After a two-year hiatus, the New York City Horror Film Festival returned in December with a relaunch of its Lifetime Achievement Award to celebrate the festival's 20th Anniversary. The recipient of 2022’s honor was none other than Friday the 13th and Hatchet star Kane Hodder. It's a perfect day to celebrate Hodder, who has been terrorizing moviegoers since slashing his way into our hearts in 1988.
“No one does scary better than Kane Hodder,” says Ronnie Hein, the festival’s CEO and Executive Director. “Kane has been making audience scream their lungs out for decades, making him one of the true masters of horror."
Hodder joins past recipients George Romero, Tom Savini, Tobe Hooper, Roger Corman, Mick Garris, Herschell Gordon Lewis, Frank Henenlotter, Bill Lustig, Robert Englund, Wes Craven, Lloyd Kaufman, Angus Scrimm, Sean Cunningham, Adrienne Barbeau, Brad Dourif, Tony Todd and Greg Nicotero.
“Attitude is everything when it comes to the character,” Hodder once said of playing Jason. “I’m a real natural when it comes to looking scary. If you’re not seriously trying to frighten people, then the fear these movies are intended to generate doesn’t come across. I truly try to scare the shit out of people all the time. Between takes, in the make-up trailer, you never know when I’m going to go ‘Boo!’ That’s the main reason I keep getting asked to play Jason.”
Take a look at this exclusive Kane Hodder tribute, put together by Bryan Norton, featuring clips and moments from Hodder's career through the decades (including clips from Hodder's game show appearance on To Tell The Truth!)
Hodder has starred in hundreds of films and television shows, as well as being a stunt coordinator and stuntman on scores of films (including Seven and Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III). After years as a stuntman, Hodder made his way to acting. Hodder is the only actor to play terror titan Jason Voorhees more than once, across four entries in the Friday the 13th franchise, and even a videogame based on the films. The actor later segued into playing another fearsome scarred killer, Victor Crowley in four Hatchet flicks.
In 1977, Hodder was performing a stunt that went horribly wrong, leaving him with second and third degree burns over 40 percent of his body. It was a long and painful road to recovery, chronicled in his autobiography Unmasked: The True Story of the World's Most Prolific Cinematic Killer and director Derek Dennis Herbert’s documentary To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story. As proof of his dedication to his movie mayhem. Hodder has the word “Kill!” tattooed on the back of his bottom lip.
When he is not filming, Hodder spends much of his time working with children in burn centers, as well as with numerous charities. Despite the roles he portrays, Hodder is often described as a very kind, compassionate and generous soul, who truly cares for those who suffer life’s cruel blows. As anyone can tell you who has met Hodder at one of his many convention appearances, he loves and appreciates his fans. Hodder also has the most wicked and wonderful comedic timing, as evidenced when he played himself in the cult TV series Holliston. He is also an avid poker player who often competes in celebrity tournaments.
