A Chat With John Hock (Jason Voorhees/Roy Burns, Friday The 13th Part 5)

Johnny Hock was the second Jason actor that we talked to at Return To Camp Crystal Lake. He was so open to discuss his role in Friday the 13th: A New Beginning and offered up a brand new piece of information that has not been reported on our website before, if anywhere else at all!

Our conversation was started off by reconfirming his role in A New Beginning. As we reported in our story in December, John Hock was known to don the hockey mask in three scenes. John elaborated on the circumstances of these scenes. First of all, John was brought onto the production by his good friend Tom Morga, as the two were stuntmen in Hollywood films. Tom was unable to portray Jason/Roy for a scheduled one day shoot as he was going to be running in a marathon on that day. So, John Hock was there to fill in. During that shoot, John portrayed the pseudo Jason/Roy character that falls from the barn in the film's climax.

John was very specific that for that stunt, only when the body of the character was falling in mid air, was that really him. When pseudo Jason/Roy was hanging from the barn wall, that was Tom Morga. The other scene from that one day shoot that has now brought new information is when pseudo Jason walks into the entrance of the barn, looking for the characters, Pam and Reggie. Originally, it was thought that John Hock only walked into the entrance of the barn as a type of insert shot needed during post production. However, John told me that he did much more.

After his character walks into the entrance of the barn, John then proceeded to walk inside the barn and look around for his would-be victims. We were both very specific about this scene and he remembered clear as day that he indeed was the one walking around the barn, before Pam bursts out of the tool shed with the chainsaw.

It was very exciting to learn about this revelation and it should be fun for the fans to learn yet another great thing about the film franchise that was not known. Now, the third known scene is indeed the opening cemetary scene in the film. A young Tommy Jarvis happens upon two good ol' boys digging up Jason where he then proceeds to kill the pair.

John Hock confirms that he indeed played Jason in that scene. However, when pushed about the circumstances surrounding him filming this scene on an additional day of shooting, he could not remember why Director Danny Steinman called upon him for the role instead of Tom Morga. The same question was later asked of Mr. Steinmann with the same result.

John told a funny story about Tom Morga from just a few years ago. When John Hock was attending his first convention, it was a reunion for all of the Jasons. When Tom saw Johnny Hock, he asked him what he was doing at the convention. John replied to him that he played Jason in the film for a little bit and Tom had forgot! John thought it was funny as Tom in essence hired John for the job to replace him for a day. Mr. Morga eventually started to recollect A New Beginning, but it was funny that Tom thought he was the only person playing Jason for the duration of the film.

John Hock was really a great guy who also discussed his other Hollywood stunt roles, including Backdraft, where he nearly lost his life . It was a pleasure speaking with John and only regret not getting a picture with him!