Doug Bradley

Doug Bradley

Bradley attending the Fangoria "Weekend of Horrors" in San Jose, 2007.
Born Douglas William Bradley
7 September 1954 (1954-09-07) (age 57)
Liverpool, England
Other names Douglas Bradley, Bill Bradley, Charles Stead
Occupation Actor
Years active 1973–present
Website
http://www.dougbradley.co.uk/

Douglas William "Doug" Bradley (born 7 September 1954) is an English actor best known for his roles in the Hellraiser film series.

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Early life

Bradley was born in Liverpool, England. He attended Quarry Bank High School.[1]

Career

He is well known for playing the role of the Cenobite Pinhead in eight Hellraiser films (the only exception being the hastily assembled Hellraiser: Revelations), as well as the character of Captain Elliot Spencer in two of the films Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992).[2] He is one of only five actors to play the same horror character at least six consecutive times, the others being Sir Christopher Lee who portrayed Count Dracula at least seven consecutive times, Robert Englund who portrayed Freddy Krueger eight consecutive times, Warwick Davis who portrayed the Leprechaun (Leprechaun series) six consecutive times and Tobin Bell who portrayed Jigsaw in all seven Saw films.[3]

Bradley has appeared in an advertisement for direct line insurance in the UK (as a gym teacher) appearing on everything from T.V, the backs of buses, in tube stations and internet advertisement. He has performed narrations on several songs by Cradle of Filth, an English extreme metal band. The first was 2000s "Her Ghost in the Fog" (as well as "Death Magick For Adepts" and "Tortured Soul Asylum"), however he could not appear in the music video and was replaced by actor David McEwen who would play the character of Kemper in Cradle of Fear. Bradley also appeared on its sequel - "Swansong For A Raven" (as well as the album intro "Satyriasis"). In 2006, he lent his narrations to "Rise of the Pentagram" and "Tonight In Flames". Continuing in this vein, Bradley has contributed guest vocals to Cradle of Filth's 2008 album, Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder, on most songs excluding "Tragic Kingdom". He seems to be playing the role of Gilles de Rais, the person on which the album's concept is based.

Bradley has appeared in a lot of horror shorts including "Red Lines" and "On Edge". He is also a member of UK animation company Renga Media, makers of the independent British CGI Dominator movies and shorts, dividing job roles between producer and voice actor. He also 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.

Due to his eventual skill at application and removal of the Pinhead appliances, he has been credited in some of the Hellraiser films as an assistant make-up artist named Bill Bradley, using his middle name.[4] 2008 brought his welcome return to the Clive Barker cinematic universe by way of a featured appearance in Book of Blood. He also did a small guest star appearance in the 2008 black comic horror "the Cottage". In 2010 he stars also in the British/Spanish horror film Exorcismus[5] and in March 2010 joined Shaun Robert Smith's Nazi Zombie horror The 4th Reich.[6] 2011 sees him starring as "The Doctor" in British film noir Jack Falls.

On June 14, 2011 it was announced that Doug would be doing a voiceover for the film Lucifer's Unholy Desire, an independent film written and directed by Cody Knotts. Doug said he was "intrigued in this concept of appearing in a film but not appearing in the film."[7]

Personal life

Bradley lives in London. He is a longtime close friend of horror/fantasy novelist Clive Barker, the two having met when they attended secondary school, and has worked with Barker in various capacities (from a theatre group to the Hellraiser films) since the early 1970s.

Bradley is also the author of an autobiography, as well as a volume Sacred Masks: Behind the Mask of the Horror Actor which explores the history of masks in society, and their applications in Horror Movies.[8]

Contrary to his roles in many religiously themed films, such as The Prophecy and the Hellraiser franchise, Bradley is an atheist.

It has been announced that Bradley will appear at the 2011 HorrorHound Weekend convention from November 11-13, 2011 in Sharonville, Ohio.

See also

References

External links