Derek Mears

With a tough, imposing, and thoroughly frightening presence -- accentuated by his muscular build, deep-set eyes, and bald head -- Derek Mears fit the bill for menacing roles in Hollywood. He remained active from the mid-'90s on, dividing his time between grueling, physically demanding stunt work -- in big-budget Hollywood outings such as World Trade Center (2006) and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) -- and on-camera character turns as thugs, hoods, muggers, creepy villains, and occasional psychopaths. Mears' career culminated with the remakes of two iconic slasher movies: The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007), in which his appearance seemed to evoke the presence of Michael Berryman's Pluto from the two original Wes Craven Hills movies; and producer Michael Bay's remake Friday the 13th (2009), where he played the hockey mask-wearing, machete-wielding serial killer Jason Voorhees.

~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide