Ken Kirzinger
A towering stuntman and actor who brought a hulking, terrifying physicality to horror icons like Jason Voorhees, performing the mayhem he helped choreograph.
Born 1959 (age 67)·Canadian actor and stuntman·Birthday: November 4·Baby Boomers
Biography
Standing well over six feet tall, Ken Kirzinger built a career on his imposing frame and physical fearlessness. The Vancouver native broke into the film industry as a stuntman in the 1980s, taking punches, falls, and fires for actors in countless productions. His size and stoic presence made him a natural for horror roles, and he gradually moved from performing stunts to playing the monsters themselves. His big break came when he was cast as Jason Voorhees in the 2003 crossover film 'Freddy vs. Jason'. Kirzinger brought a deliberate, powerful gait to the role, making Jason feel like an unstoppable force of nature. He continued to blend stunt coordination with acting in films like 'Wrong Turn 2' and 'Joy Ride 3', often playing the silent, menacing heavy. For decades, Kirzinger has been a familiar, formidable presence behind the masks and makeup of Hollywood horror, a specialist in physical menace who understands the mechanics of screen violence from both sides of the camera.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Ken was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ken Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Ken's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Portrayed Jason Voorhees in the major studio horror film 'Freddy vs. Jason' (2003).
- Served as the stunt coordinator on numerous film and television projects, including 'The Butterfly Effect' and 'Blade: Trinity'.
- Played the lead antagonist, Pa, in the cult horror sequel 'Wrong Turn 2: Dead End' (2007).
- Had a long-running collaboration with director Rob Cohen, working on stunts for films like 'The Fast and the Furious' and 'xXx'.
Did You Know?
He performed stunts in the 1994 film 'The Mask', including the scene where Jim Carrey is launched out of a window.
Prior to playing Jason, he was a stunt performer playing a hockey-masked killer in 'Jason Takes Manhattan' (1989).
He stands 6 feet 5 inches tall.
He worked as a stunt double for actor Michael Berryman in 'The Devil's Rejects'.
“My job is to sell the hit, to make the violence look real for the camera.”
