Alex Ted Bayouth (January 25, 1926 – October 14, 2022), known professionally as Ted White, was an American stuntman and actor who was best known for playing Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. He was also notable for having doubled for John Wayne, Fess Parker, Clark Gable, and Richard Boone.
Ted White | |
|---|---|
 White at a horror Convention in 2012 | |
| Born | Alex Bayouth January 25, 1926 Krebs, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | October 14, 2022 (aged 96) California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, stuntman |
| Years active | 1949–2022 |
Life and career
editBorn as Alex Bayouth in Krebs, Oklahoma,[1][2] White grew up in Snyder, Texas. He played football for the University of Oklahoma, then pursued a stuntman/acting career. In Sands of Iwo Jima (1949), White was approached because of his Marine Corps background when they needed a consultant for the layout of the island. That was when White met John Wayne and began doubling for him in 1952.
White had minor roles in several western films and in such television series as Daniel Boone; The Andy Griffith Show; Hunter; Magnum, P.I.; and The Rockford Files, usually in tough-guy roles such as police officers or hired thugs. He has also worked in Gone in 60 Seconds, Silverado, Major League, Starman, and Tron.
In 1984, White played hockey masked murderer Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, after the director needed a large man for the part. White reluctantly accepted because he needed the money.[3] White asked not to be credited on screen for his part, partly because he did not appreciate how the young actors and actresses had been treated during production. He was later credited for the archive footage of him as Jason that was used in the seventh Friday film. White was offered the role of Jason for Friday the 13th: A New Beginning and Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, but turned them down. The roles ultimately went to stuntmen Tom Morga and C. J. Graham, respectively.
White died at his home on October 14, 2022, at the age of 96.[4][5][6]
Partial filmography
editActor
edit| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Sands of Iwo Jima | Marine | Uncredited |
| 1958 | The Perfect Furlough | Soldier | Uncredited |
| 1958 | Born Reckless | Cowboy | Uncredited |
| 1960 | The Alamo | Tennessean | Uncredited |
| 1965 | Cat Ballou | Gunslinger | Uncredited |
| 1967 | Point Blank | Football player | Uncredited |
| 1974 | Dirty Mary Crazy Larry | Trooper | |
| 1980 | Going Ape! | Goon 1 | |
| 1980 | Oh, God! Book II | Motorcycle Policeman | |
| 1980 | Used Cars | Police Deputy | |
| 1982 | Tron | Guard | |
| 1984 | Starman | Deer Hunter | |
| 1984 | Romancing the Stone | Grogan | |
| 1984 | Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter | Jason Voorhees | Uncredited |
| 1984 | Against All Odds | Security guard with dog | |
| 1984 | The Wild Life | Redneck Drunk #2 | |
| 1985 | Silverado | Hoyt | |
| 1986 | Quiet Cool | Ellis | |
| 1987 | Hot Pursuit | Tommy Ray | |
| 1987 | The Hidden | Agent Fowler | |
| 1988 | Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood | Jason Voorhees | Archive footage |
| 1990 | Downtown | Goon | |
| 2001 | Double Take | Trooper | |
| 2009 | His Name was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th | Himself | Documentary film |
| 2013 | Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th | Himself | Documentary film |
| 2018 | To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story | Himself | Documentary film |
Stuntman
edit| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Revenge of the Creature | Gill man stunt double Uncredited |
| 1962 | Hatari! | John Wayne's stunt double Uncredited |
| 1968 | Planet of the Apes | Uncredited |
| 1972 | Prime Cut | Uncredited |
| 1973 | Soylent Green | |
| 1979 | 1941 | Uncredited |
| 1980 | Bronco Billy | Uncredited |
| 1981 | Escape from New York | |
| 1984 | Cloak & Dagger | |
| 1986 | Short Circuit | |
| 1989 | Major League | |
| 1989 | Road House | |
| 1999 | Wild Wild West | |
| 2000 | Gone in 60 Seconds |
References
edit- ^ Freese, Gene Scott (April 10, 2014). Hollywood Stunt Performers, 1910s-1970s: A Biographical Dictionary, 2d ed. McFarland. ISBN 9780786476435.
- ^ "Community News".
- ^ A Photo Journey Through Creation's Weekend of Horrors
- ^ Squires, John (October 14, 2022). "Ted White – Jason Voorhees Actor from 'Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter' Has Passed Away". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ^ "Ted White, Stuntman and Jason Voorhees Actor, Dies at 96". October 15, 2022.
- ^ "Ted White, Jason Voorhees stuntman in 'Friday the 13th' horror films, dead at 96". Fox News. October 16, 2022.