Jason Hawes on his adventures with ghosts, strange homeowners, Twitter followers
Jason Hawes has been a steady presence on the reality TV circuit for almost a decade. And that makes the star of Syfy’s Ghost Hunters a man with the rarest of claims: He’s survived in a cutthroat world where ratings rule and posers are a plenty. Ghost Hunters is one of the original paranormal series, and it continues to thrive in a crowded marketplace of similarly-spiritual shows.
Interestingly, the TV phenomenon almost never happened.
“We had been offered to do shows a lot of times prior,” Hawes said recently in a phone interview. “We turned it down because we didn’t want to be portrayed as silly on TV, or coming across as what we were doing was childish by any means.”
It took Craig Piligian of Pilgrim Films to change their ghost-hunting minds. The famous TV producer promised to simply flip a switch, start recording and not change the team’s routine. His only interest was in filming Hawes and his investigating-partner Grant Wilson. The rest, as they say, is history.
“We were like, ‘All right, people are really going to get bored seeing a bunch of Roto-Rooter guys with some friends investigate the paranormal,’” he said. “And we truly didn’t think that the show would last more than a season, and now we’re in our ninth season. The ratings are still strong. It’s just phenomenal to see how far it has come and how it has really opened up the doors for this whole field. There have been so many shows that have come and gone since we’ve been on.”
Hawes’ best guess for the demise of so many other paranormal series is easy: The shows invented premises and put together groups. Hawes and his organization, The Atlantic Paranormal Society or TAPS, was in existence long before any TV deals.
Over the past nine years, Ghost Hunters has changed. Wilson left the show last year, and new investigators have taken his spot. From the audience perspective, it looks like a large shakeup, but Hawes is quick to point to his continued friendship with his old buddy. “On a daily basis, I still talk to Grant,” Hawes said. “I was on the phone with him twice yesterday. I was on the phone with him once earlier today. Our friendship extends long beyond the show. It extended long prior to the show, and it will go on long after. … And it’s sad that he’s not there, standing beside me, like he did for so many years, from the show’s perspective.”
The current season of Ghost Hunters, which airs Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. on Syfy, has featured some of the most interesting and scariest investigations of the show’s history. Hawes pointed to a recent case that investigated the Peoria asylum as one highlight. Another one is the infamous 1890 House in upstate New York, where employees of the establishment were afraid of bringing spirits home with them.
Hawes said his goal with TAPS is to “empower the people who are fearful of the things that tend to be going on in their home.” This easing of fears is not always based in the so-called ghost world. “Whether it’s paranormal or not, you need to help these people,” he said. “We’ve had cases where people believe all these strange things are going on, and you’re able to sometimes figure it out it has nothing to do with paranormal, it has nothing to do with the spirits. We’ve dealt with everything from people mixing prescriptions and creating hallucinogens, people who just have issues that they need counseling for, things of that nature, right down to issues with plumbing and electrical where people automatically draw the conclusion. The first thing they think is, well, my dead uncle Fred used to be a plumber, so that’s him flushing my toilet at 2 a.m.”
The ghost hunter referenced Scooby Doo, the cartoon series that dealt with ghosts but rarely found anything paranormal. “At the end, they always figured out that it’s old man Jenkins under a mask,” he said. “It’s nothing to be scared of, and I think that’s the most important thing, is really trying to figure out the true answer and trying to take that fear factor away.”
Hawes said he’s more startled by wild animals jumping out in dark places and odd homeowners than the presence of ghosts. “You never know whose house you’re walking into,” he said. “It could be a nice person who truly is fearful and is grateful of anything you can do … and it could be a little old lady who’s dealing with schizophrenia or other issues, who 20 minutes later forgets she invited you into the house and comes after you with a frying pan.”
The Rhode Island native claimed he’s never actually heard of a ghost that hurt or killed people. Instead, human errors have led to the occasional bruises and accidents. One can imagine such a scenario: Is that a ghost? Whoops, right down the stairs.
“We did a case years ago that was off the show, because we still do a lot of cases off the show as well, where somebody saw something, jumped back and hit their fridge,” Hawes said. “Well, the problem was on top of their fridge was where they kept their butcher block with their knives. So when that fell over, I fell down and ended up going into the lady’s shoulder. But when I got the call, it was I had been attacked, I had been stabbed by a ghost, all these factors.”
In addition to the success that Hawes has found on the TV show, the ghost hunter also has a sizable following on Twitter and Facebook. He updates the accounts frequently, letting fans know both his personal and professional thoughts. “The fans are really the thing that makes the show a success,” he said. “I post about everything. I talk about everything. It’s not always about the show. Ninety percent of my posts are about other things, just topics, a lot of them could be controversial topics, to get people’s takes and go from there.”
