Friday the 13th Actors Who Have Passed Away
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- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Betsy Palmer was probably best known for playing Jason Voorhees' mother in the horror film Friday the 13th (1980), but her career as an actress began many years before.
Palmer was born Patricia Betsy Hrunek in East Chicago, Indiana, to Marie (née Love), who launched the Chicago Business College, and Rudolph Vincent Hrunek, a Czech-born industrial chemist. Palmer played a young female officer opposite Jack Lemmon in Mister Roberts (1955), and appeared in another war film the same year, The Long Gray Line (1955). Throughout the late 1950s, Palmer was recognized as a news reporter on Today (1952) on NBC, then became largely involved in television. She remained in made-for-TV films and notable guest appearances, before playing the murderous avenging mother, Mrs. Voorhees, in the horror film Friday the 13th (1980). She also continued working in television, and appearing in low-budget films like The Fear: Resurrection (1999). Palmer spent her later years between her home in New York City and Sedona, Arizona.
Betsy Palmer died of natural causes on a Friday, May 29, 2015, at a hospice care center in Danbury, Connecticut.Natural Causes- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Willie Adams was born on 4 September 1954. He was an actor, known for Friday the 13th (1980). He died on 21 May 1993 in California, USA.Car Accident- Laurie Bartram was born on 16 May 1958 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. She was an actress, known for Friday the 13th (1980), Emergency! (1972) and Another World (1964). She was married to Gregory McCauley. She died on 25 May 2007 in Lynchburg, Virginia, USA.Cancer
- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Dominick Brascia was born on 6 April 1957 in Staten Island, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985), Evil Laugh (1986) and Hard Rock Nightmare (1988). He died on 26 November 2018 in Bozeman, Montana, USA.Natural Causes- Actor
- Production Manager
- Stunts
Discovered by a casting magazine "Dramalogue" for the role of mindless killer Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1982), Richard Brooker also gained the supporting role of the warrior Oghris in "Deathstalker" (1983). It was the only acting experience of Brooker, who later started creating completely a different professional career.
Born in 1954, Richard Brooker was originally from the UK, where he was a son of C.S.M.I. (Canadian forces school of Military Intelligence) of the British Cavalry. He was also an avid polo player and sailor. He has performed as a trapeze artist and stage manager in a circus throughout the world and trained and performed with horses. Later he trained horses again for stunts and stunt coordination and worked in all areas of television and film production.
At the end of 1980s, Brooker quit his acting career and became a technical and production manager, and also an independent producer, mainly for Polo Championships, Horse shows, Fox Sports and many others. In the period 1999-2002, he was executive in Charge Of Production for six daily shows, produced in Digital Television for AENTV (Alternative Entertainment Network) based in Los Angeles, California. He also directed 42 episodes of 1993 TV Series "Bill Nye the Science Guy".
Richard Brooker died from an apparent sudden heart attack in Los Angeles on April 8, 2013 at age 58.Heart Attack- Special Effects
- Make-Up Department
- Director
When he ran the make-up effects department at New World Pictures, Roger Corman called John Carl Buechler "...the best in the business..." An actor, writer, producer, director, special effects artist, he was always in love with filmmaking, and was the first person in history to make his way into the director's chair by way of make-up effects superstardom.
John Carl Buechler was born in Belleville, Illinois. As someone who went the entire nine yards, he made his name as an accomplished writer, producer, director and special effects artist. Since his early years, Buechler was thrilled with a passion of special effects and formed his own company, Mechanical Imageries Inc., for creating special effects for a handful of motion pictures in the science fiction and horror/fantasy genre. Although he was known for his fascinating make-up work, as a director, Buechler made his debut on an anthology fantasy film entitled The Dungeonmaster (1984). A year later, he directed and also designed the special effects for another fantasy film called Troll (1986), which became a major success during its theatrical release in 1986. Troll (1986), The Dungeonmaster (1984) and another Buehcler-directed effort, Cellar Dweller (1987), were films that were produced by Charles Band's then-collapsing Empire Pictures, in which Buechler often worked on dozens of Band's films as an effects artist. His work as a director led him to direct the seventh sequel to the ever famous Friday the 13th (1980) for Paramount Pictures. Friday the 13th: The New Blood (1988), like its many sequels was another box-office success, even though Buechler at the time was skeptical about directing the film. In later years, Buechler has continued on his long accomplished work in special effects and many of his directorial efforts were released to directly to video. Premiere Magazine quoted him as saying, "if you can pull a performance out of a piece of latex, you can do it with actors...."
