Clive Barker Podcast Interviews Actor Pat Skipper!
Hello Everyone,
A while back I was lucky enough to chat with actor Pat Skipper who many of you may remember played the tough and sarcastic Carducci from Hellraiser: Bloodline. 
His career has spanned more than thirty years in the industry ranging from various roles in both feature films and television. He talks about his preparation for the role, working with director Kevin Yagher, and candidly shares his thoughts on the final film.
So without further ado, I present to you Pat Skipper!
CBP: Were you aware of the Hellraiser franchise before you took on the role of Carducci? If so, were you a fan?
PS: Sure. I was aware of the series. I was a fan, in fact. I mean, how could you not like Pinhead? Dude was scary as hell. I like the genre. I was a Freddy Krueger fanatic. Saw every movie, in fact.
CBP: What were your thoughts on Peter Atkins script when it was sent to you?
PS: Honestly, I thought it was a giant mess. The switching back and forth between time periods concerned me. But I’ve learned not to trust my instincts when it comes to scripts. I auditioned for the pilot of ER and thought, “this piece of crap will never work.” So, I just work on my guy and let the chips fall as they may.
CBP: Carducci has a ‘space cowboy’ swagger to him that I enjoyed. Did you create your own back story for the character when you were preparing for the part?
PS: I always work on a strong set of given circumstances (aka a backstory) for a character. It’s the first place I start. That’s how they trained us at Yale. Space movies, this one especially, are jazzed up cowboys-and-indians movies, so Carducci as a space cowboy is spot on.
CBP: What was it like working director Kevin Yagher? Did he seem to have a strong vision for the film?
PS: I loved Kevin. He was funny as hell. Going to work every day was a blast. I liked my fellow cast members. The movie was cast by a friend of mine and I knew a few of the other actors. Paul Perri and I carpooled to the set. That never happens. I don’t know that Kevin had a strong vision for the film. Honestly, it was a mess. He did his best.
CBP: The production of Hellraiser: Bloodline I’ve heard was very troubled. As an actor how difficult is it to work under those conditions?
PS: Well, most of the drama in the movie happened after shooting was over as far as I know. The shoot itself seemed pretty smooth. The producers hated it apparently. There were big arguments about editing. Kevin walked, I think, or was pushed. They hacked it together without his input and he took his name off of it.
CBP: Your character actually has one of the best deaths in the film. Can you tell us how that was achieved? Were the effects fun to be around and work with? And were you happy with it at the end of the day?
PS: Well, they covered me in dental slime and made a mold of my torso. The stuff is cold and nasty. Fortunately, I didn’t have to have my head covered with it as some did. The death worked well, I thought. Really gross. And kind of funny, in my opinion. 
CBP: What was it like working with the very talented actress Valentina Vargas?
PS: Oh, she was lovely. A sweet kid.
CBP: What are your thoughts on the final film?
PS: I liked watching it, but perhaps for the wrong reasons. I saw it at the enormous Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. I think there were about 12 people in the whole place, which was good because I laughed a lot. It was such a giant mess. It really made no sense at all to me. And yet, I couldn’t take my eyes off it. So much money went into it and so many talented people worked on it. And yet, we came up with this…thing. I thought there were several fine performances in the movie, and I actually found myself tolerable enough. But I think it could have and should have been so much better.
CBP: Thanks again Pat for taking the time out to do this interview for us!
PS: Sure. A stroll down memory lane.
You can find more detailed information on Pat’s career by following the link below:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0804361/
