At what age did you see yourself as an entertainer ?
I never saw myself as an entertainer. I decided to become an American actor after high school. I hope it was entertaining for some!
Did you see yourself acting in horror films?
I was an actor looking for acting roles. I was very fortunate to what has become two iconic roles in the horror genre.
I understand your first horror gig was Freddy in 'Return of the Living Dead'. What was it like to audition for it?
What was the environment like to shoot on?
It was a great experience shooting 'Friday the 13th'. Our wonderful director Tom McLoughlin set the tone for the entire shoot.
What scene was fun doing?
I like opening sequence of the film. The water scenes as well. I had never done any under water acting prior to that or since.
What was it like planning the trap for Jason on the boat on the pier at Camp Crystal Lake?
Grueling.
When you were struggling against the Jason character in the water were you really in a lake or was this shot at a studio?
We shot the underwater scenes in a pool in the City of Industry in Los Angeles. The boat scenes were shot on location in Covington Georgia.
How long did it take to shoot the film?
6 weeks.
Did you ever see the previous sequels to get a feel of your role?
Yes I did my research.
What kinds of feedback did you get from your fans?
We didn't have the social media outlets we have today to get an immediate response. But the feedback was positive with the fans and within the Hollywood community.
Now you played Joey in 'Return of the Living Dead Part II' in which this wasn’t a sequel at all. What did you think about this one and were you confused at first wondering why you were playing a different role?
The genius behind 'ROTLD' was lost in the sequel. The only reason James Karen and I were brought back in the sequel was because the Japanese distributors wanted us back in some way because of the Hugh success of part 1 had in their country.
What memories do you have to share with us all by doing this one?
It was great being together again with Jimmy Karen.
I heard you did the voice for Tommy Jarvis in a 'Friday the 13th' video game which excited me. Do tell me about this one?
Gun Media contacted me after they were well into the making of the game. The outpouring of fans of Friday the 13th had requested I be a part of the game. We went back and forth serval times for my approval on my image as Tommy Jarvis. The first image they sent over of TJ had dark hair and a 5 O'clock shadow beard! It took sometime and I'm not completely happy with the end results but what you see in the game is the final image. After that I went in and added tracks of my voice. The game looks great and yes it's fun to play! I've played on my son Miles PS4 console. I've played as myself and as Jason as well as a camper. It's a blast.
Are you in any upcoming horror films?
Nothing scheduled as of yet.
What have you been up to these days? Are you still acting?
I'm still involved in SAG. Would love to get back into acting now that my kids are grown and more independent. I've always, enough before I started acting, been into construction. I'm president on my own company Hammer & Trowel Construction, Inc. based in Los Angeles area. We have a Pinterest page set up of past projects and a place for clients to visit to get some direction of what they might want on their Residentual projects. I work with a talented team and have been lucky to been involved with creative clients, architects and designers.
Now here’s some fun stuff: What are your favourite horror films?
I haven't seen them all but I like "I am Legend", "Zombie Land", "Army of Darkness", "The Revenant", "Re-Animator" to name a few.
If you were a scream king for a day whether he was alive or dead who would he be?
Vincent Price.
What show were you in that you cherish to this very day?
'ROTLD' is by far my most cherished working experience to date. Due to the generosity and great direction from Dan O'Bannon. His ability to use his actors, listening and encouraging and allowing us to bring our thoughts and ideas into his film. It truly was a collaboration HE allowed even though he wrote the script and was able to deviate from the printed pages and let it flourish.
What are your ambitions in life?
To leave the world in a better place then when I came into it. To show up. Be considerate to others. Be a good father to my 3 wonderful talents kids. And last but not least be a good husband to my unbelievable wife Karla.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Perfect happiness seems fleeting but a slice of happiness would be to be loved by people who know you and being able to invite them to your Villa in Italy for some good food and wine! Heaven on earth.
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