Ted White (stuntman)
Encyclopedia
Ted White is an American
stunt man/actor who doubled for John Wayne
, Fess Parker
, Clark Gable
, Lee Marvin
and Richard Boone
, among others.
.
in 1949. White was in the Marine Corps and they needed extras. That was where White met John Wayne and began doubling Wayne in 1952.
He had a minor role in Starman
, and has also acted in several western films
and in such television series as Daniel Boone
, 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
and Tron
.
for Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
, simply because the director needed a large man for the part, which White reluctantly accepted only because he needed the money. Uneasy about playing one of the most infamous murderers in screen history, White asked not to be credited on screen for his part he would later be credited for the archive footage of him as Jason that was used in the seventh Friday film. To a certain degree he got into the spirit of things by keeping his distance from the actors playing his victims, as he didn't want them to get too friendly with him since that might have changed their performances, as they would know who he was.
On the other hand, he became infuriated with director Joseph Zito
for being insensitive to the pain actress Judie Aronson
was experiencing when she was out on the raft filming her nude death scene, where she developed hypothermia and actually started crying from the pain brought onto her by the cold. This infuriated White to the point that he threatened to quit if they didn't let her out of the lake, and Zito complied since he didn't have the time or resources to find another stuntman White's size. Despite his initial distaste for the role, he is considered by many fans to have been one of the best Jasons.
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 has stated that he now wishes that he had accepted the roles.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stunt man/actor who doubled for John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
, Fess Parker
Fess Parker
Fess Elisha Parker, Jr. was an American film and television actor best known for his portrayals of Davy Crockett in the Walt Disney 1955-56 TV mini-series and as TV's Daniel Boone from 1964-70...
, Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
, Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
and Richard Boone
Richard Boone
Richard Allen Boone was an American actor who starred in over 50 films and was notable for his roles in Westerns and for starring in the TV series Have Gun – Will Travel.-Early life:...
, among others.
Sports career
The hulking (6'4") White also played football for the University of OklahomaUniversity of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
.
Acting career
His first film was Sands of Iwo JimaSands of Iwo Jima
Sands of Iwo Jima is a 1949 war film that follows a group of United States Marines from training to the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. It stars John Wayne, John Agar, Adele Mara and Forrest Tucker. The movie was written by Harry Brown and James Edward Grant and directed by Allan Dwan...
in 1949. White was in the Marine Corps and they needed extras. That was where White met John Wayne and began doubling Wayne in 1952.
He had a minor role in Starman
Starman (film)
John Carpenter's Starman is a 1984 science-fiction fantasy film directed by John Carpenter that tells the story of an alien who has come to Earth in response to the invitation found on the gold phonograph record installed on the Voyager 2 space probe.The screenplay was written by Bruce A. Evans,...
, and has also acted in several western films
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
and in such television series as Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone (TV series)
Daniel Boone is an American action/adventure television series starring Fess Parker as Daniel Boone that aired from September 24, 1964 to September 10, 1970 on NBC for 165 episodes, and was made by 20th Century Fox Television. Ed Ames co-starred as Mingo, Boone's Native American friend, for the...
, Hunter, Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I. is an American television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 in first-run broadcast on the American CBS television network....
and The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained in regular syndication to the present day. The show stars James Garner as Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford and features Noah...
, usually in tough-guy roles such as police officers or hired thugs. He has also worked in Gone in 60 Seconds
Gone in 60 Seconds (1974 film)
Gone in 60 Seconds is a 1974 American action film written, directed, produced by, and starring H.B. 'Toby' Halicki. It centers on a group of car thieves and the 48 cars they must steal in a matter of days. The film is famous for having wrecked and destroyed 93 cars in a 34-minute car chase scene....
, Silverado
Silverado
Silverado is a 1985 American Western film produced and directed by Lawrence Kasdan. The screenplay was written by Kasdan and his brother Mark. The film depicts a chance encounter between a group of cowboys who travel to the town of Silverado, where they thwart the plans of a rancher and a corrupt...
, Major League
Major League (film)
Major League is a 1989 American satire comedy film written and directed by David S. Ward, starring Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes, James Gammon, and Corbin Bernsen. Made for US$11 million, Major League grossed nearly US$50 million in domestic release...
and Tron
Tron
-Film:*Tron , a franchise that began in 1982 with the Walt Disney Pictures film Tron** Tron , a 1982 science fiction film by Disney, starring Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, Cindy Morgan, Dan Shor and David Warner...
