 Great
news. Racks and Razors is happy
to report Jonathan Tiersten
(Ricky in 'Sleepaway Camp')
became a proud new dad on May
9th. All best wishes to the
entire Tiersten family. 'Sleepaway
Camp' (1983) is a true classic of
the slasher genre and
seventeen-year-old Jonathan
Tiersten as Ricky made a solid
impression as the male heartthrob
of the movie. He followed
'Sleepaway Camp' with several
other roles including his work as
Jason in the afterschool special
'Seasonal Differences' (1987) as
well as a part on the daytime
soap opera 'Another World'.
However, soon after that he
retired from acting to devote his
full time and attention to his
first love - music. It was only
recently that (much to the
delight of fans) Jonathan came
out of film retirement to star in
the newest installment of the
'Sleepaway Camp' film series,
'Return to Sleepaway Camp' (2007)
with Felissa Rose and Isaac
Hayes. In addition - his new band
Ten Tiers has a new CD coming
June 2nd.
Recently,
the new dad was nice enough to
give us a few moments of his
time. Check out his fan
site.
Hey
Jonathan - Let's start off this www.racksandrazors.com interview
with a visual. Can you give me a
description of the room where
you're answering these questions?
Well
the room I am sitting in is my
office in my house in Colorado. I
am staring at my one-acre
backyard and Horsetooth Mountain.
It is pretty nice
Most
horror fans will remember you as
Ricky from the original 'Sleepaway
Camp'. What's the most
vivid memory you have of working
on that slasher classic?
 My most
vivid memory of playing Ricky was
the first time I walked down
those stairs in Aunt Martha's
house and realized this was
really happening.
And
is it true that in the film the
killer's hands were your
own...and if so why did they use
yours?
Because
Felissa has hands like a girl.
She is the most feminine woman I
know. I think that added to the
mystique.
Any
other secrets or tidbits from the
movie you would care to share
with the voracious SC fans?
 Felissa
and I did have an off screen
romance. We laugh about it today.
Billy is gay. Shocker!
So,
I imagine it as a lot of New York
teen actors at camp filming a
horror flick...so what made it
very much like real summer camp
and what made it not summer camp
at all?
It
was like summer camp because we
ate in the cafeteria. There were
lots of kids behaving badly and
having a great time. It wasn't
like summer camp because we had a
job to do and we didn't get
treated like shit by the
counselors.
 And you recently
returned to movies in the fourth
installment of the series...What
was it like to return to the
acting fold and to return in a
role you did 20 years ago?
So
bizarre! Robert Hiltzik
(director, writer) and I picked
up right where we left off. I was
there for five weeks, not because
my role was as big, but because
Robert felt I helped create the
true Sleepaway Camp vibe.
Give
me three words to describe
Felissa Rose.
Beautiful,
funny, honest
 I also
know you've done a few
conventions - Fango Con to name
one...as a side note - what is
the strangest thing a fan has
ever asked you?
I
was at a CKY concert and a girl
asked me to sign her breast. I
did it of course.
However
your real love seems to be music
and your band Bambi's
Apartment. How would you
describe your music and where can
we get it?
Actually
my new band is called Ten Tiers
(Tiersten backwards). I work with
many different musicians. I am
the only constant. The new CD is
coming out on June 2. We were
just nominated for Westword Music
Awards. To vote for us go to Vote
for Ten Tiers. You can also check
us out at www.tentiers.com
or http://myspace.com/tentiers .
My music has been described as a
blend of Cat Stevens and David
Bowie. I can sing like a
Motherf-ker.
What
is different about the thrill of
music vs. the thrill of acting?
 Music kicks
ass and you get that immediate
gratification. Acting is totally
different. The thrill is watching
yourself after you have immersed
yourself in the character.
Okay,
it's movie night at 'Sleepaway
Camp' and you're manning
the projector -- what three
horror films are you going to be
showing and what goodies will the
kitchen be cooking up?
The
Exorcist, The Omen, and Psycho.
Spaghetti with meatballs, sausage
and lots of garlic.
What
makes you go psycho in real life?
Stupid
people. You can ask Felissa. I
have no patience. I also hate
living in the past. It's cool to
look back on things you have
done, but I am redefining myself
everyday.
What
scares you in real life?
Becoming
a father, which I just did. I
guess I am also a little scared
of being ignored. I think a lot
of actors and musicians have that
one. I love Horror movies, but
they don't generally scare me.
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