He died on March 18, 2019.Cancer- Actress
- Additional Crew
Gloria Charles was born on 3 March 1955 in the USA. She was an actress, known for Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1982), Brewster's Millions (1985) and National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985). She died on 8 December 2016 in Marina Del Ray, California, USA(undisclosed).Heart Attack- Actor
- Stunts
- Producer
Steve Dash was born on 14 March 1944 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for 9½ Weeks (1986), Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) and Equalizer 2000 (1987). He was married to Loretta Fountain. He died on 18 December 2018 in Florida, USA.Diabetes- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Davis is enjoying his 9th year in L.A. as a full-time actor, doing everything from film, TV, theater, & commercials, to stand-up comedy, to hosting, and even voice-overs through the William Morris Agency in Los Angeles. It's in the accumulation of this work that Davis finds himself in that odd but respectable place where many people recognize him from something, but they're just not sure what.
Originally from Oklahoma City, Davis directed corporate videos to help put himself through SMU's Meadows School of the Arts cinema production program in Dallas, Texas, and graduated with a B.A., Cum Laude. Then, with a degree to fall back on, Davis rekindled his life long passion for performing, and began touring nationally as a stand-up comedian for 3 years, before settling in Los Angeles.
There he joined Hollywood's premier all-sketch comedy review, ACME Comedy Theater. After two years there in the main company, he joined up with The Groundlings, and graduated from their world renowned 4 level school of improv and sketch.
Along the way, Davis has racked up numerous film and television acting credits, including ABC's Desperate Housewives, Norm, and Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher (sketch-comedy), Sony Picture's feature film, Slackers, Disney Channel's, The Jersey, NBC's Providence, SCI-FI Channel's The Chronicle, UPN's All of Us, and CBS's Walker: Texas Ranger. You may have also seen Davis in his many hero roles for national commercials including Toyota, Budweiser, Circuit City, Sears, and Quaker. Or perhaps you've heard him as the "voice of" companies such as Bank of America, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, and Coors Light.
And of course, Davis was the on-camera host and star of TV Guide's two year running, Best of Late Night TV, a fast-paced mix of original comedy, and highlights from the late night talk show, and sketch-comedy universe (think The Soup, using clips from Letterman, Leno, Conan O'Brien, SNL, etc.).
Now, Davis, who scrimped and saved to make his own little movie, has done just that with his award winning short, Boy-Next-Door, which officially premiered at HBO Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, & went on to win at WorldFest, Hollywood Shorts, Big Bear Lake Intl., and Key West Indie Fest ---- also boasting official selections at 24 other notable festivals, a distributor deal with Shorts International, and a viewer rating of 5 out of 5 stars in the ubiquitous iTunes Store.
Davis is married, has a young son and daughter, continues to live and work in L.A., and attributes his involvement in show business to his Grandfather, Seymour Davis, who was a professional entertainer for 56 years.Cancer- Rex Everhart was born on 13 June 1920 in Watseka, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Friday the 13th (1980), Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Superman (1978). He was married to Claire Richard. He died on 13 March 2000 in Branford, Connecticut, USA.Cancer
- Sally Anne Golden was born on 31 July 1910. She was an actress, known for Friday the 13th (1980), Alice, Sweet Alice (1976) and The Wanderers (1979). She died on 29 January 1982 in New York City, New York, USA.Undisclosed
- Character actor Walt Gorney was born on April 12, 1912 in Vienna, Austria. He came to the United States when he was ten years old and lived with his family in Massachusetts. He had at least three younger sisters. In 1946, Gorney moved to an apartment in Greenwich Village in New York City. Walt appeared in a handful of movies in minor roles; he was usually cast as bums or average working class types. With his lean, stringy build, gaunt face, croaky voice, and intense off-center screen presence, Gorney was perfectly cast as local town eccentric and grim prophet of gloom 'n' doom Crazy Ralph in the horror classic Friday the 13th (1980). He returned as Crazy Ralph in Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) and did the opening narration for Friday the 13th: The New Blood (1988). Outside of his regrettably sparse movie credits, Walt had a long and respectable career acting on stage. Gorney was a member of the theatrical group the Provincetown Players in the early 1950s. He portrayed the role of Juan in the world premiere of "If Five Years Pass" and the part of Allen in "The Male Animal". Gorney appeared in the Broadway plays "Scratch" and "Trelawny of the Wells". Moreover, he also acted in the Off-Broadway stage productions "The Misanthrope", "Measure for Measure" and "Crystal and the Fox". Walt Gorney died at age 91 after a long illness at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City on March 5, 2004.Natural Causes
- Stunts
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Alex Green was born on 19 January 1942 in Australia. He was an actor, known for Shanghai Noon (2000), Paycheck (2003) and The Mask of Zorro (1998). He died on 20 July 2010 in British Columbia, Canada.Cancer- Special Effects
- Director
- Additional Crew
James Isaac was born on 5 June 1960 in San Francisco, California, USA. He was a director, known for Pig Hunt (2008), Jason X (2001) and eXistenZ (1999). He was married to Harriet Isaac. He died on 6 May 2012 in Sausalito, California, USA.Multiple Myeloma- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
For such a diminutive (4' 11") frame, character actor Leslie (Allen) Jordan had a tall talent for scene-stealing. Hailing from the South, as his dead-giveaway drawl quickly exposed, he was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 29, 1955, and raised in a highly conservative, deeply religious atmosphere in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His father, a Lieutenant Colonel with the Army, was killed in a plane crash when he was only 11.
