Ted White, stuntman and star of Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, is dead at the age of 96.

Film producer Sean Clark, a friend and colleague of White's, confirmed the news via Facebook on Friday, Oct. 14, revealing that White had passed away peacefully in his sleep while at home. "I’ve had the pleasure of knowing him and working with him for close to 20 years," Clark wrote. "He was my adopted grandpa and hands down the best storyteller you could have ever met."

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Clark continued, "If you haven’t read it yet check out his book Cast a Giant Shadow where many of those stories are told. I was honored to be mentioned in the book when he wrote about his time in the convention world. I am going to miss you immensely and those steak dinners we always had. Also teasing you about your red, white & blue banner that made you look like you were running for President. My heart goes out to his wife Jeri and his sons. It was an absolute honor my friend. Rest easy. Love you Ted."

Known professionally as Ted White, he was born Alex Bayouth in Snyder, Texas in 1926. White was a well-known stuntman and was best known for portraying Jason Voorhees in the 1984 slasher film Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, the fourth installment in the horror film franchise, though he asked not to be credited for the role. He was also asked to return as Jason for the follow-up films, Friday the 13th: A New Beginning and Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, though he declined to reprise the role. While White never returned to the franchise, he did appear in archive footage in two documentaries about the films, both of which were released in 2009 and 2013.

Throughout his career, White also doubled for Hollywood icons like John Wayne, Fess Parker, Clark Gable and Richard Boone. He served as a stuntman on films like Planet of the Apes (1968), Soylent Green (1973), Escape from New York (1981) and Gone in 60 Seconds (2000). His first film was 1949's The Sands of Iwo Jima, in which he played a marine and acted as a consultant due to his real-life service in the military.

A biography written by Larry K. Meredith about White's career was published in 2017, titled Cast a Giant Shadow. White is survived by his wife, Jeri, and their children.

Source: Facebook