Texas Chain Saw Massacre Narrator Confirms He Got Paid in Weed

The original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has become one of the most iconic films in horror history, but it was a project that barely managed to come to life, with narrator of the opening prologue John Larroquette confirming that director Tobe Hooper managed to save a few bucks by paying the actor in weed instead of cash. In the almost 50 years since the film was unleashed, countless rumors and reports about the filming experience on the seminal film have circulated, some of which have been refuted and others of which have been debunked, but with Hooper himself and other members of the cast and crew passing away over the years, some of the anecdotes have been harder to clarify.

“Totally true,” Larroquette confirmed to Parade when asked about rumors of the payment. “He gave me some marijuana or a matchbox or whatever you called it in those days. I walked out of the [recording] studio and patted him on the back side and said, ‘Good luck to you!’” 

The narration itself implies that the events of the film actually happened, which only added to its legacy when it was first released, making the importance of those opening moments all the more powerful, thanks to Larroquette. He noted that the opportunity came largely as he was friends with Hooper and was merely doing him a favor as opposed to being hired for a job.

“Tobe heard I was in town and asked for an hour of my time to narrate something for this movie he just did,” the actor pointed out. “I said, ‘Fine!’ It was a favor.”

Larroquette would go on to provide the opening narration for a handful of subsequent films in the series, most recently for last year’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The actor noted that he didn’t at all mind contributing to the franchise, at least due in part to the residuals he’s earned.

“You do something for free in the 1970s and get a little money in the ’90s,” the actor pointed out. “It’s certainly the one credit that’s stuck strongly to my resume.”

Still, despite his memorable contributions to the franchise, he hasn’t watched any of them, confessing, “I’m not a big horror movie fan.”

Following the release of the most recent sequel on Netflix, no details have emerged about a new film in the series.

What do you think of the actor’s remarks? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!