Uncertain about his direction in life, an inescapable propensity for comedy and high camp, not to mention an impish mug and pocket-sized structure, led him straight to Los Angeles in an attempt to break into commercials and on-camera work. Following training with acting coach Carolyne Barry, who ran the Professional Artist's Group during the 80s, Leslie soon found himself highly marketable in commercial spots (Doritos, Fosters Beer, etc.). TV would invariably be the next step, finding him progressively better parts on such programs as "The Fall Guy," "The Wizard," "Night Court," "Newhart" and "Midnight Caller." He then earned a regular role on the short-lived comedy-fantasy series The People Next Door (1989) starring Alan Parker. Inspired by "The Far Side" comic strip, the show starred Jeffrey Jones as a cartoonist who could materialize his wild imagination.
Leslie began in films in the late 1980s with a bit part in the Richard Pryor comedy Moving (1988) and followed it with the role of Iggy, a hunch-backed Igor counterpart, in the whacked horror spoof Frankenstein General Hospital (1988) starring comic actor Mark Blankfield as the mad doctor. In primarily low-budget film projects at the onset, Leslie was part of such off-the-wall material as Ski Patrol (1990), Missing Pieces (1991), Hero (1992), Jason Goes to Hell (1993), Barcelona (1994), Eat Your Heart Out (1997) and Black Velvet Pantsuit (1995), to name a few.
Into the 1990s, Leslie involved himself more and more into writing. Avid L.A. theatergoers would recognize him for such prone-to-misfit characters as Brother Boy, an institutionalized drag queen, in "Sordid Lives," and Peanut, a habitual barfly, in "Southern Baptist Sissies." His own one-man testimonials, such as the off-Broadway "Hysterical Blindness" and "Like a Dog on Linoleum," display his adeptness at baring his soul and exposing his childhood agonies on stage amid laughter and tears. These highly introspective shows, however, came at a price. A self-proclaimed substance abuser and sexaholic, Jordan finally faced his inner demons and reached full recovery in 1996.
TV was an exceptionally inviting medium over the years with a number of offbeat roles coming his way. Noted for his catchy guest work on such shows as Murphy Brown (1988), Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993), Caroline in the City (1995), Star Trek: Voyager (1995), and Weird Science (1994), among many others, he was also a supporting regular on various series including the comedy Top of the Heap (1991) starring Joseph Bologna and pre-Friends (1994), Matt LeBlanc; the legal series Reasonable Doubts (1991) in a season (1992-1993) as an assistant public defender; the crime drama Bodies of Evidence (1992) starring Jennifer Hortin and George Clooney; and the John Ritter/Markie Post romantic comedy Hearts Afire (1992).
Into the millennium, he got to experienced the joy of seeing one of his own writing projects come to full fruition with the semi-autobiographical film Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel (2000). He was also given the chance to recreate his "Big Brother" role in Sordid Lives (2000) to the big screen. The work continued to flow in such film supports as I'll Wave Back (2000), The Gristle (2001), Moving Alan (2003), the short film Farm Sluts (2003), Madhouse (2004), another short film Sissy Frenchfry (2005), Undead or Alive: A Zombedy (2007), Eating Out: All You Can Eat (2009), Mangus! (2011), the critically-acclaimed [link=tt1454029, his stage role as "Peanut" in the gay-themed Southern Baptist Sissies (2013) written and directed by Del Shores, another co-star role as an HOA "dictator" in Whoa! (2013), Lucky Dog (2015), Fear, Inc. (2016), the "Sordid Lives" sequel A Very Sordid Wedding (2017) and the romantic film Until We Meet Again (2022).
