Barbie Wilde | Female

What do you attribute to the ‘Female’s’ lasting impact and legacy?

The imagination and extraordinary vision of Clive Barker. Also, she’s a very mysterious, intriguing character.

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

The first abiding memory I have is my first day on set. My plane from Canada had been delayed 24 hours, so I landed at Heathrow and then had to take a taxi straight to Pinewood. Then there was 4 hours in makeup and 30 minutes getting into the costume, then waiting another 6 hours to get onto the set. I was in a pretty altered state by that time, it has to be said. We were shooting our big Cenobite entrance scene in Channard’s lair and it was pretty amazing: the lights, the set, the dry ice swirling around, the jet lag!

Second memory is of me in full Female regalia coming into the dressing room and finding the legendary Ken Cranham in full Channard makeup and attire on the phone to his wife. I don’t know what I was thinking (I was probably too tired from the early morning calls, TBH), but I walked straight up to him to introduce myself and said “Hi Ken. My name is Barbie. Do you want to get married and have babies called Skipper and Pepper?”

Now Ken is English and of course, he didn’t get the stupid Barbie Doll references. I didn’t realize at the time that the UK had their own version, the Cindy Doll. Ken looked at me with some concern and said quietly into the phone: “Sorry, darling. Have to go. An actress is talking AT me.”

“At me.” Yikes. Anyway, we’re still friends, amazingly.

Do you prefer her name as the ‘Female’ or as the colloquial crew-coined one, ‘Deepthroat’?

If you look at the credits for the first movie, Doug was called Lead Cenobite, Simon, Fat Cenobite, Nick, Chattering Cenobite and Grace, Female Cenobite. By the time the second movie came around, the makeup crew had gifted the characters with nicknames like Pinhead, Chatterer and Butterball. Being naughty boys, they gave the Female the nickname Deep Throat (after the notorious 1970s porno film). The American producers had a problem with that, because of course, Americans don’t do “sex” (LOL), so I got lumbered with Female Cenobite.

In 2009, I wrote a short horror story about a Female Cenobite called Sister Cilice for the Hellbound Hearts anthology based on Clive’s original novella. (BTW, Sister Cilice was voted the best Hellraiser short story that was never made into a movie by Dread Central.) So I actually prefer that name!

Did you ever feel any pressure taking over the role from Grace Kirby? Did her performance also influence how you portrayed the character?

No, I didn’t really. I felt I had to give the character my own take and of course, the makeup was quite different for the Female Cenobite in Hellbound.  I read Clive’s source novella, The Hellbound Heart, for inspiration. In many ways, the extraordinary makeup and costume also informed my performance.

The female has less wires in her neck-frame in Hellraiser II. Some fans theorise this was a ‘gift’ from Leviathan, like the Chatterer getting his eyes restored. Was there ever an official explanation for this aesthetic change in her throat design?

No official explanation, however, my theory is that Grace’s neck was longer than mine, hence the change in throat jewelry!

Was there anything about your scenes that changed significantly between script and filming?

Not that I can think of. It was still quite a low budget film, so we didn’t have a lot of time for improvisation, or even that much rehearsal.

I think the biggest change from the script was the notorious surgeon’s scene that got the fans in an uproar, because a still from that scene was used on the back cover of the USA VHS release. The scene was cut from the film and all the fans thought that it was because it was so terrifying that it had to be removed from the movie.

However, the real reason was that the director realized that the scene where the two surgeons metamorphosed into the Female Cenobite and Pinhead would cost an additional £50,000 of special effects to shoot and that sum just wasn’t in the budget.

Were there any particular lines of dialogue you’d have liked her to deliver, or was there any that was cut from memory?

Well, I love Pinhead’s line: “It’s not hands that call us, but desire.” However, that wouldn’t have made any sense for my character to say it. And of course, who doesn’t love Julia’s line: “Nothing personal, babe” after she rips Frank’s heart out of the back of his chest.

