He would have been a Major Star!
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texasbee — 20 years ago(April 19, 2005 11:57 AM)
If he was still with us today, I strongly believe that he would have been a major star too! In the short time he was here, he left a lasting impression and fans have never forgotten him.. that says a lot.
Written by Grant Tume
Detour Magazine
April 1997, Page 44
"He's got it, and he can get almost anything. Anything he wants." Advertisement for made-for-television movie, The Making of a Male Model 1983
In the early '80s, Jon-Erik Hexum, formerly "Jack" Hexum of Tenafly, New Jersey, swooped out of the sky like a hayseed Quetzacoatl in a single-engine biplane and straight into the tarantula arms of Joan Collins. It was a scene from the made-for-TV movie The Making of a Male Model, the kind of deliriously frothy melodrama that legends grow out of, or get buried under. Hexum got both. Like the cream that rises to the top of the canister, he was coveted by every cat in Hollywood, his future assured, even inevitable, until a tragic accident, or act of negligence, sent his star plummeting back to earth.
It was the era of Charles Hix's Looking Good, and the last good years of Studio 54. Nautilus was on the ascent and beefcake was le physique du jour. Heroin Chic and CK1 were as yet unimaginable, sex was just starting to look dangerous, and Jon-Erik Hexum was Tyler Burnett, a hunk in the rough transformed by model maven Kay Dillon (Collins) into the hottest piece of horseflesh in the fashion business. It was pure, unembroidered camp - the lie that tells the truth - but Hexum navigated it like it was Ibsen instead of Aaron Spelling, even managing to escape by story's end for the happy ending he was unable to achieve in real life.
Between takes on the set of the CBS series Cover Up in 1984, the actor was fatally injured by a prop gun that discharged either during a bit of accidental horseplay as was first proposed, or through an act of negligence, as later speculation suggested. A live blank cartridge drove bone fragments into Hexum's skull that sent him into a coma from which he never recovered. Had he lived, he would have been 40 this year, and might possibly have spared us the grim pectorals and lockjawed theatrics of Sylvester Stallone, or provided a counterpoint to the emotionally stunted steroid cocktail known as Arnold Schwarzenegger. At the very least, he would have made David Hasselhoff unnecessary.
Retiree Alan Carell, a collector and archivist of one-sided phonograph records (c. 1899-1935), has been doing his best for the past dozen years to see that Hexum's star continues to shine as secretary and founder of the Jon-Erik Hexum Fan Club in Portland, Oregon. "It sort of found me," he says of his unlikely avocation. "I was never really a TV or movie buff - it was the way he died that piqued my interest initially. I really started the club as a means of gathering information."
The fan club offers a document titled "He's Not Coming Back" detailing the events surrounding the actor's death in minute detail, and Carell has a bio-in-progress entitled , Good Guy, which follows Hexum from his childhood in Tenafly, through his college years at Michigan State (where he earned a Bachelor of Art's degree in "Justice, Morality and Constitutional Democracy"), to his final ascent into stardom and the Hollywood vortex that claimed his life.
Hex ain't coming back, that's for sure, and if the idea of a retired record-collector in the Pacific Northwest keeping his torch lit seems, wellcurious, perhaps it's because we are inclined to scrutinize the motivations of fandom (Why don't they get a life? What are they really after?) to the detriment of its basic expression of faith. There is also a bit of the detective in Carell, who says, "I took a cue from Peter Shaffer, the author of Equus, who said you pick a bizarre incident, and your job as a writer is to reconstruct what could have happened to precipitate it. Beyond that, he was just a hell of an interesting guy, and someone who deserves to be remembered."
While stardom offers equal opportunities for idealization and exaggeration, a myth must be simple and elemental to achieve cultural resonance. Jayne Mansfields' affinity for the cello and her high IQ have been overlooked in favor of her big headlights. The restless spirit of Jon-Erik Hexum may yearn for intellectual approbation, but he is more like to be remembered as a hunk with a heart of gold. We should all do so badly.
