Every actor who played Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th movies, ranked

Over the Friday the 13th series, many actors have played the iconic killer, Jason Voorhees, some better than others. Jason Voorhees cycled through looks and costumes over the years, as well as actors, many of whom only played the character once. The films sometimes brought in different actors in each movie to stand in for Jason when he wasn’t fully on screen, but Each movie generally has one or, in some cases, two actors associated with the role. Many images of the killer remain faceless, reflecting Jason’s menacing yet stealthy killing style.

Jason Voorhees typically wears a hockey mask when his face is shown, which has become synonymous with the killer. The character design allowed him to be Played only by stuntmen Since over the Friday the 13th Franchise, Jason kills but does not speak. With a series spanning over 40 years with numerous film and television installments, fans are often divided on who they believe to be the best portrayal of Jason.

10

Tom Morga

Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)

Morga played Jason in a character’s flashbacks Friday the 13th: A new beginning. The plot of the franchise film installment revolves less around Jason And becomes more of a mystery film, trying to figure out who is killing all the teens. The killer walks around in a mask similar to Jason’s, although it has blue accents instead of Jason’s classic red.

Although Jason is not a significant character in this installmentMorga plays him like the hulking and intimidating character of the rest of the franchise. He also plays the other killer, who many assume to be Jason. Morga based his performance on other iterations of the famous killer, keeping him true to form. Ultimately, his role has little impact on the franchise as a whole.

9

Warrington Gillette

Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)

Gillette was the first actor to play Jason in Friday the 13th Part 2. After shooting some scenes, He left the film’s cast, reportedly due to the difficulty of the stunts Done. Gillette was a younger and less experienced stuntman than his successor, Steve Dash, who played Jason for the rest of the movie.

However, Gillette plays the unmasked Jason, who attacks the new final girl, Ginny. Gillette crashes through the window behind her in a style similar to Lehman’s Jason. The stunt was filmed early in the production since Gillette was still playing Jason. Although he gave an important performance as Jason, overall, Gillette’s contribution to the franchise was much less significant than other actors.

8

Ari Lachman

Friday the 13th (1980)

Lehman acted as the original Jason before he became a murderous adult. In the first film of the franchise, the killer is not Jason, but his mother, Pamela Voorhees, played by Betsy Palmer. Throughout the film, Jason is thought to be dead, having drowned in the lake as a child. But at the end of the first film, A dirty young child jumps out of the lake And pulls Alice in the lake, suggesting that the boy survived and was preserved as a child in the lake.

Obviously, this is a dream sequence, because Alice is alive at the beginning of the next film. Much of the film’s crew thought there would be no sequel since the killer, Pamela, was dead, as was Jason. However, the success of the first film prompted them to make another installment, with the chronically mature Jason looking to avenge his mother. Although Lehmann’s performance as young Jason is only a dream, It was essential to spark Jason’s return for the rest of the franchise.

7

Ken Kirzinger

Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

Kirzinger was a longtime stuntman and coordinator before playing Jason. He previously appeared in the seriesPlaying a line cook in Jason Takes Manhattan. He also did some stunts for Hodder in the film. however, Freddy vs. JasonThe director, Ronnie Yu, tried to limit Kirzinger’s stunts in the film, with Kirzinger working with his own stuntman, Glenn Ennis.

Kirzinger tried to create a new personality for Jason, distancing him from the iconic performance Kane Hodder had made in previous films. Kirzinger’s Jason even has a new, more distinct mask. His menacing height of six feet and five inches Also played a significant factor in his role in the role, towering over Robert Englund’s Freddy Krueger. Although some fans don’t support Jason’s recasting, Kirzinger brings life to the role, taking the character in yet another new direction.

6

Steve Dash

Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)

After Gillette left the project, Dash, also known as Steve Daskewicz, played the masked version of Jason in Friday the 13th Part 2. Dash is credited as “Jason stunt double“ While Gillette earned Jason’s official credit. Since Jason has yet to find his iconic hockey mask, Dash plays the part while wearing a cloth bag on his head with one eye hole. This was before the hockey mask became an important part of Jason’s identity, and is a look often forgotten by viewers.

