Jonathan Tiersten, star of cult slasher film “Sleepaway Camp,” dies at 60

Shania RussellTue, May 5, 2026 at 6:24 PM UTC

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Jonathan Tiersten in 2011Credit: Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagicKey Points -

Jonathan Tiersten, who starred in the cult slasher film Sleepaway Camp, has died.

The 60-year-old actor died last week in his New Jersey home, according to his brother.

Tiersten starred in several B-horror films after his role as Ricky in the slasher franchise.

Jonathan Tiersten, who starred as Ricky Thomas in the 1980s horror hit Sleepaway Camp and its various sequels, has died. He was 60.

The actor’s brother, William Tiersten, confirmed to TMZ that Jonathan died last week in his New Jersey home. He added that a medical examiner is currently investigating his cause of death.

Entertainment Weekly has reached out to the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner for additional information.

Felissa Rose and Jonathan Tiersten in 'Sleepaway Camp'Credit: United Film Distribution Company

Born Aug. 11, 1965, in Queens, N.Y., Tiersten made his screen debut with an uncredited role in a 1981 episode of the NBC daytime drama Another World. Two years later, he would land the role of Ricky Thomas in writer-director Robert Hiltzik’s horror thriller film Sleepaway Camp. Though the slasher was initially met with unfavorable reviews, later years saw it accrue a cult following.

The film followed a group of teenagers who are sent away to the mysterious Camp Arawak by Ricky's eccentric mother. The Sleepaway Camp tagline teased the gruesome fate awaiting the teens, reading, "You won’t be coming home."

Initial reviews did not keep the film from box office success and it went on to earn $11 million, later spawning a series of sequels.

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Tiersten reprised his role as Ricky for the 2008 sequel Return to Sleepaway Camp. In a special behind-the-scenes featurette for the movie, Tiersten recounted how he came aboard the sequel and reflected on his relationship to the original movie.

Jonathan TierstenCredit: Jonathan Tiersten/Instagram

"There’s a lot of Ricky still in me," Tiersten said in one clip. "As I’ve gotten older, I think I’m a more 'look on the bright side' kind of guy than I was when I was younger… Life’s hard. You know, it’s not hard to find things to be bitter about."

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The actor became a staple of B-horror movies, also appearing in such titles as The Perfect House (2012), Blood Reservoir (2014), The House That Wept Blood (2016), Terror Tales (2019), Lake of Shadows (2019), Toilet Baby Zombie Strikes Back (2021), and Last American Horror Show: Volume II (2022).

Tiersten’s final screen appearance was in the 2022 slasher horror thriller Time’s Up.

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