As far as my lines are concerned, I’ve always liked “Are you teasing us?”, “We do keeping finding each other, don’t we?” And of course, the immortal “Time to play.” (Doug says that line in the first Hellraiser film, so it’s a nice narrative arc between the two films.)

What’s the most memorable fan encounter you’ve had related to Hellraiser?

In Hamburg many years ago at my second ever horror convention, I met two girls that had spent 5 hours turning themselves into Pinhead and the Female Cenobite, then driving for another 3 hours (in makeup) to the Con. Wow! Now that’s what I call dedication!

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

See previous answer! As far as fan art, OMG, there’s so many beautiful artworks based on Hellraiser and the Female Cenobite that it’s hard for me just to choose one.

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

Well, one of my Sister Cilice stories is called The Cilicium Rebellion where there’s an uprising of Female Cenobites against the Male Cenobites. Sister Cilice is the only one left standing, but at what cost to Hell and its legions?! Never underestimate the power of a nasty woman!

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

I’ve only seen the first two, plus the Hulu reboot. I think that Hellraiser was a totally unique film and the sequel has been in the list of best horror sequels ever made. Re: the reboot, my only comment would be: not enough Cenobite screen time!

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

Well, as you may have noticed, I have been subtly (another word for shamelessly) plugging my short horror story collection about the Female Cenobite Sister Cilice, called The Cilicium Quadra. There is a graphic novel/comic book in the works, and that’s just a hop, skip and a jump to a movie (hopefully).

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? 

Of course, it wonderful to see Hellraiser spawn new versions and media to entice the fans, new and old. And it’s all down to the genius of Clive Barker.

Would you ever don the Female Cenobite 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 1988.

They say: never say never. If the script was fabulous, then how could I refuse!?

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

We NEVER got to keep anything from the set. I seem to remember seeing the Chatterer’s costume on display at a Con in the States, but I don’t know where all the other costumes went. (That particular costume probably came from Hellraiser 3.) I did ask for a Lament Configuration at the end of filming of Hellbound and the prop guy just laughed at me. (Nice!) I understand that Clare Higgins (Julia) did manage to snag a Box, but you didn’t hear that from me.

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

No, I wasn’t, but I’m sure that the creators have done a great job.

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

Just give them a copy of my Female Cenobite collection The Cilicium Quadra. (Oh, no! Another shameless plug!)

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

Maybe that notorious “lost” surgeon scene?

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

Well, how did they explain Pinhead’s death at the end of Hellbound? And he went on to do a considerable amount of sequels. Considering we’re dealing with supernatural creatures, it’s fairly easy to find a colorful explanation.

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

It’s amazing! It’s wonderful to see Clive’s work live on in new forms and guises.

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

I’m appearing in a new horror film called Blood Stream (Hellbound Media), which will be out in 2026. I play the queen of a cannibalistic society. I’ve made appearances in two episodes of a Amazon Prime horror TV series called Dark Ditties Presents: “The Offer” and “Dad”.

And you can find my debut diary-of-a-serial-killer novel, The Venus Complex, on all the Amazons. In the Fangoria horror magazine feature about me called “Bad Barbie”, they called me “…one of the finest purveyors of erotically charged horror fiction around.”

Unfortunately, my first publisher for The Venus Complex retired and it was difficult to get all the Amazon reviews to transfer over to the paperback and Kindle, however, you can find over a 100 customer reviews on the Audible version,  which is superbly narrated by the King of Pain himself, Doug Bradley. (Links below.)

Also, my short horror story collection about the life and times of a Female Cenobite, The Cilicium Quadra, is available on all the Amazons as a Kindle and Paperback.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your memories and insights with us, Barbie. It means a great deal to the fans and community alike, and we truly appreciate your role in bringing such an iconic character to life. Your work continues to inspire and excite Hellraiser fans around the world and may your legacy be eternal!