Horror Celebrity Spotlight: Kane Hodder
Welcome to a new series where I take a look at the most interesting icons in the horror world! First up, the legendary stuntman/actor Kane Hodder!
Let’s take a look at his career, the characters he’s played, and all the Kane Hodder movies you should be watching!
The Basics:
Full Name: Kane Warren Hodder
Current Age: 69
Best Known For: Playing Jason in four Friday the 13th movies and the computer game.
Performers He Often Works With: Danielle Harris, John Carl Buechler, R.A. Mihailoff
Kane Hodder first portrayed Jason in Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood.
Jason was already iconic at that point, but Hodder injected extra personality to the role.
His intense body language and charisma added more to the character. Hodder’s performances were overwhelmingly well received by fans.
But Hodder didn’t stop there. He has played three other major horror villains!
Victor Crowley – all four Hatchet movies (the only actor to play this role)
Leatherface – stunt double for R.A. Mihailoff in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. Hodder also plays Leatherface in the 2023 Texas Chainsaw Massacre videogame.
Freddy Krueger (technically) – if you’re a big slasher fan, you probably know that Hodder’s hand was inside Freddy’s glove when it appeared at the end of Jason Goes to Hell.
But what you may not know is that director Wes Craven considered Hodder for the role in the original A Nightmare On Elm Street.
In the early stages of development, Craven was unsure how to portray Freddy. Back then, most slasher villains were hulking maniacs. Craven considered offering the role to Hodder, who was already a well-known stuntman at the time.
Of course, he ended up going in a different direction, and everyone, including Hodder, knows that he made the right choice.
A Virtually Unparalleled Career
It’s remarkable for one guy to play so many iconic characters. The only horror actor with a comparable resume is Lon Chaney Jr, who played The Wolfman, The Mummy, and Frankenstein’s Monster multiple times each, and Dracula once, in Universal’s 1940s horror series.
There’s one major slasher villain that Hodder has never played – Michael Myers! Hodder has expressed interest in the role. Michael tends to be less emotional and more calculating than the villains he’s portrayed, so Hodder would have to tone his performance down a bit, but I’m sure he would make a good Myers.
It’ll probably never happen, but it’s fun to think about!
What Does The Future Hold For Hodder?
At nearly 70 years old, it’s unclear if Hodder is still able to perform the extremely physical roles that he’s best known for. He’s said that he wants to play Jason again, especially since another movie would be the 13th in the series! Is it possible that he could appear in the upcoming Crystal Lake series? In any case, hopefully there will be plenty more Kane Hodder movies to come!