Dash’s performance as Jason was significant for the franchise, with it The first time that adult Jason was seen on screen. He gave Jason a sense of grief and revenge for his recently passed mother, helping to define the character’s motives early in the series. Except Friday the 13th Part 2Dash worked as a stuntman and coordinator on other horror films including Mr. Hush, night shift, And Alone in the dark. He died in 2018 due to health issues.

5

Richard Brooker

Friday the 13th Part III (1982)

When Dash did not return to reprise the role of Part 2Brooker, a British acrobat was cast for the role. Brocker performed his own stunts in the film. He was infamous for his nonchalant portrayal of Jason. When shown on screen, Jason seems indifferent to his kills. He meanders in his walk and seems ultimately unmotivated to speed his killing spree along. This helped paint Jason as an unstoppable killing machine for the rest of the series.

Niha, Brooker was the first Jason actor to don the infamous hockey maskwho takes from one of his victims. When not wearing the mask, Brooker endured hours in the makeup department as they applied prosthetics to his face. Jason became his most famous role, only in more minor roles after this film. Later he became a producer and businessman, leaving the film industry. Brooker died in 2013.

4

Derek Mears

Friday the 13th (2009)

In the 2009 series reboot, Jason was again rewritten and recast, this time played by the menacing Mears. in this film, Jason is given more awareness and motivationAs opposed to being a mindless killer. He is played as a survivalist who becomes an agile hunter when disturbed. His fighting techniques are also elevated, making him a more compelling villain, although there are cool kills throughout the series.

Mears is often praised for his attempt to give Jason more depthTaking the character as an acting role, instead of a stunt opportunity. Many find Mears’ Jason to be the most intimidating and scary, given his upgraded abilities and skills. At this point, the film is not limited to the confines of the campy 1980s slashers from which it originated, and it is used as an opportunity to change the movie’s tone, leaning more towards horror.

3

Ted White

Friday the 13th: The Last Chapter

White became the next Jason in Friday the 13th: The Last Chapterwhich was supposed to be the fourth and final installment in the series. White was 58 when he played Jason and Already had an established career as a stuntman Long before taking the role. Since he already had success in the industry before the film, White asked that his name not be included in the credits, although it is still one of his most notable roles.

White’s portrayal of Jason drastically changed the character from Brooker’s interpretation. White decided to make the character faster and kill more quickly. This was in direct contrast to Brooker’s nonchalant but animalistic killer. White does a good job showing Jason’s anger and making him a more motivated character. White was offered the role of Jason for Friday the 13th: A new beginning And Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason LivesBut finally turned it down. White died in 2022 at the age of 96.

2

CJ Graham

Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives

Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives became an homage to Jason’s unstoppable killing, with him being much more central to the plot than in the previous films. Graham was chosen to replace original stuntman Dan Bradley, who was reportedly recast because he lacked the menace necessary to play Jason. Graham’s intimidating physical violence Helped him secure the role. He also portrayed the undead nature of the film’s resurrected Jason well. Overall, the film is considered one of the franchise’s best, partly due to Graham’s performance.

This was Graham’s film debut, having been a nightclub owner before the film. He continued to explore other roles in aspects of the Friday the 13th Property, though Jason live was the only time he played the murderer. He reprized his role in an Alice Cooper music video For the song “He’s Back (The Man Behind the Mask),” which was written for the film.

1

No testicles

Friday the 13th Part 7: The New Blood, Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan, Jason Goes to Hell, and Jason X

Hodder’s characterization of Jason has become synonymous with the franchise, making him the series’ most meaningful and larger-than-life killer. He Turns Jason into the unstoppable rage machine That many think of. The use of deep breathing, rigid posture and purposeful head movements all made Hodder’s Jason so memorable. While some of the other actors portray Jason as meandering, Hodder is purposeful and driven to kill.

Hodder was hired for his willingness to go full throttle for stunts, which helped bring Jason to life. Because of this, Jason was able to engage in more exciting and theatrical skills and situations. This appreciation is expressed in Hodder’s roles in four of these Friday the 13th filmsMaking him the only actor to do more than one film as the killer. Among the many actors who played Jason in Friday the 13thHodder’s performance stood out in over a decade’s worth of films.