Being that today is Friday the 13th, I decided to do this edition of Where Are They Now? in dedication to one of the franchise’s leading ladies – Judie Aronson. The actress was born in June of 1964 in the state of California and booked the supporting role of Samantha in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter at the young age of 20. Samantha plans to go skinny dipping with her boyfriend, Paul, but finds Jason Voorhees waiting instead. Jason stabs her to death with a hunting knife while she panics on a float. The film took the #1 spot at the box office during its first week of release and has proven to be the #5 highest grossing film in the franchise. The following year, in 1985, Judie booked another important supporting role, this time in cult classic Weird Science as Hilly. Though the film received mix reviews, it proved to be semi-successful at the box office.
Also in 1985, Aronson played the female lead in action-thriller American Ninja. The film was wildly popular and was the first entry in a budding franchise. Shortly thereafter Judie started making television guest spots on shows like “Charles in Charge,” “Full House” and “Growing Pains,” which eventually led her to the recurring role of Sara Duncan in “Pursuit of Happiness” from 1987 to 1988. Her next horror roles would include playing Jennifer in the “Night on the Town” segment of After Midnight (1989) and playing Kim in The Sleeping Car (1990). As luck would have it, she ended the millennium with a recurring role in “Beverly Hills, 90210.” She then started the new millennium with a tiny role in Deep Core (2000) and a cameo in Hannibal (2001).
So, where is Judie Aronson now?
She continued to make television guest appearances in popular shows like “Law and Order” and “Los Angeles” in the early 2000’s, but around this time her career started to slow down a bit. Eventually, she left Hollywood behind for a number of years to pursue a personal business venture. She ended up opening her own gym in Manhattan Beach, which has won awards for best workout membership and best place for personal training. Taken from the official website, “ROCKIT BODY PILATES™ is a unique fusion of pilates, cardio and strength training. The optimum full-body workout! Stretching. Lengthening. Tightening your core. Attacking excess hip and thigh bulk. Toning your arms and legs for a hi-octane, shirt-drenching, total body reshaping; all set to a great beat… Fun? Definitely. Addictive? Any more so, and it would be illegal.”
Aronson also made her big return to horror in 2016. She played the female lead in a short film titled The Secret of 40. Follow her on social media as she updates regularly and actively chats with fans!
