Kane Hodder: The actor behind horror’s most villainous characters
The key to a successful horror movie often relies on a strong villain, a character that transcends the confines of the film and becomes a recognisable pop culture icon. It doesn’t take a seasoned horror fan to know that Ghostface is the antagonist of Scream or that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre‘s terrifying killer is known as Leatherface.
Yet, less common is the knowledge of who is behind the mask. Despite the monumental impact of horror killers like Freddy Kreuger, Michael Myers and Jason Vorhees, most people would draw a blank when asked to name the actors that brought them to life.
However, there is one man who has portrayed killers more than anyone else, becoming the most notorious on-screen murderer in cinematic history: Kane Hodder. While most people might not recognise him without a mask or heavy makeup, Hodder has played multiple villains over the years, most notably Jason Vorhees in several of the Friday the 13th movies.
The first Friday the 13th film was released in 1980, banking off the success of John Carpenter’s Halloween, which emerged two years prior. Yet, Jason only appears as a child in the first instalment, played by Ari Lehman. It’s not until the sequel that Jason is seen as an adult, although Hodder didn’t embody the villainous character until 1988’s Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood.
Until this point, Hodder only had a handful of acting credits to his name, including the horror movies Open House and Prison. Yet, after donning the iconic hockey mask, Hodder landed the role of Jason in three more instalments in the franchise, ending with 2001’s Jason X. He was also responsible for portraying Jason in Friday the 13th: The Game in 2017.
Before Hodder became Jason, he almost secured the role of another iconic villain – Freddy Kreuger from A Nightmare on Elm Street – due to the burns on his chest. Yet, his lack of success needn’t have mattered; Hodder still became a respected horror star due to his terrifying portrayal of Jason. Moreover, Hodder has played the slasher villain Victor Crowley in all of the Hatchet movies and Grawesome Crutal in the Muck films.
Hodder told Great Big Story, “I’ve stabbed people, I’ve dismembered them, I’ve killed people in unthinkable ways”. He asserts that he has “murdered more people on camera than any other actor in history.” But his horror legacy doesn’t end there – besides his acting credits, Hodder has also carried out extensive stunt work, standing in for R. A. Mihailoff, who played Leatherface in 1990’s Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. He also played the apron-clad killer in the 2023 video game The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
With extensive stunt credits in films such as Hocus Pocus, Addam’s Family Values, Batman Forever, and Daredevil, Hodder has enjoyed a prolific career outside of his slasher endeavours. Still, the actor remains an icon of the horror genre, gifting us some of the most terrifying villains to ever grace our screens.
