyed Children 2’ which will be out in 2026. I have a small cameo in the first film which is available to stream on Screamify, but the character is more heavily featured in the sequel.