The Jon-Erik Hexum Fan Club is located at 3003 N.E. Knott St., Portland, Oregon 97212
Maybe deep down.. we have a need to be scared. -
investorbp — 17 years ago(January 28, 2009 07:11 PM)
That was an impressive & well written account of this person's memory of Jon's life & a few of his many accomplishments. I still can't belive it's going on a quarter century next fall since he's been gone. I am a contemporary of Jon's, a few months younger but clearly remember when he surfaced back in like '82 at least on the Hollywood scene.
My first wife was a huge fan as I'm sure most women were taken by his immediate presence & all. I'm purely hetero & am secure as a male to acknowledge that this guy was something special. I can't remember why I got on the internet & found some stuff on him that still exisits on youtube but it brought back so many vivid memories of that time.
I've had several major role models in my life being a white male born in the late 50s such as Muhammad Ali, Clint Eastwood, Stevie Ray Vaughan, my father when I was a kid & so on. Jon was someone I saw on TV who just broke onto the scene but he had such an impact on some people, I'm sure.
I sent a few emails out over this past weekend to my ex-wife, my current wife & her daughter w/the links to a few youtube things on Jon. The only one who replied back was the ex-wife. As I said, she was a huge fan. I don't even know how I came onto them as I'm sure I've done a few searches over the years on him but this time I watched them more closely.
This guy was a pretty sharp character who not only had some good genetics going on but had a solid brain & appeared not to be all about himself based on what I saw. It hurt back in '84 when I heard the bad news & hit still hurts now in '09 knowing that he's gone.
Unless I have absolutely no connection to reality, this guy may have risen just too damn fast for the powers that be & that's quite possibly why he may have been extinguished well before his time. He may have had too much going on at the time & that's unfortunate. I watched the same goddamned Merv Griffin '84 interview at least 3 times over the past few days & still laugh just as hard at Jon's demeanor & the way he handled himself at such a young age.
The guy was a natural & I believe just too much too fast in this world at this particular time & that's why things turned out the way that they did. He did Merv, Regis (I didn't even know who Regis was back then), a lot of other stuff & then some. Many others have commented on him comparing him to Brad Pitt & others. I'm a Pitt fan & he gets the same BS that Jon got & would have continued to get because of his good genetics.
Pitt has proved himself long ago as a credible actor. So what if he's a manslave now as this is still a free country, last time I checked. Jon was a bit more rugged naturally but Brad is no pussy, either. Hexum was the kind of guy that me & my friends would've have loved to hang with as he was very cool & a major chick magnet that we would've all benefited from.
All kidding aside, this guy still has impact on me. I was just telling my mother tonight that right after his Model TV movie came out that I bought a navy blue jacket, a shirt that was similar to the one he wore in a particular scene & borrowed a red tie from my father's dated collection to match what he wore in a particular scene.
I went to a wedding reception like no other I had ever attended before. The church was Holy Name Cathedral in downtown Chicago. I missed that. The reception was at the Knickerbocker across from the Drake. My dentist's son had married the daughter of the current Chairman of McD's at the time who was Fred Turner. Jon was responsible for how I dressed that night. I just remembered that tonight.
I really don't have a valid explanation as to why things happen in this world as they do. Jon was all about positive things from my far out perspective almost 25 years ago unless I missed something. I was not a friend, unfortunately, or even an acquaintence. That's OK as I've had a good life but agian, Jon was something special. He knew it but I think embraced it in a very self deprecating way that had natural humor attached.
What more can I say? I will continue to watch Jon's things on the internet as they pump me up just like an Ali fight, or a Clint movie or watching Stevie Ray attack his guitar like no other. Jon was definitely special & I look forward to meeting him in the after life. Not any time soon, mind you. Jon-Erik Hexum lives on & will always be the man!
BP -
goodkarma2 — 17 years ago(January 30, 2009 01:54 PM)
Your comment is so great! Especially for Jon's younger generation of fans who have not had the opportunity to notice him during his days -because they were either too young or not even born yet- it's great to read about the thoughts of fans who really remember the time and how Jon made an impression on them.
Thanks for sharing your memories. -
goodkarma2 — 19 years ago(January 12, 2007 08:59 AM)
I loved Knight Rider too!! And David Hasselhoff - who was quite successful as a singer in Europe, btw.
