Jon-Erik Hexum

Jon-Erik Hexum, 1984

Jon-Erik Hexum (born November 5, 1957 in Englewood , New Jersey , † October 18, 1984 in Century City , Los Angeles , California ) was an American actor and model.

The son of Norwegian immigrants was the star of the science fiction series The Time Travelers , which aired on NBC from 1982 to 1983 . He has also appeared in television films such as The Bear and A Dream Man on the front page (Making of a Male Model) alongside Joan Collins , as well as in an episode of the television series Hotel . He has also been in the media for his relationships with Emma Samms and Elizabeth Daily. Jon-Erik was the cousin of Eric Paulsen , the main news anchor of the US television station WWL-TV.

Life

Jon-Erik Hexum was born in Englewood to Gretha and Thorleif Hexum and grew up in Tenafly . He has an older brother, Gunnar. His parents separated when he was five and his mother had to work in several jobs to support her life as a single parent.

After high school , where he had proven himself as a versatile musician, actor in school plays and cheerleading , Hexum began studying medical technology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, which he soon dropped out. He then studied at Michigan State University in East Lansing and graduated in 1980 with a "Bachelor of Arts" degree in social science and philosophy.

During his studies he worked regularly as a radio disc joker and actor in minor supporting roles. A few days after graduating, he moved to New York to start his TV and film career. During this time he was discovered by Bob LeMond from LeMond / Zetter Management. Bob LeMond, who is also considered the discoverer of John Travolta , offered Jon-Erik a unique career opportunity.

On LeMond's advice, Jon-Erik moved to Los Angeles in September 1981 to audition for a film called Summer Lovers , directed by Randal Kleiser . Kleiser also directed Grease and The Boy in the Plastic Bubble , both Travolta films. Even if Jon-Erik lost the part to Peter Gallagher, he was soon to be found for the lead role of Phineas Bogg on the NBC series Voyagers! ("Die Zeitreisende") committed.

Voyagers! However, it couldnot hold out longer than a seasonagainst the then popular show 60 Minutes , but the series was and is very popular with children and sci-fi fans. The concept later gave rise to a better-known series: Quantum Leap .

Hexum's managers saw his good looks and sometimes clumsy charm as a marketable mix. After a self-financed promotional tour, Hexum was hired by Joan Collins in 1983 for her film Making of a Male Model , which tells the story of a naive, handsome man who is discovered by an agent (Collins) for the modeling industry. This film made Hexum even better known, even though he labeled it as a pretty face and sex symbol against his will.

After being considered for several projects, he got an offer for the series Fashion, Models and Intrigue (Cover Up) , which he finally accepted. He played an undercover CIA agent alongside Jennifer O'Neill . He himself described the role as partly "Indiana Jones, James Bond, Mr. Magoo and Superman". On weekends he was always on a promotional tour for the film The Bear , through college football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant from Alabama, in which he played a leading role.

As an avid perfectionist, Jon-Erik aspired to bigger roles. Among his favorite films were Rocky , Ordinary People , The Big Chill and The Deer Hunter .

death

Hexum died after holding a handgun loaded with blank cartridges to his forehead and pulling the trigger on the set of the CBS series Cover Up . The series was about a model couple who were actually secret agents . Hexum, who played a guns expert on the series, was known on set for his reckless use of the movie guns and was reprimanded for this by co-star Jennifer O'Neill .

Elizabeth Daily, Hexum's girlfriend at the time of the accident, and fellow actor Jennifer O'Neill criticized the poor time management on the set of Cover Up , which required the actors to be present for up to 18 hours a day, in the US documentary series Mysteries and Scandals in 1999 . They described Jon-Erik Hexum as overworked and tired on the day of his accident.

It is also known that the weapon that Hexum had with him in the previous scene was not taken into custody by the prop master during the break in filming, as required by the studio's safety guidelines.

The exact details of the accident are vague and mostly come from several press reports that 20th Century Fox announced immediately after the accident and the content does not match.