.
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
In 1984 he was selected to play hockey masked psychotic, deformed serial killer Jason VoorheesJason Voorhees
Jason Voorhees is a fictional character from the Friday the 13th series of slasher films. He first appeared in Friday the 13th , as the son of camp cook-turned-murderer, Mrs. Voorhees, in which he was portrayed by Ari Lehman. Created by Victor Miller, with contributions by Ron Kurz, Sean S...
for Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter is a 1984 slasher film. It is the fourth film in the Friday the 13th film series. Though it was billed as "The Final Chapter," there have been many further sequels in the franchise. The popularity and financial success of the film, which grossed over $32 million,...
, simply because the director needed a large man for the part, which White reluctantly accepted only because he needed the money. Uneasy about playing one of the most infamous murderers in screen history, White asked not to be credited on screen for his part he would later be credited for the archive footage of him as Jason that was used in the seventh Friday film. To a certain degree he got into the spirit of things by keeping his distance from the actors playing his victims, as he didn't want them to get too friendly with him since that might have changed their performances, as they would know who he was.
On the other hand, he became infuriated with director Joseph Zito
Joseph Zito
Joseph Zito is an American film director. He is perhaps well known for directing many low budget action B-movies of the 1980s such as, Missing in Action, Invasion U.S.A., Red Scorpion, and many others. In the mid-1980s, Zito spent a year of pre-production on the Cannon version of Spider-Man...
for being insensitive to the pain actress Judie Aronson
Judie Aronson
Judith M. Aronson is an American actress who has starred in many films and a television show. The television series in which she starred was the short-lived Pursuit of Happiness as Sara Duncan from 1987-1988....
was experiencing when she was out on the raft filming her nude death scene, where she developed hypothermia and actually started crying from the pain brought onto her by the cold. This infuriated White to the point that he threatened to quit if they didn't let her out of the lake, and Zito complied since he didn't have the time or resources to find another stuntman White's size. Despite his initial distaste for the role, he is considered by many fans to have been one of the best Jasons.
White was offered the role of Jason for Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning is a 1985 slasher film. It was released on March 22, 1985. It is the fifth film in the Friday the 13th film series...
and Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives is a 1986 slasher film, the sixth film in the Friday the 13th film series. The film was written and directed by Tom McLoughlin...
, but turned them down. The roles ultimately went to stuntmen Tom Morga and C.J Graham, respectively. White has stated that he now wishes that he had accepted the roles.
Partial Filmogrophy
- His Name was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13thFriday the 13th (film series)Friday the 13th is an American horror franchise that comprises twelve slasher films, a television show, novels, comic books, and tie‑in merchandise. The franchise mainly focuses on the fictional character Jason Voorhees, who drowned as a boy at Camp Crystal Lake due to the negligence of the camp...
(2009) (Himself) - Double TakeDouble TakeDouble take may refer to:*Double Take , an Australian sketch comedy*Double Take , a 1998 thriller*Double Take , a 2001 comedy*"Double Take" , a Code Lyoko episode...
(2001) - X-Files (2001-2000)
- Friday the 13th Part VII: The New BloodFriday the 13th Part VII: The New BloodFriday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood is the seventh installment in the original Friday the 13th series, released in 1988. It also marked the first appearance of Kane Hodder in the role of Jason Voorhees.-Plot:...
(1988) as Jason VoorheesJason VoorheesJason Voorhees is a fictional character from the Friday the 13th series of slasher films. He first appeared in Friday the 13th , as the son of camp cook-turned-murderer, Mrs. Voorhees, in which he was portrayed by Ari Lehman. Created by Victor Miller, with contributions by Ron Kurz, Sean S...
(Archive Footage) - The Spawning 2 (1985)
- Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final ChapterFriday the 13th: The Final ChapterFriday the 13th: The Final Chapter is a 1984 slasher film. It is the fourth film in the Friday the 13th film series. Though it was billed as "The Final Chapter," there have been many further sequels in the franchise. The popularity and financial success of the film, which grossed over $32 million,...
as (1984) Jason VoorheesJason VoorheesJason Voorhees is a fictional character from the Friday the 13th series of slasher films. He first appeared in Friday the 13th , as the son of camp cook-turned-murderer, Mrs. Voorhees, in which he was portrayed by Ari Lehman. Created by Victor Miller, with contributions by Ron Kurz, Sean S...
(uncredited)