Interestingly, Hawes admitted that he doesn’t watch his own show on television. The same goes with other paranormal series. The last one he caught was Sightings, a series that he classifies as “great.” He doesn’t like any show that is “totally disrespectful” to the field.
The decision to continue with Ghost Hunters is usually a collective one. He sits down with his wife and children, soliciting their opinions on how much time dad will be away from the family.
“As of right now, the family 100 percent supports what I’m doing,” he said. “But if there is ever a day that they say, ‘You know what? Enough is enough. We prefer you to be here.’ Then I wish all a good day. I live and die for my family, so that’s it.”
Hawes said his children are paranormal buffs, including his 8-year-old twins. They would like him to keep going with the show for another 10 years, so they’ll be old enough to investigate by his side.
“The whole time they’ve grown up, this is what dad has done,” he said. “It’s like a lot of the posts I see on Twitter and Facebook are kids saying, ‘I’ve watched you since I was 11 or 12 years old. I just graduated college.’ I’m thinking, oh man, that kind of sucks. But being able to hear that is phenomenal.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
I just want you to know that I love the show and will not miss a one of them , I hope your family will let you go on for years to come , I
want to thank them for letting you to do this God Bless them and you for all you do for people.
i think you and your team are the greatest!!!! i have watched you since you started. i can’t think of one episode that i’ve missed!!!! everyone i know knows not to call, come see me on wednesday nights. i hope you can continue for a very long time!!! best wishes and stay safe in the snow storm headed your way!!!!!
i think you and your team are the greatest!!!! i have watched you since you started. i can’t think of one episode that i’ve missed!!!! everyone i know knows not to call, come see me on wednesday nights. i hope you can continue for a very long time!!! best wishes and stay safe in the snow storm headed your way!!!!!
There isn’t room for G. Wilson in the Ghost Hunters series anymore…. Hawes’ ego has claimed most of the space.
That’s just ridiculous and mean. Both guys were great together and no one knows why Grant bowed out and it’s none of our business really. Still Love the Show, haven’t missed one yet. I’ll always be a loyal viewer.
Obviously someone is a hater….and on Grants website it does say why he left.
Grant explained why he left the show on his website.
http://grantswilson.com/why-i-left-the-show/
He explained that he left because he was tired of all the traveling, hotel rooms, crazy schedule, and most importantly wanted to spend time with his family while the kids were still young.
no one asked you to comment, if you have something immature to say, please do not plague the comment board with your nonsense. This is a place for fans, not people who feel the need to criticize. Thank you for understanding.
I really love the show.Never miss one,but i really miss grant on them.
I am not able to watch Ghost Hunters on my television due to location difficulties but I have purchased every season via iTunes! This program is fun to watch and Jason et al really appear to want to help their clients. Love the show, but I do miss Grant. Hopefully he will do some guest appearances. (Hope,hope!)
2004: first episode i ever watched took place in a new england lighthouse. a camping chair staight up MOVED all by itself. scared the bajezzus outta me. after that, i was HOOOOOOKED.
I have watched Ghost Hunters from day one, never miss it ,record it every week. My father and grandfather were funeral directors , so I grew up with a fascination about life and death, never afraid of the dead , only the living, never had an experience until the year my father died in May, in September on my 16th B-day. same year, my mother and I smelled his old spice her wore very strong, also it woke me up on the day I started labor pains with my 1sy child, so I know loved ones are there and for the skeptics , I love you guys proving them wrong, and I love how you point out it is just a plumbing issue , and calm others fears , you all are very professional, compassionate, and with all the many spin offs that there has been, no one well ever touch you guys. God love your families that are supporting you!!Love you all ,your awesome!! Claudia in northern KY.
Would like to summit photo to TAPS.com
There are two forums off the TAPS website, http://www.tapsmainforum.com is for all ages, tends to be gentler and more accepting. http://www.taps18forum.com is for 18+ year olds only. Be aware that evidence submitted to http://www.taps18forum.com will be subjected to intense scrutiny by the forum members. Be prepared to answer a lot of questions, and ready to accept whatever opinions the general populace may express about it.
I have loved the show since the beginning. I hope it never goes off the air. It’s not at all boring, every episode is exciting to me. I wish that Grant would come back and maybe do guest appearances once in a while. I love Steve and Tango together more than I like the two of you together but I understand that he has to step up since Grant left. They were kind of funny, had a good chemistry together or something. I miss that part. Keep doing what you are doing, seems to be working. They say don’t fix it if it isn’t broken 😉 Lisa
As a fan of not only Jason, but the entire GH crew, I would like to thank you for sharing your lives with us. This is not just a crew, it is a family and it shows. Keep up the great work being an inspiration to so many.
