Ari Lehman (born May 2, 1965) is an American performing artist,
composer, and actor. He is known for playing the child Jason Voorhees
in the Paramount horror film Friday the 13th, becoming the first actor
to portray the horror icon. Lehman currently performs in a punk
rock/heavy metal band, First Jason.A native New Yorker, Ari Lehman
grew up in Westport, Connecticut, where he trained in Classical Music
and Jazz Piano. Lehman was presented with an All-State Award for
Excellence in Jazz Piano and a scholarship to Berklee School of Music
by jazz educator, Dr. Billy Taylor.Lehman heard about an audition
being held in Westport for the movie, "Manny's Orphans", about a group
of inner-city orphans who play soccer, directed by Sean S. Cunningham.
Lehman snuck into the audition and landed the role of "Roger". This
role led to Lehman getting the call to play Jason Voorhees in Friday
the 13th from Sean S. Cunningham. "For his audition Lehman was asked
one key question by the director, ‘Can you swim?’"After the
release of Friday the 13th, Lehman returned to New York City, where he
enrolled at New York University and concentrated on Big Band
Orchestration and Jazz Piano, "where he studied with the likes of
Vladimir Shafranov". Lehman's career led him to become a keyboardist
for artists of Reggae and African music of the time, with whom he
toured throughout the US, Europe and West Africa, and recorded with at
Tuff Gong Records and Interscope Records.
composer, and actor. He is known for playing the child Jason Voorhees
in the Paramount horror film Friday the 13th, becoming the first actor
to portray the horror icon. Lehman currently performs in a punk
rock/heavy metal band, First Jason.A native New Yorker, Ari Lehman
grew up in Westport, Connecticut, where he trained in Classical Music
and Jazz Piano. Lehman was presented with an All-State Award for
Excellence in Jazz Piano and a scholarship to Berklee School of Music
by jazz educator, Dr. Billy Taylor.Lehman heard about an audition
being held in Westport for the movie, "Manny's Orphans", about a group
of inner-city orphans who play soccer, directed by Sean S. Cunningham.
Lehman snuck into the audition and landed the role of "Roger". This
role led to Lehman getting the call to play Jason Voorhees in Friday
the 13th from Sean S. Cunningham. "For his audition Lehman was asked
one key question by the director, ‘Can you swim?’"After the
release of Friday the 13th, Lehman returned to New York City, where he
enrolled at New York University and concentrated on Big Band
Orchestration and Jazz Piano, "where he studied with the likes of
Vladimir Shafranov". Lehman's career led him to become a keyboardist
for artists of Reggae and African music of the time, with whom he
toured throughout the US, Europe and West Africa, and recorded with at
Tuff Gong Records and Interscope Records.
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