TV was even better to him with both delightful and sadly touching work on such series as Ally McBeal (1997), Boston Public (2000), Judging Amy (1999), Monk (2002), Reba (2001), Boston Legal (2004), Ugly Betty (2006), Desperate Housewives (2004), Raising Hope (2010), and American Horror Story (2011). The topper, however, was Leslie's dryly cynical, part-time role as mincing elitist Beverley Leslie, the tiny thorn in Megan Mullally's backside on the resoundingly popular sitcom Will & Grace (1998). Leslie went on to earn an Emmy trading wicked barbs with Mullally's Karen character, playing the hilarity up for all its worth. He also appeared in the cult TV movie The Last Sharknado: It's About Time (2018).Heart Disease- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Large (6'1"), affable, and commanding character actor Irwin Keyes was born on March 16, 1952 in New York City. Keyes grew up in Amityville, New York and graduated from Amityville Memorial High School in 1970. He acted in his first play "The Lower Depths" by Maxim Grody while attending college. Frequently cast as likable lugs, brutish goons, and imposing authority figures, Irwin acted in a diverse array of movies in such genres as horror ("Friday the 13th," "Guilty as Charged," "House of 1000 Corpses"), comedy ("The Private Eyes," "Zapped!;" hilarious as Wheezy Joe in "Intolerable Cruelty"), thriller ("Dream Lover"), science fiction (both "Oblivion" pictures), and action ("The Warriors," "The Exterminator" and its sequel). Keyes achieved his greatest enduring popularity with his recurring role as endearingly oafish bodyguard Hugo Majelewski on the hit sitcom "The Jeffersons." Among the TV shows that Irwin made guest appearances on are "Laverne & Shirley," "Police Squad!," "Moonlighting," "Married with Children," "thirtysomething," "Growing Pains," "Tales from the Crypt," and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." Moreover, Keyes not only acted in TV commercials and music videos (he was very touching as a struggling down on his luck actor in the music video for "Good Enough" by Prozak), but also did voice overs for video games. Irwin lived in Los Angeles, California and continued to act with pleasing regularity right up until his death at age 63 on July 8, 2015.Acromegaly- A distinguished actor, with a highly-respectable veteran status for his vast array of work across the acting stage, television and quite notably in voice-over work, Paul Lukather did it all. After his training in drama school, Paul began his career touring with the Barter Theatre as MacBeth. Across a time span of 40 years, he made use of his acting knowledge and talents with performances and/or appearances in numerous projects both in film and television. For most of the 1960s, '70s and '80s, Paul worked in television and film. It was not until the late 80s, going into the 1990s, did Paul begin lending his voice in several projects, beginning with A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988), and The Pirates of Dark Water (1991). These were bit parts, mainly calling for Paul to provide additional voices. His best known voice-over role was that of Vorador the vampire elder. Paul portrayed this character's voice in the video game Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996), the predecessor which led to the making of four more video games all classified as part of the "Legacy of Kain" series. For Paul, he went on to provide the voice of Vorador for the latter portions of the series, beginning with his return in Soul Reaver 2 (2001), followed promptly by Blood Omen 2 (2002), the sequel which was intended to link certain events between the time-traveling story lines. In 2003, Paul again returned to give one final performance in Legacy of Kain: Defiance (2003). He also provided voice work in the English translation to the Metal Gear Solid video game series, beginning with Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001), and Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (2002), both in which he was the voice of President James Johnson. An enthusiast of the equestrian sport, Paul founded The Brass Ring. This non-profit organization works as a foundation for the rehabilitation of the disabled and handicapped. This charitable effort was founded with the support of his wife, Elizabeth and friend Paul Hughes of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeder's Association. This established and well-respected veteran of the stage, television and film world, later-turned voice actor spent his remaining time committed to humanitarian work after giving his last performance in 2008. Six years later, Paul Lukather died on October 9, 2014. He is survived by his wife Elizabeth Burt and their child.Undisclosed
- Tom McBride was born on 7 October 1952 in Charleston, West Virginia, USA. He was an actor, known for Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981), Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985) and As the World Turns (1956). He died on 24 September 1995 in New York City, New York, USA.AIDS
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
