10 Things Everyone Always Gets Wrong About Jason Voorhees
1. He Has No Personality
Just because he hides his face and never talks, doesn’t mean that Jason Voorhees is a one-dimensional character. Audiences can feel for him as a tormented soul who lost his innocence after years of bullying and trauma, while also fearing his unstoppable brutality.
The boundaries of those he chooses to kill and those he spares raises questions about his humanity, and his Oedipus complex makes him ripe for psychological analysis.
His hidden face means he can be played by different actors between films. Jason has been played by a total of eight actors, all of whom have a slightly different take. From Warrington Gillette’s scruffy, stumbling ‘Baghead Jason,’ to Kane Hodder’s heaving, towering menace, the character provides a valuable opportunity for actors to express their range, by exploring how they feel a character like this might think and act.
It takes genuine talent to craft an expressive performance while wearing that mask.
If Jason Voorhees was a boring character with no personality, then he wouldn’t have become the icon of horror that he is. His fanbase is huge and he resonates throughout pop culture; at every comic con you’ll see at least one Jason cosplay, and his mask has been printed onto t-shirts around the world. He may not be quotable like Freddy, but he's just as compelling.