On 12 October 1984, after a scene rotation, in the Hexums figurines on the bed of a hotel room sat a .44 Magnum - revolver discharged to the balls to be replaced by blank ammunition that was needed for the next scene in the script - a process with the Hexum was unfamiliar, and which was usually performed by a crew member who specializes in weapons - a break was scheduled to shoot the same scene again.

During this break in filming, Hexum fell asleep on the bed and woke up shortly afterwards. He found that the break had been extended again and aimed the gun at his right temple, whereupon a shot went off and seriously injured him. According to the studio's press reports, Hexum was alone on set at the time of the accident and there were no direct eyewitnesses to the accident. However, a later report mentions several eyewitnesses claiming to have seen Hexum while he put the gun to his head. On the one hand, it is suspected that he intended a joking allusion to the extended break in filming and that he held the gun to his head and a shot was released. Other alleged eyewitnesses such as the set worker Frank Laux stated that Hexum had deliberately discharged the weapon down to a cartridge in order to play Russian roulette with the seemingly harmless weapon.

Hexum's last words do not match either, according to eyewitness accounts. He allegedly said: "Let's see if I get myself with this one.", "Let's see if I've got one for me.", "Let's see what would happen if I played the game." Or "Can you believe this." crap? "(Alluding to the extended break in filming.)

He was apparently unaware of the fact that blank cartridges were filled with paper or plastic as an insert and that this filler material is fired from the barrel with such a strong acceleration that serious injuries or death can result if the weapon is fired in this way is fired at short range.

The paper filling did not penetrate his skull, but the pressure wave detached a piece of bone material which penetrated his brain and led to a fatal cerebral hemorrhage. Even without the paper inlay, the blast from the launch would have been dangerous. The hot gases escaping from the barrel would always cause serious burns.

According to a crew member on set, “Jon smiled and pulled the trigger. There was a loud bang and a bright flash, then black smoke. Jon screamed in agony, then looked kind of amazed as he slumped back onto the bed with blood streaming from a severe head wound. It was horrible. "
(Jon smiled and pulled the trigger. There was a loud bang and a bright flash, then black smoke. Jon screamed in pain, then sank back on the bed with a surprised expression on his face. Blood streamed from a severe head wound . It was terrible.)

Hexum's assistant rushed over immediately and wrapped his head in a towel. An ambulance was called, but Hexum fell into a coma before it came, so he was taken to Beverly Hills Medical Center in a studio car.

After a five-hour procedure, senior surgeon Dr. David Ditsworth considered the damage to Hexum's brain irreparable, and six days later, on October 18, he was pronounced brain dead.

With his mother's permission, he was flown to San Francisco , where he was removed from life support equipment after his organs were removed. Hexum's body was flown back to Los Angeles and cremated. His ashes were scattered across Malibu by his family.

That same month, an issue of Playgirl was published that included an interview and photo series that Hexum had done just before his death.

Filmography

Movies

• 1983: A dream man on the front page (Making of a Male Model)
• 1984: The Bear

TV Shows

• 1982: The Time Travelers (Voyagers!)
• 1984: Fashion, Models and Intrigues (Cover Up)

Others

Jon-Erik Hexum surprised the public in 1983 on the Merv Griffin Show and various newspaper interviews with the statement that he lived in his house without any furniture because he would rather save the money to be able to finance future film projects.

Web links

• Jon-Erik Hexum in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• The Jon-Erik Hexum fan club
• Fans of Jon-Erik Hexum
• Jon-Erik Hexum Picture Archive
• Jon-Erik Hexum, photographed by Christie Jenkins

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from December 19, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
2. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
3. ↑ http://pdhexum.tripod.com/id1.html
4. ↑ http://pdhexum.tripod.com/id1.html
5. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from October 20, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
6. ↑ He's Not Coming Back , Kimberwicke Enterprises and The Jon-Erik Hexum Fan Club, 1994
7. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
8. ^ Mysteries and Scandals , US Documentation Series, 1999
9. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from October 20, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
10. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from October 20, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
11. ↑ http://www.series-80.net/us/actor/biography/jon-erik-hexum.html