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Nobody comes close to Friday the 13th‘s Jason Voorhees when it comes to horror royalty. The hockey-masked killer has slashed his way through 12 movies since 1980. Thanks to a messy lawsuit, Jason hasn’t appeared on the big screen since 2009. Still, he haunts the memories of fans, and he is just as popular as ever. Today, he will be looking back at all of the films and ranking the Jason actors. They bring something unique to the table, but here is our ranking of the actors who brought the Crystal Lake legend to life.
9. Tom Morga (Friday The 13th Part V)
(Updated on August 8, 2024 – updated links and format)
Like the original film, Jason is not the killer in the fifth Friday movie. Instead, it is a copycat named Roy Burns. Still, Jason does appear in some way. Tommy Jarvis killed Jason as a kid, but he still haunts him. He keeps seeing visions of the dead serial killer, played here by Tom Moga. Morga also plays Roy for most of the film, but as Jason, he doesn’t do much. He certainly looks menacing standing around, but he does little else. As Roy, he makes a formidable foe, but as a Jason actor, he is little more than a static image.
8. Ari Lehman (Friday The 13th)
As any fan of Friday the 13th (or Scream) know, Jason wasn’t the killer in the original film. Instead, it was his mother, Pamela. Even though Jason Voorhees doesn’t wield any weapons in this film, he still appears in flashbacks and a memorable nightmare scene. Ari Lehman plays the child version of Jason and is just as scary. He is shown a few times as a normal, albeit deformed, child. At the end of the film, the final girl Alice has defeated Mrs. Voorhees and is taking some much-needed rest. That is until a decomposing Jason grabs her from under the lake. This memorable final scare was originally meant to be nothing more than a dream, but the legacy of Jason, of course, lived on.
7. Ken Kirzinger (Freddy Vs. Jason)
When the cast for the highly anticipated Freddy vs. Jason was announced, fans were disappointed when series veteran Kane Hodder was replaced as Jason Voorhees. In his place was Ken Kirzinger. Ken was much taller than Kane, and he towered over Robert England as Freddy. Even though he wasn’t the actor fans had hoped to fight Freddy, he did a good job. Ken’s Jason is the tallest version of the character, giving the film’s titular showdown a David and Goliath feel. Kirzinger truly gives Jason a mindless killer feel. This Jason only wants one thing, to kill. As scary as this is, it makes the character ultimately uninteresting in a way. Ken was a worthy successor to Kane but ultimately couldn’t surpass him.
6. Warrington Gillette (Friday The 13th Part 2)
Jason first appeared as a bloodthirsty adult in the second film. For most of it, he was portrayed by Warrington Gillette. Gillette’s portrayal of Jason is very different than others for several reasons. For starters, there was no blueprint. Gillette was, in a way, the first true Jason actor. Ari Lehman was technically the first, but this is where he first began to kill. Second, his appearance is drastically different. He had yet to receive his trademark hockey mask and instead dons a burlap sack. Jason here gives off more of a crazy farmer vibe, and it works. Gillette plays Jason less as a mindless creature but as a deranged person capable of thought.
5. Richard Booker (Friday The 13th Part 3)
The first time Jason took the form of the icon fans know him as was in Friday the 13th Part 3. For some of the film, his face was hidden. Eventually, he wears a hockey mask, and horror history was made. Richard Booker has the honor of playing the first Jason in a hockey mask, and he helped Jason Voorhees really take shape.
This Jason still acted territorial like the previous one, but he seemed more ruthless. Gillette’s Jason killed almost out of necessity, Booker’s did it because he had a bloodlust. This Jason is scary and menacing; a perfect combination. Richard made the character leap from the screen, not just because the film was in 3-D.
4. C. J. Graham (Friday The 13th Part 6)
After fans were disappointed Jason didn’t show up in the fifth film, the filmmakers knew they had to bring him back. Bring him back they did, and nothing was the same. For the first time in the series, Jason was an unkillable zombie. C. J. Graham was the Jason actor this time around, and he had a ball with it. Because this Jason was indestructible, he could take on much more damage. C. J Graham was able to do stunts as Jason none of the others could, stunts that would become a mainstay of the series. Graham played Jason as a monster, a monster who wanted nothing more than to murder some campers.
3. Ted White (Friday The 13th Part 4)
After the third film, Jason was already considered an icon. For the fourth film, the first to feature Jason in the mask for the entire film, Voorhees was played by Ted White. White’s Jason was so terrifying for a simple reason, he was angry. This Jason was fueled by pure rage. He was just beaten to near death, and he was having none of it. This Jason will stop at nothing to reach his prey. He also has no reservations about going after children. Rage and an unquenchable thirst for blood are what drives this Jason, and he is one of the scariest slashers ever put to screen.
2. Kane Hodder (Friday The 13th 7-8, Jason Goes To Hell, Jason X)
When mentioning Jason actors, Kane Hodder is the name that appears the most. Hodder played Jason in four movies and even did the motion capture for the video game. Kane made Jason into more than just a mindless killer, he gave him personality. From subtle head movements to breathing techniques, Kane Hodder portrayed Jason as a terrifying creature capable of thought, but incapable of mercy. Some of the best kills in the series belong to Hodder, and he wears them with pride. There are many reasons Kane’s Jason is so mortifying, chief of which is that Jason seems to take pride in his kills. He clearly enjoys it. Kane Hodder may be the best-known Jason, but in terms of pure terror, he is just barely beaten.
1. Derek Mears (Friday The 13th 2009)
While the 2009 Friday the 13th remake may have been bashed upon initial release, many fans are warming up to it. There are plenty of things to enjoy about the latest film, and one of them is the big man himself. Many fans claim that Derek Mears’ Jason is the scariest of them all. This Jason is a survivalist akin to Rambo. He sets traps, uses bait, and toys with his victims. Just looking at Mears as Jason sends chills up the spine of even the most grizzled horror hound. This is sure to be the Jason any future Jason’s are compared to. This is evil incarnate. If the Friday the 13th films were based on a true story, this is the man they would be based on.
