Stephan Smith Collins | Revelations Pinhead

How did you first get involved with the Hellraiser franchise?

I received an audition from my agent. The producers were using a code name so I had no idea I was auditioning for Hellraiser.

What was your audition process like and how familiar were you with the Hellraiser franchise, were you a fan?

It’s kind of a long story. I was given script pages that were specifically written for the audition process. I went in to Monika Mikkelsen’s (the casting director) office and read with her. She taped the audition and asked if I had time to stick around and meet with the director, Victor Garcia. Turned out, he was stuck in production so Monika asked if I could meet up with him later in the afternoon.

A few hours later, I got a call asking me to come to an address some distance outside of LA. I assumed this was to meet with Victor. When I got there, I saw it was some kind of a warehouse. It was dark and there didn’t seem to be anyone around. I saw there was a door propped open so I went in and was calling out “Hello?”

A man came out to meet me. We shook hands and he took me back into the building. It was just the two of us. There were horror masks, posters and props all around. It was creepy AF. He took my measurements and asked if I had any aversion to having a plaster mold made of my head. I said no as I had them done before. I know it feels suffocating, but I’m fine with it.

When you’re having a mold made of your face/head, you breathe through a tube/straw from your mouth and through your nostrils. You can’t speak or move until the plaster is dry. So while he’s working, he’s talking to me and says something like: “It must be exciting to be playing Pinhead” and I tensed because he was clearly mistaken. I knew very well who Pinhead was but up to that point, I wasn’t even aware I was auditioning for Hellraiser, much less, to play Pinhead! After I starting tensing up, he became concerned I was feeling claustrophobic, which often happens, asking me if I needed him to stop. If he did, all of the work he had already done would go to waste, so I just gave him a thumbs up and thought to myself, I’d have to wait until this entire process was finished before I could tell him he just took a plastic cast of the wrong bloke’s head.

Once everything was done and I could speak again, I said something like: “I’m so sorry. There has to be some sort of mix up. I thought I was supposed to be meeting a director as part of an audition for a film. You’ve got the wrong guy.” He verified my name, made a call and said “No. If you’re Stephan Smith Collins, you’re playing Pinhead.” I said: “That’s impossible. If I was, I would have heard from my agent.” I picked up my phone and saw that I had like 10 missed calls. I forgot to turn my phone back on after the meeting with Monika. I listened to a voicemail from my agent who told me she had worked out a deal for me to join the production immediately playing Pinhead. I was absolutely gobsmacked. One of the most incredibly unbelievable moments of my life. I relayed this to the guy, it was Gary Tunnicliffe, and we had a right good laugh.

Right after that, Gary escorted me back to wardrobe and I tried the suit on for the first time.

Did you feel any pressure or expectations in taking on such an iconic role, as Pinhead?

Absolutely. Like any horror franchise, Hellraiser belongs to the fans. There is nothing I wanted more than to please the fans. But as an actor, it’s my job to do what the director wants; to bring the character to life and play my role toward the director’s vision and according to how the director has chosen to tell the writers’ story. If everyone on the set signs off on what I’ve done with the character, that’s all I can hope for. I have to leave everything else to those who are producing the project. Once I wrapped, it’s all out of my hands. I found confidence in their confidence.

When you were all complete in the makeup and prosthetics, what were the thoughts going through your mind when you saw yourself as the legendary Pinhead for the first time?

First off, it takes a long time to get from start to finish so when it was all completed that first time, I was more relieved than anything. However, once I walked onto set and saw everyone’s reactions around me, that’s when the moment truly hit. It was epic. I’ll never forget it.

Can you recall any scenes or particular dialogue that was filmed but was ultimately cut?

There is always so much going on when you’re working on a film like this. There are almost always shots, POVs, wild lines, and other additional footage a director shoots (time permitting) in order to have coverage depending how things go during the edit. There isn’t anything specific I can remember that we shot that Victor chose not to use, but I’m sure there was quite a bit of additional material he decided wasn’t necessary for the final cut.

Hellraiser; Revelations seemingly had a troubled time with constraints, the filming and the budget. What was your experience with these?

