Hutchinson-native lands lead role in horror film – Hutchinson News

With pins attached to his head and ripping people apart with chains, people might not notice Hutchinson native Paul T. Taylor in his newest role of the 1980s British horror film series Hellraiser.

Taylor, 55, grew up in Hutchinson and attended Buhler High School. He discovered his love for acting at a young age, watching his father perform with the Hutchinson Theatre Guild and while attending the local Red Barn Players summer camp.

Now, he has taken on his biggest role as the main character in Hellraiser: Judgment Pinhead, a hell priest whose personality is quite contrary to Taylors upbringing.

I grew up in a conservative, loving Christian family and now I am playing a hell priest who brings punishment to people with flying chains, Taylor said. Ripping them apart.

Hellraiser: Judgment is the 10th movie in a series that started in 1987, with Pinhead being played by the storied Doug Bradley. The English actor played the main role in eight straight movies.

Doug Bradley, hes the guy, Taylor said. Hes a god to many of those horror fans. Its a strange, strange crowd but one I am a part of.

Growing up, Taylor said he enjoyed dressing in grotesque Halloween costumes. He is the son of the late Sally Taylor and the late Owen Bud Taylor, who was a dentist in Hutchinson and a founder of the guild.

His mother passed away in February and was a supporter of theater.

She was definitely a huge a supporter of me and my dad and my sister (Kate Williams). She was such a good cheerleader of us, said Taylor, whose brother, Todd, didnt catch the theater bug.

As a boy, Taylor even performed with his father in Dirty Work at the Crossroads. Paul recalled his father using his dental dexterity to make a set of buck teeth for Buds role as the comedic relief, Mookie MaGuggins.

Taylor said he vividly remembers his father playing Felix Unger in The Odd Couple and saying, I want to do this.

Many of the performances were at the old Little Theatre at the corner of Avenue B and Plum Street, he said.

While at Buhler High School, Taylor performed in every play he could before graduating in 1979 and going on to earn a theater degree from Emporia State University.

His first professional job was with the Wichita Childrens Theatre. He stayed in Wichita a few years before moving out to Dallas, where he was involved in acting with the local theater and in commercials.

He stayed in Dallas 12 years prior to pursuing his dreams in the Big Apple around 1997. Eventually, in 2003, Taylor returned to Dallas and was welcomed back by a community that loved me.

The move was a good one. Paul auditioned for Hellraiser: Judgment in December 2015.

He waited, and waited, until he finally received news from the casting director who is a friend.

Welcome to the movie, Pinhead, Taylor recalled the text saying.

Shooting took place in February and March 2016, but before then, Taylor prepared for the role by walking to the 7-Eleven in his sketchy neighborhood.

While walking, he put on the persona of Pinhead an unstoppable hell priest. The trip to the convenience store was also to buy cigarettes a habit Taylor took up to make his voice more demon-like and similar to that of the original Pinhead.

On set, the habit was quickly broken as Taylor tried to let smoke out as he spoke during a scene. Attempt after attempt after attempt was enough for him to quit.

He believes the movie will go straight to video. Also, Taylor said he heard the movie may be released on Halloween. What he does know for sure:

Horror film fans are gonna love it, he said, adding, There are new characters and a new level to the universe.

There also could be more Paul T. Taylor as Pinhead to come.

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Hutchinson-native lands lead role in horror film - Hutchinson News