Top 4 Jason Voorhees Actors Of The Friday The 13th Franchise
Our Ranking The Franchise series continues today as we have now put together our Top 4 Jason Voorhees Actors in the Friday The 13th film franchise! This was an extremely difficult list to put together as every single actor has added so much to the Jason character and they each are part of a long legacy in film history. With that being said, we feel that some people embodied the character more than others and is in no way a knock on anyone's performance in their respective films. Our readers may or may not agree with our rankings, but fans could definitely rank the actors higher or lower than what we have listed below.
4. Derek Mears (Friday The 13th 2009)
It's extremely difficult to jump into a character that has been around for almost thirty years and really own it and make it your own. That was Derek Mears task when donning the hockey mask for what was essentially a reintroduction to the classic "human" Jason Voorhees character from the early to mid 1980's. So many people came before Derek and added their own personality and movements to the character that it was a tall task indeed, but what he created and brought out on screen was a combination of the actors before him, but with a more athletic touch.
Derek brought ferocity and emotion to the character that hadn't been seen since Richard Brooker and Ted White portrayed Jason, but it was his athletic movements that set him apart from other actors and stuntmen that came before him. Derek his one of the main reasons that Friday The 13th 2009 works well in trying to recapture the essence of the earlier films and his Jason set the standard for the modern era of the Friday The 13th franchise.
3. Ted White (Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter)
What's impressive about Ted White's portrayal of Jason Voorhees in Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter is that he never heard of the character, the films, or much about the Horror genre as a whole. His ability to harness the psychotic rage of Jason and unleash it in such a convincing fashion on-screen is a testament to not only his stunt work, but his acting ability as well. Even more impressive is that Ted worked on the film in his 50's and behind the scenes was very physical with the actors.
One thought of Ted White when looking at his turn as Jason Voorhees is that he was a runaway freight train. He would not be stopped, and will always be the most physically dominating of all of the actors to portray the character.
2. Kane Hodder (Friday The 13th Part 7-Part 8, Jason Goes To Hell, Jason X)
Realistically, Kane became the face of the Friday The 13th franchise for the better part of fifteen years. The stars definitely aligned for the unofficial champion of the films starting in the late 1980's. Kane came to the films at the tail end of the franchise's success and after New Line purchased the rights for film distribution from Paramount, the only mainstay from the golden years was Kane. He spent the entire decade of the 1990's attending conventions, keeping the fans updated of news on new movies, and pushing Jason Voorhees and Friday The 13th when no one else really cared.
Of course, it wasn't just Kane's promoting of the films that landed him as the number two Jason Voorhees actor on our list, it had to be his work on film. Contrary to what some fans may think, he made the character larger than life and gave Jason Voorhees a true personality. A real personality was something that was briefly glimpsed in Friday The 13th Part 3. Before Kane portrayed Jason in Friday The 13th Part 7: The New Blood, the character was mostly a blunt instrument himself, carrying out death sequences.
Enjoy or dislike Kane Hodder's take on the Jason character, there is no doubt that he was the first actor to really embrace the character, take ownership of it, and bring Mr. Voorhees into the mainstream media.
1. Richard Brooker (Friday The 13th Part 3)
The late Richard Brooker had the difficult task of creating a believable and formidable villain with no real history to fall back on. Since Paramount was going all in with the 3-D marketing and filming of Friday The 13th Part 3, it was clear that the third installment of the franchise was looking to take a strong leap into the mainstream. Brooker's only film to look upon for guidance for the character was Part 2, and that featured a backwoods momma's boy living deep in the woods. It was hardly a scary enough villain to anchor such an ambitious project, and with little to no direction from Director Steve Miner for the Jason character, Richard set off to create his own take on the iconic slasher.
Since the older Paramount franchise films did not reveal Jason until the end of the films, it was important that Brooker was believable as the hockey mask wearing maniac. It's like a first date; you have to make a great first impression, and Richard did so indeed. His first appearance with the hockey mask is during the scene where he shoots Vera with the harpoon gun. After Jason dispatches of his victim, Richard thought it would be a good idea to have the Jason character throw the gun to the ground, almost with arrogance. In fact, Richard would infuse Jason Voorhees with a definite cocky arrogance throughout the climactic chase scene with the Chris Higgins character.
There are numerous times where Jason Voorhees either smirked at Chris, hissed at her, or arrogantly strutted towards her ready for a kill. There is even a scene where Brooker has Jason throw a temper tantrum while unsuccessfully searching for where Chris Higgins is hiding in the barn. Ultimately, Richard Brooker created an early template for what Jason Voorhees would become to pop culture and others followed suit adding their own mark on the Jason character.