At 14, Ron Palillo (born Ronald Gabriel Paolillo) started his own summer theater in Cheshire, Connecticut. His parents, Gabriel and Carmel Paolillo, were surprised when the summer theater actually made money. After graduating from high school, Ron went to the University of Connecticut at Storrs, where he majored in drama. He appeared in many school plays in college. After graduation, Ron got a job with a touring company which performed in Shakespearean plays. He claimed to have received invaluable drama training during that tour, acting in Shakespearean masterpieces like "Macbeth", "The Taming of the Shrew" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
After his Shakespearean tour, Ron became a member of a repertory company in Miami, Florida. Shortly after arriving in New York, Ron got a role in the off-Broadway success "Hot l Baltimore." He stayed with the show for over a year. Because of his work in "Hot L Baltimore". Ron was given a lead role in a musical special, "The Last Sweet Days of Isaac", on television. After Isaac, he once again went on tour and appeared with Mickey Rooney in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and with Jan Sterling in a serious play, "Summer Brave". He has two brothers and a sister. His elder brother, Richard Paolillo, is an eye surgeon, his brother Robert Paolillo, is a salesman and his sister Ann, became a teacher.Heart Attack- Actor
- Additional Crew
Robert Perault was born on 31 July 1946 in Vailsburg, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), All My Children (1970) and The Hidden (1987). He died on 2 January 1990 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Undisclosed- Antony Ponzini was born on 1 June 1933 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), Hardbodies (1984) and Remington Steele (1982). He died on 30 December 2002 in Moosup, Connecticut, USA.Undisclosed
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Steve Susskind was born on 3 October 1942 in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Monsters, Inc. (2001), Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1982) and House (1985). He was married to Ann Patricia Walker. He died on 21 January 2005 in Tujunga, California, USA.Car Accident- Mark Venturini was born on 10 January 1961 in Elmhurst, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for The Return of the Living Dead (1985), Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985) and Knight Rider (1982). He died on 14 February 1996 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Leukemia
- Perla Walter was born on 24 January 1933 in Nueva Gerona, Isla de Pinos, Cuba. She was an actress, known for Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1982), The Man with Two Brains (1983) and Savage Streets (1984). She died on 19 May 2007 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Undisclosed
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Mika Ward was born on 31 October 1973. She was an actress, known for Jason X (2001), Mimic (1997) and Lexx (1996). She died on 30 April 2012.Undisclosed- Samuel "Vernon" Washington was born in Hartford, Connecticut, the 8th child of Benjamin and Olive Evans of Dinwiddie County, Virginia and Fredrick, Maryland, respectively. On checking a perpetual Calendar, we learned that Vernon was born on Friday, and according to the nursery rhyme, Friday's child is loving and giving. Vernon is 5 feet and 11 inches tall; weighs 165+ pounds; and has mixed gray hair. He has 4 children with his wife, Marion Blunt.
Vernon was educated at the Wolter School of Speech and Drama, Carnegie Hall, New York City, where he studied Speech under Madame Annette Wolter and Dr. Walter O. Robinson; and Drama under Rossi, Mary Higgins and Gus Lambluise.
His special abilities and training include writer, director and producer. He has been awarded the "Stars & Stripes Award" for "Ready, Front, at Ease," a lighthearted Army musical. He was the founder, producer and director of West End Repertory Theatre in New York City. He has served as Artistic Director of Greensburgh, Newark and Staten Island Theatre Arts Workshops; and Assistant Professor of Drama, Staten Island Community College, New York City.Undisclosed - Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Ted White was born on 25 January 1926 in Krebs, Oklahoma, USA. He was an actor, known for Starman (1984), Romancing the Stone (1984) and Escape from New York (1981). He was married to Jerilyn White. He died on 14 October 2022 in California, USA.Natural Causes- Rosemary Knower was born on 1 July 1942 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. She was an actress, known for Friday the 13th (2009), Live Free or Die Hard (2007) and Serial Mom (1994). She died on 27 March 2019 in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, USA.Undisclosed
- Ric Mancini was born on 16 April 1933 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Ghostbusters (1984), Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985) and Ed Wood (1994). He was married to Marilyn Chris. He died on 26 May 2006 in Woodland Hills, California, USA.Undisclosed
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Abigail Shelton was born on 3 May 1932 in Wheeling, West Virginia, USA. She was an actress, known for Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), 8 Million Ways to Die (1986) and Zig Zag (1970). She was married to William S. Baker, John T. Kelley, Brandon Carroll and Hubert Allen Clarke Jr.. She died on 11 December 2006 in Northridge, California, USA.Undisclosed- David Wiley was born on 26 July 1929 in Portsmouth, Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1982), Jagged Edge (1985) and Society (1989). He died on 5 February 2007 in Northridge, California, USA.Cancer