Friday the 13th’s Jason Voorhees Actor Jumps on Viral TikTok Trend
Friday the 13th actor, Kane Hodder, is taking part in a viral TikTok trend. The actor/stuntman has made appearances in a number of projects, including Hatchet and Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, but is best known for his role as Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th franchise. His portrayal of the horror icon spanned over a decade, starring in four of its installments, from The New Blood to Jason X, making Hodder the first actor to play the machete-wielding antagonist more than once. Fans of the slasher series have embraced the star over the years for his commitment and have deemed Hodder to be the best Jason Voorhees, solidifying him as a genre legend.
Although Hodder expressed interest in returning to the franchise for the 2003 film Freddy vs. Jason, he was replaced by Ken Kirzinger, a decision that has upset many diehard Friday the 13th fans to this day. Since leaving the franchise, he has mainly appeared in smaller roles across movies like Monster, Frozen, and the aforementioned Hatchet series. After seeing the 2013 documentary, Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th, and the recent wave of horror reboots, fans have been hoping to see him reprise the villainous role in some other capacity. Jason Blum said he has wanted to resurrect Friday the 13th through Blumhouse for years, but has been unable to obtain the rights. However, whether Hodder would be considered to return was not addressed.
In a recent TikTok video that the star reposted on Facebook, Hodder gave fans a glimpse into his funny side, jumping in on a viral trend. The "look at this distinguished gentleman" trend became popular when users began dubbing the original sound over videos of themselves or animals doing strange things. Needless to say, fans ate it up, with comments calling Hodder "the man," and pointing out how fun and "hysterical" he can be. Watch the original video here.
While he may have left his iconic Friday the 13th role on the big screen for now, Hodder is also portraying classic horror villain Leatherface in the upcoming Texas Chain Saw Massacre video game. The actor was confirmed to appear in Gun Interactive's game in 2021 and has said that he wanted his portrayal of the character to resemble Gunnar Hansen's. Hodder was also featured in the 2017 Friday the 13th game, so it comes as no surprise that the actor was willing to do more work in the digital space. While not Jason, Hodder did perform stunts as a Leatherface double before, and fans will no doubt still be excited knowing it is him behind the mask.
With an extensive background in horror, it can be easy to forget that Hodder is just as passionate and fun-loving as fans of both himself and the genre. Whether he returns as Jason in the future is yet to be determined, with the legal battle surrounding Friday the 13th's rights, but Hodder's admiration for the franchise is just another reason support for a reboot is so high. As the actor continues to engage with Friday the 13th content, it will be interesting to see if a potential remake will indeed feature Hodder as a franchise staple, either on screen or behind the scenes.
Source: Kane Hodder