Made for only $500,000 in 1980, Friday the 13th spawned the most famously ludicrous string of sequels in film history. Along the blood-soaked road to its ninth incarnation, the new Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, seven actors have played the indestructible hockey-masked killer Jason Voorhees. Here's what all these Jasons have been up to since wrapping their freaky Fridays. Ari Lehman, 28, Friday the 13th (1980) How it all began: Jason, 12, drowns as a result of horny teenage camp counselors' neglect, setting his mother on a rampage of senseless slaughter. Most memorable murder: A muck-covered Jason leaps out from burial under Crystal Lake and drags an unhappy camper down with him. Life after Jason: He immediately gave up acting and became a musician; he appeared in Reggae Sunsplash '93 as the only American in a Nigerian group led by reggae singer Majek Fashek and now fronts Jungle Science, a fledgling African-progressive rock group. Musings: ''It's comical to look back on, but I was 14 years old and really into acting. When I came to the set, I was Jason.''
Warrington Gillette, 33, Friday the 13th, Part 2 (1981) The carnage continues: Jason puts his mother's severed head on a table and collects the corpses of teenage victims to create a shrine to her. Most memorable murder: A tomahawk goes through the bodies of two fornicating youths. Life after Jason: Gillette did a thriller and some commercials, then became a Wall Street investment banker in 1986. He acts occasionally. Musings: His Friday turn-ons included a chance to jump through windows. Turn-offs: artificial teeth, six-hour makeup sessions, and all-night shooting.
Richard Brooker, 38, Friday the 13th, Part 3 (in 3-D) (1982) The carnage continues: Nubile teenagers spend a weekend in the country and end up in the morgue; Jason wears a hockey mask over his disfigured face for the first time. Most memorable murder: An arrow flies through an eyeball. (Honorable mention: pitchfork in the stomach.) Life after Jason: Brooker costarred in Deathstalker, did soaps, then quit acting. Now he runs a Burbank, Calif., company-Brooker Below the Line-that provides services including equipment and crews to movie studios and independent producers. Musings: ''The hardest thing was having to rely on acting for income. How many years are you gonna park cars until you realize it's not gonna happen?'' On sequels: ''I was told they were going to do up to 13.''
Ted White, 67, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (ahem) (1984) The carnage continues: Jason escapes a hospital, butchers skinny-dippers and is killed by ^ preteen Corey Feldman. Most memorable murder: Guy sees girlfriend slain, then gets his testicles crushed. Life after Jason: White's 30-year career as a stuntman (he had doubled for Clark Gable in The Misfits) gave way to bit parts in big movies (Starman) and big parts in bit movies (Conagher), bringing his current total to 350. Musings: ''I didn't know whether I wanted (the role of Jason) or not.'' He eventually pulled his name from the credits and refused the part in future sequels.
You Might Also Like
- Video Review Friday the 13th | Bruce Fretts