But Hasselhoff was typically 80s (the way he behaved, the style, the huge sunglasses, OMG!!). I find myself smiling at the thought of having admired him back then.
Jon-Erik Hexum seemed to be timeless. He could be in any movie today and still shine with his charisma and his presence. -
RobBase086-1 — 18 years ago(July 24, 2007 07:54 AM)
There is always reasons why people become big and successful due to a short time of success. There are many actors and actresses that have come and gone. Robin Rochelle Stille, Jon-Erik Hexum, John Belushi, Chris Farley, Dorothy Stratten, and many more people who came along and just left us unexpectedly which is very sad that it had to happen you know. He would have done well if he was still with us today and who knows Brad Pitt would be still trying to get into the business you know. Who knows possibly Mr. Hexum could have married Heather Locklear or any other big famous actresses of the 80's or today.
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goodkarma2 — 18 years ago(January 28, 2008 09:24 AM)
It's funny you mention Brad Pitt. Somehow I don't think that Jon-Erik Hexum would have become what Brad Pitt is today. In many interviews, Jon-Erik emphasized that he never wanted to be stereotyped as a sex symboy and just needed that status at the beginning to set a foot in the business.
I can only guess, but I think that Jon-Erik wouldn't have become an action star either, but he would have done his best to establish himself as a more serious actor. You know, like Nicole Kidman, who started out as a gorgeous sidekick and turned into a high level oscar winning actress over the years. -
RobBase086-1 — 18 years ago(January 28, 2008 03:34 PM)
WOW! Really now! I am surprised that he would not want to be a major star because I know that if the roles were right he would more than likely take them you know. He was a great actor and I loved Voyagers when I was growing up when it was on in the 80's.
He might have gone to more serious roles like you said and who knows what else.
Dedicated to USA UP ALL NIGHT and the fans of the show! http://deefilmroll.com/usa-uan/ -
goodkarma2 — 18 years ago(January 29, 2008 01:31 AM)
I agree, he certainly would have liked to become a major star, as you say. I just think he didn't want to be a star that people only associate good looks with. At least to me, Brad Pitt is more of a sex symbol than a skilled actor.
Jon-Erik seemed to be so proud to get a serious role in the Bear Bryant movie, unfortunately his most important scenes got cut before it was released.
It's sad we'll never know for sure what path Jon-Erik would have taken.
I grew to love Voyagers recently and although I've never seen it as a child (it wasn't broadcast in Germany) I still adore the show and will certainly show it to my family and kids. -
RobBase086-1 — 18 years ago(January 29, 2008 11:07 AM)
I am not 36 and when Voyagers aired I would watch it every week. You know the actress who played Punky Brewster? Her older brother was on this show here. They look a lot a like. I remember when Soliel Moon Frye's older brother was acting he looked a lot like her. He helped her to get into the acting business.
You are so very true about Jon-Erik. We do not know what direction he would have went in his career. Who knows he could have been casted as the next James Bond? The only problem with that is he would have had to work to sustain a English accent through out the whole movie though.
He had those looks of being able to pull something like that off. I am a straight guy here who is only saying that he looked like he had the looks of Sean Connery when Mr. Connery was younger.
Dedicated to USA UP ALL NIGHT and the fans of the show! http://deefilmroll.com/usa-uan/ -
goodkarma2 — 18 years ago(January 30, 2008 06:52 AM)
I'm not too fond of the James Bond movies in general, but I guess since Tony Hamilton was considered for the role, Jon-Erik would have had great chances to get it too. Although, I believe at that time, the Bond producers didn't think the audience would accept a blonde actor as James Bond - which, as I've read, was the reason Hamilton was turned down (dying his hair obviously wasn't an option
I have no doubt Jon-Erik could have played it perfectly, though. The good-looking secret agent seems to be the "stereotype" he was considered for anyway.
Some roles I would have loved to see him in would be for example:
Kevin Costner's in The Untouchables, Robin Hood, JFK
Tom Cruise's in Rain Man, A Few Good Men
Mel Gibson's in Forever Young, Bird on a Wire (yes, that would have been a funny one for Jon-Erik
Dennis Quaid's in Suspect, or as James Caviezel's father in Frequency.
