How did Ted White die? Tributes pour in as Jason Voorhees actor passes away at 96

Ted White, who is best known for playing Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, passed away on October 14 at the age of 96. The news was initially reported by White’s friend Sean Clark the same day on social media.

White’s death was confirmed by his son Ted to Fox News on October 16. He said,

“He was a tough guy. Honest and told the truth, whether you liked it or not. The last of the blood-and-guts guys.”

---

Ted White’s cause of death explored

It remains unknown if White was suffering from health issues at the time of his death. An official statement on the same is currently awaited from his family members. However, the owner of Convention All Stars, Sean Clark, took to social media and wrote that Ted “passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home.” Other than that, not much has been revealed about the actor's cause of death.

Clark wrote,

“As I’m here setting up at Monsterpalooza I just got hit with the news that my dear friend Ted White has passed away. I was told he passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home.”

Paying tribute to White, Clark called him “the best storyteller you could have ever met.” He wrote,

“I’ve had the pleasure of knowing him and working with him for close to 20 years. He was my adopted grandpa and hands down the best storyteller you could have ever met. 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.”

Ted White gained recognition over all the years for the roles he played in films and television. Fans of horror particularly remebered him for his performance in Friday the 13th.

---

Netizens pay tribute on Twitter

Ted White became a famous name in the entertainment industry for his acting and stuntwork. Twitter was flooded with tributes for the actor.

---

Everything known about Ted White

White was famous for portraying Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (Image via KCT05slasher/Twitter)

Born on January 25, 1926, Alex Bayouth aka Ted White was known for being a body double for John Wayne, Fess Parker, Clark Gable, and Richard Boone.

He was raised in Snyder, Texas, and enrolled at the University of Oklahoma, where he played football. He was in the Marine Corps for six years and while he began his career in the entertainment industry, he was approached to become a consultant for the layout of the island in the 1949 war film, Sands of Iwo Jima.

White then met John Wayne and started working as his body double in 1952. He played minor roles in various western films and TV shows like Daniel Boone, Hunter, Rockford Files, The Andy Griffith Show, and Magnum, P.I. He then appeared in movies like Gone in 60 Seconds, Silverado, Major League, and more.

He eventually became popular for portraying the killer Jason Voorhees in the fourth installment of Friday the 13th franchise, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. Directed by Joseph Zito and released on April 13, 1984, the film received negative reviews but grossed around $33 million at the box office. White accepted the role since he needed money and requested not to be credited on screen.

Ted White was offered the chance to reprise his role in the next two installments – Friday the 13th: A New Beginning and Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. However, he refused to return and the roles were portrayed by Tom Morga and C.J. Graham.

A biography written by Larry K. Meredith about White's career was published in 2017, titled Cast a Giant Shadow.

White was married to Jeri Bayouth. Following his death, she said that he had a tender and generous heart. She even stated that he took a lot of risks and had a lot of adventures. He is survived by his wife and their sons.