Iconic ’80s Actor Peter Jason, John Carpenter Favorite, Dies at 80

Peter Jason, an actor with a prolific career, died on Thursday, February 20th, at the age of 80, as reported by Deadline. A familiar face from the 1980s, he starred in seven films directed by John Carpenter, ranging from ‘Prince of Darkness’ to ‘They Live’, including ‘In the Mouth of Madness’, ‘Village of the Damned’, and ‘Escape from L.A.’

John Carpenter’s Go-To Actor

John Carpenter himself paid tribute on social media: “Peter Jason, one of the finest character actors in film, has passed away. His first movie was Howard Hawks’ ‘Rio Lobo’. He was a dear friend and I will miss him terribly”, Carpenter stated.

Other celebrities from film and television also paid their respects, like actor Billy Zane “My dear, dear friend, the brightest light, the most generous and sociable soul, the talented and kind Peter Jason has left the stage”, he shared on X.

Matthew Asner, the son of the late actor Ed Asner, wrote on Facebook: “My heart is broken. My dear friend and my father’s best friend, Peter Jason, has passed away today. What a loss! He was truly one of the kindest people on the planet. My thoughts are with his wife and daughter. Peter, I hope you and my father are up there having a laugh.”

A Career Spanning Decades

With over 260 screen appearances in both film and television, Jason had become a well-recognized figure to the public. Apart from his work with John Carpenter, he is noted for his role as Con Stapleton in the western series Deadwood, which he played for 26 episodes from 2004 to 2006, and in the 2019 film version.

His film roles include, among others, ‘Rio Lobo’ (1970), ‘The Karate Kid’ (1984), ‘The Hunt for Red October’ (1990), ‘Seabiscuit’ (2003), and ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ (2018), where he portrayed Senator Sherwood. He also appeared in films by Walter Hill like ‘The Driver’ and the comedy ’48 Hours’ with Eddie Murphy, where he played a racist bartender.

Born in Hollywood on July 22, 1944, Jason was raised in Newport Beach and later studied theater at Carnegie Mellon University. He passed away on February 20, 2025, at the age of 80.