Horror waves goodbye to an icon today with the news of the death of Richard Brooker. Brooker played Jason in Friday The 13th: Part 3D and was the first actor to wear the iconic hockey mask that became the symbol of the series.
Rather than starting in acting, Richard Brooker was a former trapeze artist who was picked from the magazine Dramalogue to play the killer in the third instalment of the horror series. Brooker performed all his own stunts and presented a larger Jason by wearing padding to cover up the fact he was a healthy skinny guy thanks to all his circus work.
Brooker later become a producer and director, working behind the scenes on Fox Sports but he would always find fame at horror conventions, telling tales of his time in Camp Crystal Lake.