Jonathan
Tiersten
Jonathan Tiersten was an American actor and singer-songwriter whose career spanned more than four decades on screen and stage. To horror fans worldwide, he was — and always will be — Ricky Thomas,...
Jonathan remembered.
Jonathan Tiersten was an American actor and singer-songwriter whose career spanned more than four decades on screen and stage. To horror fans worldwide, he was — and always will be — Ricky Thomas, the fiercely loyal, foul-mouthed cousin from Sleepaway Camp (1983), a role he embraced with such warmth and authenticity that it became one of the genre's most quietly beloved performances.
Born in Queens, New York and raised between New York City and northern New Jersey, Jonathan studied as a method actor at New York University's Circle in the Square Theatre School. Sleepaway Camp was his first major role, filmed in upstate New York when he was a teenager and released to lasting cult acclaim. He reprised the part more than two decades later in Return to Sleepaway Camp (2008) and Sleepaway Camp IV: The Survivor (2012), and went on to appear in some twenty independent horror features — including The Perfect House (2011), where his portrayal of John Doesy earned him three Best Actor awards on the festival circuit.
But film was only ever half of Jonathan's story. In 1991 he left New York for Fort Collins, Colorado, opened the live-music venue Mountain Tap Tavern, and devoted himself to songwriting. His debut solo album Heaven arrived in 1998, followed by years of work with Bambi's Apartment, Gafiltaphunk, and finally his band Ten Tiers, whose 2011 EP We'll See earned a perfect four-star score from Shakefire and finished third on Magnet magazine's most-anticipated albums list. He scored short films, recorded a version of "Love Is Strange" for the Plan 9 remake, and once said that his music would never take a back seat to anything else.
Off-camera and off-stage he was a USPTA-certified tennis professional and director of tennis for Maplewood, New Jersey, and — above all — a devoted father. His final social-media post, shared just over a week before his death, was a photograph of his young son with a caption that read: "To have my son is something I cannot define."
Jonathan Tiersten died at his home in New Jersey in early May 2026, at the age of 60. He is survived by his brother William, his young son, and a worldwide community of horror fans, fellow musicians, and friends for whom his generosity, his quiet kindness, and the unforgettable boy from camp who shouted back at every bully will never be forgotten.
Rest easy, Ricky.
A life in moments.
Born in Queens, New York
Jonathan was born on August 11, 1965 in Queens, New York, to a family of Russian Jewish and Hungarian Jewish heritage. He grew up between New York City and northern New Jersey, taking up the French horn and the guitar in his teenage years.
First television appearance on Another World
Jonathan made his first on-screen appearance — uncredited, as "a kid with a basketball" — in a single episode of the long-running NBC soap opera Another World. It was the smallest of beginnings, but it pointed him toward the path that would soon define his early life.
Sleepaway Camp released — Ricky Thomas is born
After training as a method actor at New York University's Circle in the Square Theatre School, Jonathan landed his breakthrough role as Ricky Thomas in Robert Hiltzik's independent slasher Sleepaway Camp. Filmed over a few weeks at a real summer camp in upstate New York and released on November 18, 1983, the film became a cult classic — and Jonathan's fierce, foul-mouthed, profoundly loyal performance defined a generation of horror fandom.
Stars in ABC Afterschool Special "Seasonal Differences"
Jonathan starred as Jason in "Seasonal Differences," an Emmy-winning episode of the ABC Afterschool Special exploring the separation of church and state in public schools. It would prove to be his last major television role for two decades, as he turned his focus toward music.
Moves to Colorado, opens the Mountain Tap Tavern
Tired of New York and ready for something new, Jonathan left the city for Fort Collins, Colorado, where he opened the Mountain Tap Tavern — a beer bar and live music venue that would host early American performances by David Gray, Dishwalla, and Victor Wooten. It was here, far from Hollywood, that he picked up the guitar in earnest and began writing songs.
Releases debut solo album "Heaven"
Jonathan released his debut solo album, Heaven, on Hapi Skratch Records. It earned strong regional radio airplay across Colorado and signalled a serious second career as a singer-songwriter — one he would pursue for the rest of his life through bands including Bambi's Apartment, Gafiltaphunk, and Ten Tiers.
Returns to acting in Return to Sleepaway Camp
Twenty-five years after the original, Jonathan reprised his role as Ricky Thomas in Return to Sleepaway Camp, written and directed once again by Robert Hiltzik. The sequel reintroduced the character to a new generation and cemented Jonathan's place as a beloved fixture of the indie horror community — a community he embraced wholeheartedly, attending conventions and reunion screenings for the rest of his life.
Three Best Actor awards for The Perfect House
Jonathan delivered the most acclaimed dramatic performance of his career as the chillingly polite serial killer John Doesy in the indie psychological thriller The Perfect House. The role earned him three Best Actor awards on the festival circuit, including honours at the Macabre Faire Film Festival in New York and the Underdogs Film Festival in Texas, and a fourth nomination.
A final post about his son
Just over a week before his death, Jonathan shared what would become his final social media post — a photograph of his young son, captioned with the simple words: "To have my son is something I cannot define." Fatherhood, friends and family said, was the single greatest joy of his life.
Passes away at home in New Jersey, age 60
Jonathan passed away at his home in New Jersey in early May 2026, at the age of 60. The news broke on May 5, confirmed by his brother William. He is survived by his brother, his young son, and a worldwide community of horror fans, fellow musicians, festival friends, and Maplewood neighbours for whom his warmth, his music, and the unforgettable boy from camp will never be forgotten.
The people they loved,
and the people who loved them.
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For the record.
- Born
- August 11, 1965 · Queens, New York
- Died
- May 1, 2026 · New Jersey
- Age at passing
- 60