I really wouldn’t know anything about this. I’m an actor working on a film. My job is to inhabit my character along my director’s vision for the role and essentially show up, say my lines and hit my marks. I don’t know anything about the production’s overall timeline or budget, just the days I’m fortunate enough to be working and the amount I’m fortunate enough to be making.

Was there ever any discussions or plan for a sequel to Hellraiser: Revelations?

It was all very exciting at the beginning and you never know what may happen once a film is released. Any discussions of sequels, etc., would be conversations between the producers and maybe, my agent, but there are no guarantees in life and certainly not in this business. All I can say is that I was so incredibly honoured and grateful for the time I was given in Pinhead’s shoes.

Retrospectively, how do you feel now looking back at the movie overall?

It was one of the most exciting times of my life.

Did you enjoy filming the movie? Do you also have any fun memories or experiences shooting it?

I had a blast. I loved every second. The cast and the crew were incredible; so talented and so generous. I stepped on set after they had all been working together shooting the scenes that set up Pinhead’s arrival. They all welcomed me so kindly and I’ll always be so grateful for that.

I do have to say that shooting a horror film is kind of like working in the sausage factory. When you see what goes into the final product, it changes everything. It’s all far more hilarious than scary. For instance, and I hope I’m not revealing any trade secrets here, but when I was waving my hands as Pinhead and someone’s neck is getting torn open, there are Production Assistants just off camera yanking the neck apart and another pumping a tubular contraption like mad so sticky red stuff that looks like blood is pushed through a hose and squirts all over the bloody set.

Hellraiser: Revelations has always seemed to be divisive and controversial amongst the fans, are there any particular elements that you attribute this to?

As I said, I truly believe any horror franchise belongs to its fans. Without the fans, like all of those dedicated fans in your community, there is no franchise.

Any division or controversy isn’t something I had any knowledge of when working on the film and as an actor, it’s not something I think I would be privy to.

Again, I’m just an actor. In my opinion, that’s somewhat akin to being a dutiful soldier who does what he’s told. My role on any project starts with the audition and ends with the AD saying “That’s a wrap for Stephan!”

I would imagine once you achieve the fame and status of someone like Doug Bradley, you may be consulted in areas other than those specific to your performance. But for an actor like me, at my level, there is little control even in my performance. Once the director likes a take, we move on. If the director needs something different, we’ll shoot it again until it fits with the overall vision for the scene and the story.

All I could and can ever hope for is that the production team is in tune with the expectations of the dedicated fans of the franchise, the series, the genre, etc. Once a production is released, all I can hope for in that the fans will resonate with the character I brought to life.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions and every opinion is absolutely valid. For all the fans who felt let down by the film or certainly by my portrayal of Pinhead, I am truly sorry. I hope that future incarnations of this iconic character are more in line with their expectations.

Did you ever get the opportunity to speak with or be consulted by Doug Bradley?

Sadly no. I would have been humbled by the opportunity to meet him. He is a GOD!

What has been the greatest and/or funniest fan encounter or experience you’ve had with Hellraiser?

I think I’ve shared a few here but overall the experience of playing Pinhead is unlike what 90% of the acting community ever get to have. I was able to step into the suit of an icon; and certainly no ordinary icon (I think “ordinary icon” is an oxymoron) but a storied villain who is unlike any other in the fabled history of horror.

Sometimes I consider my experience as Pinhead as the George Lazanby of the “007” franchise. Certainly on a much different level but George was hired to step into Sean Connery’s enormous shoes as James Bond, which could NOT have been easy to do. But Georgie did it. Good or bad, he did it. He WAS James Bond. He’ll always have that. And I will always have Pinhead.

All the Cenobites from across the franchise are in a boxing-ring, who comes out on top and why?

I’ll leave that for the writers!

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

My personal opinion is that the first is usually the best, it’s the one that sets the standard. I’d have to say that stands here. The original Hellraiser fucked me up as a lad. I couldn’t sleep for weeks. Every now and again, Pinhead still visits me in my dreams, although now, he’s usually the one just off camera with a devilish grin pumping the blood that’s squirting all over the place.