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Legendary 80s horror actor dies aged just 60 as fans pay touching tribute

Jonathan Tiersten shot to fame in the chilling horror film Sleepaway Camp but now it has been confirmed that the star passed away last week due to unknown causes

[Jonathan Tiersten]

Jonathan Tiersten has passed away at the age of 60 though his cause of death is unknown (Image: FilmMagic)

A legendary star from his 80s slasher film Sleepaway Camp has died at the age of 60. Jonathan Tiersten first came to prominence for his role in the cult horror film.

He played the role of Ricky Thomas in the chilling film which earned him a huge boost of notoriety. But now, his brother William has confirmed that Jonathan tragically passed away last week. The exact cause of his death has yet to be revealed and medical examiners are now looking into his passing.

William confirmed to the U.S. Sun that Jonathan had passed away at home in the state of New Jersey. However, he did not know the exact location as he was unable to give any more details.

[Jonathan Tiersten]

Jonathan Tiersten passed away at his New Jersey home last week, his brother confirmed(Image: Getty Images)

Jonathan's character Ricky Thomas helped propel the actor to fame after the movie's release back in 1983. A hot-headed, temperamental character, Ricky won audiences over with his witty remarks and emotional outbursts as he tried to survive the strange goings on.

Cult classic Sleepaway Camp focuses on a strange set of killings that take place at a summer camp for teenagers.

The film would go on to spawn a major franchise, with the original film managing to pull in $11million at the box office.

Jonathan opted out of returning for the first sequel to the film in 1988, but did reprise his role in the third instalment, Return to Sleepaway Camp released in 2008. He also had a brief cameo in the 2012 sequel Sleepaway Camp IV: The Survivor.

Horror would prove to be the bones of his acting career, as he would go on to star in a number of other major horror films. These included Lake of Shadow, Terror Tales and Time's Up, all of which performed well with audiences and critics.

[Jonathan Tiersten]

He first shot to fame in the 1980s playing Ricky Thomas in the slasher film (Image: Facebook)

In 2012, the actor starred in hit horror film The Perfect House, where he starred as terrifying villain John Doesy. His role saw him become the brutal killer of several people in chilling scenes that saw John torture and murder before trying to kill the main characters.

Thanks to his impressive acting skills, his role as John Doesy helped him receive some recognition.

He would go on to receive the award for Best Supporting Actor at the Macabre Fair Film Festival that year.

Jonathan is now survived by his only son, as fans paid tribute to the horror legend. One user wrote: "Rest in paradise, Jonathan", while a second added: "Please tell me the news isn't true, so sad to hear this RIP, thank you for the memories."

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