A critical supporting role in “Hellraiser” is that of Roland Voight’s lawyer, Serena Menaker, played by the incredible Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass. Within the story she plays an important part in how the Cenobites become involved with the lives of Riley and her friends. As a lawyer for the evil entrepreneur Roland Voight, Menaker is actually the one who’s stored the puzzle box in an abandoned warehouse, hoping it wouldn’t be found. Unfortunately for her, once Riley and Matt track her down she accidently gets cut by the box and taken to a realm of pure pain by the Cenobites. Tough break, but that’s what happens when you work for an immoral millionaire.
Hiam Abbass has been a working actor and director since the 1980s, getting her start in the French scene after moving there from Palestine. While she’s appeared in numerous film roles since the ’80s, her first big break undoubtedly came with her role as Marie Claude Hamshari in Steven Spielberg’s 2005 drama “Munich.” In an interview with Quantara, she talked about the unique situation of living in a hotel with both Palestinian and Israeli actors throughout the production of “Munich,” as well as the impact it had on her. “The Arab and Israeli actors had no problems with another,” she said. “We all lived together in a hotel for three months. Of course we had many discussions, but they helped both sides grow closer.”
Since then, Abbass has been in many recognizable roles in films such as “The Visitor,” “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” and “Blade Runner 2049.” She’s also made waves with her performance as Marcia Roy on HBO’s “Succession,” playing the seemingly kind-hearted wife of cutthroat business mogul Logan Roy (Brian Cox).