I chatted with Larry Zerner about his iconic role in “Friday The 13th: Part 3” and how he got discovered.
Talk about your childhood, where you grew up, etc
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. I’m the youngest of six, with five older sisters.
What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done in life?
Probably the time I beat Ken Jennings and Annie Duke to win $250,000 on the game show 1 vs. 100.
If you could describe your experience on “Friday The 13th Part 3” in one word, what would it be and why?
It would be ‘fun.’ I got a great part in a cool horror movie. We all had a blast!
How cool is it knowing that YOU are the one that gave Jason his iconic mask?
It’s very cool because I didn’t have much of an acting career after that. I can put on my resume that I’m the guy that gave Jason his mask. That allows me to come and see the fans at events like Monster Mania. And that’s just fantastic.
What was the audition process like for your role as ‘Shelly’?
I got the audition because handing out tickets to a movie called “The Road Warrior.” These people came up to me and asked me if I was an actor. At the time, I was studying theater in college. They said they had written a movie and they thought I was perfect for the role. They saw me there with my big afro, fat and dorky. I would be perfect for Shelly they said. A few days later I went in and auditioned. After a few call backs, I got the role.
Do you ever think you could be an actual camp counselor?
Turns out I WAS a camp counselor when I was a teenager!
What was your reaction when you found out Shelly was being added to “Friday The 13th: The Game?”
I was so excited! I’m a big gamer, so the idea of me being able to be a character in the game is fantastic.
What is your favorite moment from the franchise?
There’s so many ::laughs:: The favorite moment from my film is Shelly’s death scene. Not that it was cool to film, but it’s great to have a cool death scene. My favorite moment from the franchise is watching Crispin Glover dance in Part 4.
What is your favorite part of fan conventions?
Meeting people. It’s so great to know that people still love the movies after all these years. It’s incredible.
Are you excited about your appearance at Monster Mania in Hunt Valley this week?
I’m VERY excited. I’ve been to the Cherry Hill event but never to this one. I’ve never been to Maryland at all so it’ll be cool to hopefully go into Baltimore, have some crab and enjoy the sights.
Catch Larry and many other stars this weekend (September 28th – 30th) at the Monster Mania convention in Hunt Valley!
*Tickets will also be available at the door
Follow Larry on Twitter
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