Skip to main contentConsidering he's best known for playing an unstoppable, hockey-mask-wearing homicidal maniac, chances are you'd never recognize actor Kane Hodder on the street. But anyone who's seen the last three Friday the 13th films knows Hodder's handiwork as Jason Voorhees, Camp Crystal Lake's resident psychopath who's been hackin' 'em and stackin' 'em for over two decades. Hodder, a father of two and a stunt man for 25 years, returns as his knife-wielding alter ego for the fourth time in Jason X, the 10th installment in the Friday the 13th franchise.
OK, there's a new Friday the 13th movie coming out, what can we expect?
Hodder: Jason X, the best one we've done, actually--the best one out of all that have been done.
What do you do to prepare to play a hockey-masked homicidal maniac?
As lame as it might sound, I fall into that character so easily that I don't need a lot of preparation to be violent. I guess I kind of have that nature. Immediately before the camera rolls for a violent scene, I do some pacing and growling. Once the hockey mask goes on my face, I don't talk anymore. You know, I'm a little Method that way.
Do your co-stars get freaked out when you are growling?
Yeah, they do. That's probably at least part of the reason that I do it: get them a little off-center, get them thinking, "Is this guy a little screwed up or what?" It makes their performance better. It's kind of fun for me to mess with people at the same time as getting my energy going.
How does Jason X stack up in the body-count department? Is it super-violent? Are there decapitations?
You can expect creative violence. It's very violent, but not as graphic as in the past, only because it ends up being cut and you're left with nothing. So we tried to come up with some really violent ways of killing people without the blood--not that we're against that, but we don't want to lose any of the impact because it has to be cut.
Do violent movies like this have a negative impact on society?
Anyone who tries to hang blame on movies or music is ignoring the real point, and just looking for a scapegoat. It's a certain type of entertainment that appeals to a lot of people, and if you don't choose to watch it, don't watch it. But don't try and dictate what other people watch.
What are your fans like?
It's amazing the depth and devotion to the character, and to my playing of the character. I can't tell you how many times I've been told that the way I play the character is the way the character should've been played all along. It's pretty flattering, because I put a lot of myself into the character and it's nice when people recognize that.
Would you have problems with your children watching films like Jason X?
They are still young. They know the character, but they don't watch the movies. If they want to, I'll watch it with them; if they don't, I won't push them to watch. But they know who the character is, and they know I play Jason. Kids are more sophisticated than parents give them credit for. I've met 6-year-olds who know exactly what it is--it's a part I play. I pretend to kill people. If parents would talk to their kids more about that sort of thing, I don't think they would be so afraid of letting their kids watch these kinds of things.
Rated
Opens Friday, April 26.
WWeek 2015