Just to name a few that come to my mind. -
RobBase086-1 — 18 years ago(January 30, 2008 01:07 PM)
Sounds very good and all on your ideas. Well he could have worked as James Bond because look at the new James Bond he is not tot1354ally perfect for the role I do not think and they have totally altered the James Bond image a lot which I do not care for at all.
Dedicated to USA UP ALL NIGHT and the fans of the show! http://deefilmroll.com/usa-uan/ -
goodkarma2 — 18 years ago(January 31, 2008 05:01 AM)
I don't mind Daniel Craig as James Bond, I just heard they were quite picky regarding the hair color in the 80s. I grew up with Roger Moore's Bond, however, I think Pierce Brosnan came closest to what I imagined James Bond to look like. Jon-Erik sure could have played it in the 90s. In the 80s he might have been too young to be considered for the role.
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RobBase086-1 — 18 years ago(January 31, 2008 12:58 PM)
With Daniel Craig they sort of not made the James Bond movies like they did with Roger Moore as James Bond, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan. I was not too crazy about Casino Royale and I am 35 going to be turning 36 in March so I grew up in the times of the 80's but I learned to like as wel5b4l as James Bond was Sean Connery. He was good I felt as James Bond.
I have to agree with you that Jon-Erik would have been too young to play James Bond in the 80's but had he been around in the 90's I think he would have been perfect for the role though.
Dedicated to USA UP ALL NIGHT and the fans of the show! http://deefilmroll.com/usa-uan/ -
goodkarma2 — 18 years ago(February 01, 2008 12:32 PM)
I could also imagine that Jon-Erik would have liked to do some directing himself. After all, he intended to produce his own movies sooner or later. I bet he could have had some great ideas for movie projects.
Btw, I'm still amazed at how great the quality of the Voyagers-DVD is. I kinda got used to my tape-to-dvd-version of the show that I completely forgot I was watching the show in low quality. I simply adore those DVDs. I hope they'll release more of his work soon. I can hardly wait to see the Bear, for example. -
RobBase086-1 — 18 years ago(February 02, 2008 03:02 PM)
Yeah he might have had some great ideas you know for some movies but we will never know since he was joking around and took his own life. That is what a lot of actors do is learn working behind the scenes of the camera and eventually disappear from acting and just go to directing, producing, and writing for movies and TV shows.
That is what I have seen a lot of people do since I was a kid you know. I bet the DVD versions are so great to watch too!
Dedicated to USA UP ALL NIGHT and the fans of the show! http://deefilmroll.com/usa-uan/ -
goodkarma2 — 18 years ago(February 03, 2008 01:49 AM)
The DVDs are just awesome. I especially love the subtitles. Not being a native speaker, I've been having a hard time understanding some of Jon-Erik's lines on the show.
Btw, it's funny to see all the details now, like how artificial the snow looks and that some scene backgrounds are simply wallpapers. I never noticed that. -
RobBase086-1 — 18 years ago(February 03, 2008 02:55 AM)
Well that is great to hear Lenaxena! I am glad that you like the DVD's! Yeah a lot of the way that they did TV shows and movies in the 80's you can sort of tell how awful it was you know.
Today's technology is a heck of a lot better to make a TV show and a movie now you know.
Dedicated to USA UP ALL NIGHT and the fans of the show! http://deefilmroll.com/usa-uan/ -
goodkarma2 — 18 years ago(February 03, 2008 08:33 AM)
But it also had a certain charm. With all the cgi technology and stuff Voyagers just wouldn't be the same if it were a show nowadays. They focussed more on the plot and the characters instead of the special effect which is a good thing, IMO.
Don't you have any opportunity to see them? I ordered them from Amazon, because the show is not released in Germany - even though there would be a dubbed German version from 1989! But I guess nobody could even come close to Jon-Erik's own voice
The DVDs are available in Great Britain as well, but actually it's cheaper getting them from the states. All one has to have is a region free player