We are sure our readers have their own thoughts and opinions on where the Jason actors should be ranked. Let us know your thoughts on the comments below and let the debate begin!
4. Derek Mears (Friday The 13th 2009)
It's extremely difficult to jump into a character that has been around for almost thirty years and really own it and make it your own. That was Derek Mears task when donning the hockey mask for what was essentially a reintroduction to the classic "human" Jason Voorhees character from the early to mid 1980's. So many people came before Derek and added their own personality and movements to the character that it was a tall task indeed, but what he created and brought out on screen was a combination of the actors before him, but with a more athletic touch.
Derek brought ferocity and emotion to the character that hadn't been seen since Richard Brooker and Ted White portrayed Jason, but it was his athletic movements that set him apart from other actors and stuntmen that came before him. Derek his one of the main reasons that Friday The 13th 2009 works well in trying to recapture the essence of the earlier films and his Jason set the standard for the modern era of the Friday The 13th franchise.
3. Ted White (Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter)
What's impressive about Ted White's portrayal of Jason Voorhees in Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter is that he never heard of the character, the films, or much about the Horror genre as a whole. His ability to harness the psychotic rage of Jason and unleash it in such a convincing fashion on-screen is a testament to not only his stunt work, but his acting ability as well. Even more impressive is that Ted worked on the film in his 50's and behind the scenes was very physical with the actors.
One thought of Ted White when looking at his turn as Jason Voorhees is that he was a runaway freight train. He would not be stopped, and will always be the most physically dominating of all of the actors to portray the character.
2. Kane Hodder (Friday The 13th Part 7-Part 8, Jason Goes To Hell, Jason X)
Realistically, Kane became the face of the Friday The 13th franchise for the better part of fifteen years. The stars definitely aligned for the unofficial champion of the films starting in the late 1980's. Kane came to the films at the tail end of the franchise's success and after New Line purchased the rights for film distribution from Paramount, the only mainstay from the golden years was Kane. He spent the entire decade of the 1990's attending conventions, keeping the fans updated of news on new movies, and pushing Jason Voorhees and Friday The 13th when no one else really cared.
Of course, it wasn't just Kane's promoting of the films that landed him as the number two Jason Voorhees actor on our list, it had to be his work on film. Contrary to what some fans may think, he made the character larger than life and gave Jason Voorhees a true personality. A real personality was something that was briefly glimpsed in Friday The 13th Part 3. Before Kane portrayed Jason in Friday The 13th Part 7: The New Blood, the character was mostly a blunt instrument himself, carrying out death sequences.
Enjoy or dislike Kane Hodder's take on the Jason character, there is no doubt that he was the first actor to really embrace the character, take ownership of it, and bring Mr. Voorhees into the mainstream media.
1. Richard Brooker (Friday The 13th Part 3)
The late Richard Brooker had the difficult task of creating a believable and formidable villain with no real history to fall back on. Since Paramount was going all in with the 3-D marketing and filming of Friday The 13th Part 3, it was clear that the third installment of the franchise was looking to take a strong leap into the mainstream. Brooker's only film to look upon for guidance for the character was Part 2, and that featured a backwoods momma's boy living deep in the woods. It was hardly a scary enough villain to anchor such an ambitious project, and with little to no direction from Director Steve Miner for the Jason character, Richard set off to create his own take on the iconic slasher.
Since the older Paramount franchise films did not reveal Jason until the end of the films, it was important that Brooker was believable as the hockey mask wearing maniac. It's like a first date; you have to make a great first impression, and Richard did so indeed. His first appearance with the hockey mask is during the scene where he shoots Vera with the harpoon gun. After Jason dispatches of his victim, Richard thought it would be a good idea to have the Jason character throw the gun to the ground, almost with arrogance. In fact, Richard would infuse Jason Voorhees with a definite cocky arrogance throughout the climactic chase scene with the Chris Higgins character.
There are numerous times where Jason Voorhees either smirked at Chris, hissed at her, or arrogantly strutted towards her ready for a kill. There is even a scene where Brooker has Jason throw a temper tantrum while unsuccessfully searching for where Chris Higgins is hiding in the barn. Ultimately, Richard Brooker created an early template for what Jason Voorhees would become to pop culture and others followed suit adding their own mark on the Jason character.
We are sure our readers have their own thoughts and opinions on where the Jason actors should be ranked. Let us know your thoughts on the comments below and let the debate begin!
