Last week saw the release of Friday the 13th, Part V: A New Beginning - The Special Edition on DVD. Being that Friday V is my all-time favorite sequel in the franchise, I thought it would be cool to celebrate it somehow. I had the honor of meeting probably one of the most memorable characters in the entire Friday the 13th series at the 2008 Texas Wizard World / Fear Fest in Arlington, TX. That would be Junior Hubbard played by Ron Sloan. I can say that Junior definitely had the most memorable killing scene in the film. As you can see above, Ron was extremely cordial and was just an all around nice guy who truly appreciated the love he got from fans. He took the time to talk to everyone he met. We had a chance to get a hold of Ron for a little interview in celebration of the release of Friday the 13th, Part V: A New Beginning - The Special Edition. Read on to check it out.
Movie Geek Feed (MGF): We met at Texas Fear Fest at Wizard World 2008. Was that your first convention experience?
Ron Sloan (RS):Yes, Fear Fest was my first. I have been of acting for a living for 10 years. I was told about Fear Fest by the “Dead Pit Radio DJ’s.” They suggested I contact Fear Fest. The next thing I knew I was a guest.
MGF: What did you think? How did the fans treat you?
RS: The fans treated me great. I was surprised at my popularity with some of the fans. I was as much honored to be with them as they were with me. Fear Fest itself could have been better organized, but it was throwrn together at the last minute. No excuses, but it wasn’t exactly what I anticipated.
MGF: How was it seeing the cast you worked with on the film so long ago?
RS: We all got along great. That truly was one of the highlights for me. John Shepard, Miguel Nunez, Shavar Ross, Carol Locatel, her husband and my wife and I went out to dinner a couple of nights. We all loved Texas hospitality and the great food. Laughter and memories filled the night, till the early hours of the morning. A new friendship with Uncle Creepy was created.
MGF: How did you get the role of Junior Hubbard?
RS: I was discovered in a theatrical showcase by the casting directors, “Fern Champion & Pamela Basker.” I went through a series auditions for the role…. I was so excited!
MGF: What was the set like? Was it on location? On a soundstage? What were the hours like?
RS: I was on location in Camarillo, CA on a farm in Santa Rosa Canyon and at a little lake in the Hollywood Hills. Long hours of anticipation filled 3 weeks of work for me.
In truth, I only worked 6 days out of the 3 weeks. Lucky to have had all those days.
MGF: What is it like to be a part of one of the most popular horror franchises in the world?
RS: I didn’t really realize the extent of the popularity until I met a few fans that knew my dialogue better than I did. I feel very honored to be a part of the Friday the 13th series. I am actually kill #13 in Part Five. Just a little trivia.
MGF: Friday V is one of my favorite films in the series, just because it was off the beaten path and not your typical Jason killer entry in the franchise. How do you think Friday V stands up to the rest of the entries in the series all these years later?
RS: It is the only one that is truly different. I really enjoyed the new one. I feel it is keeping Jason alive in many ways. When Part V originally was released, it was slammed by horror critics, yet top grossing for 16 weeks according to the Hollywood Reporter.
MGF: What are you doing now?
RS: Well, I have been an art dealer in Hawaii for the last 10 years. I am thinking about getting back into acting in the near future. Acting was a true passion of mine for over 30 years.
MGF: Where do you live?
RS: I’ve been living in Hawaii for the past 10 years…. Very far from Hollywood.
MGF: When we last corresponded, you said that Fear Fest was probably going to be only horror convention you ever do. Why?
RS: Well, that has changed as of today. I am doing a Horror convention in Cherry Hill, NJ August 21-23rd. I think it’s called Monster Mania, but truly I was just called today and I do not know the details yet. I talked to Carol Locatel (Mom) and her and I are going to both be there. I will let you know the details as they solidify. Until then. Thank you and all the Friday 13th fans for keeping Jason alive. Much Aloha…
For more Friday the 13th, Part V: A New Beginning coverage from Texas Wizard World / Fear Fest, you can go here and here.
EXCLUSIVE!!! Interview With Friday V's Junior (Ron Sloan)