I think what I appreciate the most is that the show doesn’t over dramatize for effect. It is what it is and each location is investigated professionally. If there is no sign of the paranormal then they don’t create one for the hype. That for me, shows a true dedication to the field and not just the ratings. Hats off to you all and to the producers and the network for supporting and respecting your investigative style.
I totally agree! I accidentally stumbled onto this show while I was home sick in 2006. I have been a fan ever since. What you guys do on the show is simply amazing and has sparked an interest in doing my own investigations. Thanks for sharing so much of your life with us!
I have watched from the beginning & I got to say thats its been a real blast! Never miss watching. Keep up the great work!
I’ve watched the show since day one and will continue as long as they do. It’s presented very real, no put-ons, just like our paranormal team does our investigations. On to the next!
Was hooked from the very first show that I watched! There was a chain in a closet that moved by itself. I find it intriguing instead of scary now. I think TAPS has really shown people that there’s not so much to be afraid of and that sometimes it can even be comforting if the gost is someone you know. Love the show and the investigators! Keep up the good work!!!
I love the show. Yall need come to my house to help me I’d like for the ghost to leave. My girlfr has moved out because of the ghost
I enjoy what you do. I only watch your show and not others, because the other ones don’t seem real. Keep up the good work. Can’t wait to see your twins working by your side.
I love the show and have been watching from the beginning. Love all the guys, especially Steve and Tango who add plenty of humor. It’s fascinating to see actual paranormal incidents, but i also like how you all try to debunk these situations and not automatically assume that it is paranormal, which makes you different from some of the other “knockoffs”.
After watching you from season one forward, I still continue to be fascinated by your show! My daughter is a Junior in college and we still recap the show long distance after each new episode. Thanks for making a show that is honest, family friendly, entertaining and informative all at the same time! God bless your families as you are out helping others.
Jason, Grant, I have been with you since the beginning. It has been a blast! First time I ever heard about you guys was your ethics. You said you are skeptics. Okay. But this is TV. I’ll give it a try. I don’t always agree with your findings…but, I am not there, I don’t have real those ‘experiences.’ Today I am still skeptical.
I’ve seen your efforts when you began. I’ve seen your current efforts. I thank you, Greant, Steve, Tango, Chris, Amy……I just love it all! Thank you.
I also like it when Jason’s daughter, Haley, joins the investigation. She does a good job. Steve, Tango, and Jason crack me up when they scare each other, too. I think it is funny that Steve has almost every phobia known to man, but he isn’t afraid of ghosts. That man is backward! lol
Im the cofounder of the night walkers of the paranormal(www.facebook.com/TheNightWalkersOfTheParanormal)ive been watching the ghost.hunter from day one. They have came a long way.I would
just like to say to the ghost hunters:you are very much appiercated, and you have. my deepest respect..Jason Hawes you and your team are doing just fine.Like you said:children are always in front of line.well thats what we do. we help children that are being haunted.A child should feel safe in his or her place of living.Thank you your friend lila stevenson.P.S. my grand daughter will be 3 on the 26 of this mounth…shes every breathe i take.she made a picture for you i will send it to you ok.Wel have the best day or evening you can.
I have been faithfully watching the show since I was 18, and in all those years, i have never found it to be a waste of time. Ghost Hunters will NEVER be a waste of my time and I will continue to faithfully watch it. My faith in your show has never once faltered and I will always be right there at the TV shouting “What the Fetch!” every time i see the evidence review 😉 I for, for one, would love to see your twins one day investigate with you. I only wish you could still take Maddie along with you 🙂 Such a cute dog!
Very well-written article. I have respected J. Hawes and what he does ever since the show started and I learned about TAPS. Very cool.
I’m very loyal to the show but I really miss evidence review. I WANT to see the audio waveform and hear what’s there over and over, I like seeing video evidence several times. This new coffee clatch way of verbally going over evidence, and little red box/tablet way of presenting it, takes away from the science aspect. And THAT’S what drew me to these guys in the first place.
In the reveal, I miss the table, the larger screen that you can really see the evidence and the more formal aspect of it. I love the show, don’t get me wrong, but the more relaxed version of the reveal is not as professional and the smaller tablet seems…too small to see evidence. But the show is great, don’t miss an episode.
I. Have. Be. A. Big. Fan. From. Day. One. I. Wish. They. Would. Put. Y’all. Back. On. Tv. I. Watch. Ever. Show. You. Had. On. Tv. Now. I. Will. Never. See. Y’all. Show. No. More. A. Lot. Of. People. Do. Not. Have. Extra money. Too. Spend. On. That. Bull. Shit. I. Am. Sad. They. Took. All. Most. Of. Ghost. Shows. Off. Tv. I. Guess. I. Will. Move. On. To. Other. Shows. Good. Luck. From. D. Havey