By Joe Puccio
Michael Myers. Freddy Krueger. Pinhead. Chucky. Ghostface. All are certainly seminal figures in the horror subgenre of the slasher film. But while each one has undoubtedly left his bloody mark on both viewers, as well as his respective victims (Laurie Strode, Nancy Thompson, Kirsty Cotton, Andy Barclay, and Sidney Prescott, to name a few), astute followers of the beloved art form are keenly aware of the undisputed kingpin.
For 45 years, Jason Voorhees has terrified audiences around the world with his signature machete, hockey mask, and overall mute manner. Whether you’re an enthusiast of fan favorite Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (the fourth in the series), which saw twelve-year-old Tommy Jarvis (Corey Feldman) test his wares against his nefarious nemesis, Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, in which the normally rural environment switched to the very urban New York City, Jason X, a science fiction-infused installment set in outer space, Freddy vs. Jason, the crossover eleventh entry that pitted the antagonist opposite the aforementioned Krueger, or the original, the 1980 standard-bearer directed by Sean S. Cunningham, every film in the franchise (currently twelve in total) has one aspect in common – Jason.
Although the character in the twelve motion pictures produced has been played by a variety of actors and stuntmen throughout the years, there is only individual who can lay claim to being the first and that’s Ari Lehman.
“I’m super grateful to have originated the role and am always perfectly happy to talk about being the boy in the lake,” Lehman clarified, during a recent conversation with Generation X Wire. “I’m very proud of it and I have nothing but good memories.”
Lehman landed the now iconic part after being featured in Cunningham’s Friday forerunner, the family soccer comedy Manny’s Orphans – a project that couldn’t be more disparate from its more popular counterpart. “That audition was at the YMCA in Westport, Connecticut and I didn’t even have an agent,” Lehman recalled. “I played a little soccer but somehow, I landed an eighty line role as Roger, the girl-obsessed wingman of the lead. The movie is about a ragtag bunch of orphans who win their orphanage back from the mafia in a soccer tournament. Very Gen X,” he laughed.
Surprisingly, even Jaws, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, shares an interesting connection with Jason, albeit one that’s likely coincidental. “The little boy who got eaten by the shark was played by an actor whose last name is (Jeffrey) Voorhees,” exclaimed the knowledgeable artist. “I wonder if Victor Miller (Friday the 13th writer) knew that.”
It’s common knowledge that Cunningham’s idea for Friday the 13th was spawned by the monumental success of Halloween, John Carpenter’s groundbreaking 1978 independent feature, widely considered to be one of the most influential horror movies ever made. “Sean was smart enough to see how well Halloween did so Victor, who also wrote Manny’s Orphans, wrote the story about this summer camp where all these kids get killed. At first, the only sequence he had written was Jason drowning. The final scene of me coming out of the lake, grabbing Alice (Adrienne King), didn’t exist yet and Paramount originally passed on the picture,” Lehman shared. “The only iteration of Jason Voorhees was a drowning child.”
How the decision to add the classic aquatic jump scare came to fruition is up for debate, as one widely held belief is an homage to the legendary climax in Carrie, but Lehman believes it was ultimately the conception of makeup expert Tom Savini. “I think Tom wanted to showcase his amazing prosthetics and all of his nasty special effects. But Sean was against it because he felt it was too supernatural,” Lehman explained. “But eventually he got together with Tom and Victor and they decided to give it a shot. They called me back in to film it, Paramount loved it, and it really made the ending something else. I think the music that Harry Manfredini (composer) made for the conclusion is also especially effective,” he added.
The majority of Lehman’s time working on Friday the 13th was spent at a makeup studio with Savini in Weston, Connecticut. Between that and not sharing any physical scenes with her in the picture, it wasn’t until years later that his relationship with Betsy Palmer, the venerable actress who portrayed his troubled mother Pamela, blossomed. “She became like a stage mom to me. Betsy had the same birthdate as my mother, November 1,” he emphasized. “She was so professional and really elevated everything about Friday the 13th. We actually first met at a Fangoria convention at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, and we hung out all the time. We were both vegetarians and I’d bring her flowers and treats. I adored and her and she took me under her wing,” he continued.
Acting isn’t the only creative outlet for Lehman, who’s appeared in a number of films over the years, including The Barn, Rock Paper Dead, and The Lurker. These days, the Brooklyn, New York-born classically-trained pianist keeps busy with his other passion, music. Having studied at New York University, where he focused on big band orchestration and jazz piano, the performer went on to record and tour with reggae and worldbeat bands all over the world. “When I was at NYU, I’d go downstairs each night and hear some of the greatest jazz musicians perform live for the cost of a beer. It was wild. I’m definitely a product of that era,” he articulated.
Eventually, Lehman’s leanings transitioned to a sonic style that’s considerably more suited to the fright flick community – a hybrid of punk rock and heavy metal. In 2004, he formed First Jason, a thinking man’s hardcore band with a playful name with four records to its credit: Jason is Watching! (2009), Heed My Warning (2013), To Be a Monster (2017), and Lord of the Lake (2019) – with a fifth on its way this fall.
“We just finished the new album, and it’s got seven original tracks, and Harry gave us seven overtures. It’s like a Pink Floyd record,” he opined. “Each song has a very cinematic, spooky overture and I can’t tell you how honored I was that he did that for me. He’s amazing. The album is called Into the Fray and our plan is to have an October release, in keeping with the horror theme.”
For Lehman, the decision to merge his two artistic endeavors, horror and music, is an obvious one. “The main thing is realizing that the legacy of Friday the 13th is the fans, more than any other franchise, and how dedicated they are. They have an uncanny love for Jason and Mama Voorhees,” he stated. “We’re in the process of creating a stage show which will be a four-act saga about Mama, little Jason, myself, and big Jason, and it has an electrifying ending, which I don’t want to give away yet. We’re bringing in costumes, props, and lots of audience interaction.”
As for an appearance in a future Friday the 13th film, whenever that may be, Lehman is more than willing to make a cameo, a consistent wish among Jason aficionados. “They’re working on a TV series right now, so we’ll see what happens there. I really don’t know,” he admitted. “I appreciate the fan and their support so much.”
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