Many actors have played Camp Crystal Lake’s resident serial killer Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th franchise, and here’s the full list. When Jason Voorhees first appeared onscreen as part of a final scare in the original Friday the 13th - a scene which was arguably a dream sequence - it’s unlikely anyone involved knew that they had just introduced a cinematic legend. Yet, Friday the 13th was a hit, and its ending tease of Jason set the table for an entire series of films to come.

Over the course of Friday the 13ths Part 2-4, Jason - who clearly didn’t actually drown to death in Crystal Lake - goes on a killing spree for the ages, before finally being brought down by a young Tommy Jarvis (Corey Feldman). Jason sat out Part 5, before returning in the aptly titled Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives. Now a zombie, Jason was harder to defeat than ever, starring in two more Paramount films before New Line Cinema gained control of Friday the 13th, and did weird things like take Jason into space and make him a body-hopping demon.

While a legal rights dispute is currently stalling any attempt to continue the Friday the 13th legacy, it’ll no doubt one day get resolved, enabling yet another actor to don Jason’s mask. Until then, these are all the actors who’ve played Jason Voorhees. For clarity’s sake, the main list consists of only the actors actually credited as Jason, although some people who played the character briefly do get a mention in the paragraphs below.

Every Actor Who’s Played Jason Voorhees

  • Ari Lehman in Friday the 13th (1980) Warrington Gillette in Friday the 13th Part 2 Richard Brooker in Friday the 13th Part 3 Ted White in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter C.J. Graham in Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives Kane Hodder in Friday the 13th Part 7: The New Blood, Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan, Jason Goes to Hell, and Jason X Ken Kirzinger in Freddy vs. Jason Derek Mears in Friday the 13th (2009)

Ari Lehman originated the role of Jason Voorhees, albeit a young version of the character that reaches up to grab Alice out of her canoe in Friday the 13th’s ending scare. While Warrington Gillette is credited as Jason in Friday the 13th Part 2, he actually only plays the unmasked version near the end of the sequel. When under his potato sack mask, Jason is played by actor Steve Dash. Richard Brooker took over as Jason for Friday the 13th Part 3 in 3-D, becoming the first actor to don Jason’s trademark hockey mask. Ted White played Jason for his last human adventure in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. White infamously wasn’t a fan of the character and took the role solely for the money. Thankfully, he’s softened his stance since.

While Jason technically isn’t the killer in Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning, he’s actually played briefly by Tom Morga in hallucinations had by Tommy Jarvis. Morga went uncredited, only being credited as the stunt double for copycat killer Roy the paramedic. Actor John Hock also played Jason during the dream sequence where Tommy is played by Corey Feldman. C.J. Graham became one of the most popular Jasons in Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives, although he’s actually not in the whole film, as he was brought in to replace Dan Bradley, whose already shot scenes were still used.

Friday the 13th Part 7: The New Blood marked the beginning of Kane Hodder’s long tenure as Jason, making him the first and only actor to play the character in multiple films. Hodder’s Jason exudes an angry, menacing vibe, and he’d reprise the role in Jason Takes Manhattan, Jason Goes to Hell, and Jason X. Much to the dismay of both fans and Hodder himself, Ken Kirzinger was selected to play Jason in Freddy vs. Jason, as director Ronny Yu wanted a taller actor for the role. Finally, Derek Mears played Jason most recently, in the 2009 Friday the 13th remake, earning positive reviews from most.

More: Every Future Movie Star In The Friday the 13th Franchise