Jonathan Stryker

"I'm enjoying a little bit of Audra"

- Jonathan taunting Patti Jonathan Stryker is the secondary antagonist of the 1983 drama/slasher film Curtains. He is a film-maker that often seduces women who audition for roles in his various movies. He is the antagonist of the drama side of the movie while the hag is the antagonist of the horror side of the movie.

Curtains
The film starts with him practicing the role of an insane woman named "Audra" who will be portrayed by his muse, Samantha Sherwood. To further her knowledge on this role, the two of them conspire to have her receive treatments at an insane asylum. However, after a few months, Stryker gets tired of waiting and re-opens the auditions for the role. This brings six women who see themselves as actresses in the future: Amanda Teuther, Tara DeMillo, an ice-skater named Christie Burns, stand-up comedian Patti O'Connor, an already successful actress named Brooke Parsons, and a gymnast named Laurian Summers.

Samantha is so furious that she escapes the asylum to expose Jonathan for who he really is to the actresses, and wreak havoc throughout the auditions. She is further insulted when she learns that to decide who should get the role, the six of the actresses will be coming to Stryker's mansion. Amanda "inexplicably" fails to show up, but Stryker ignores it. Sherwood later confronts him, knowing that he is only using these women for their bodies, and that this entire "audition" is a farce, especially since it was her role from the start. The two of them find Christie eavesdropping on them, but they lie and say it was the script to a movie. Stryker then seduces and has sex with Christie, which she is visibly shaken and shaken by. The next morning, Stryker receives word that Christie went home because she was so disgusted by having sex with him, but he lies and tells everyone that she couldn't handle the pressure of the audition.

Later, Stryker is practicing with the remaining actresses mannerisms, which Samantha interrupts. After humiliating her in front of everyone, he goes downstairs to talk to Patti, who tanks the conversation due to nervousness, which Stryker taunts her about to the point she begins sobbing. Later, Brooke finds Christie's severed head in the toilet, and tries to tell everyone. When Stryker investigates, the head is gone, but Brooke is still shaken by the blood, and Christie's lifeless eyes. Stryker takes advantage to get Brooke into bed with him.

Samantha walks in on them, and has a mental breakdown as she realizes that he is never going to stop using women. She leaves and goes back to her room. After they are done, Stryker says to Brooke that this has increased her chances of getting the role, however, Samantha returns, armed with a 357. magnum revolver, and guns them down. A barely alive Jonathan falls through a nearby window to his death.

Trivia

 * He is portrayed by John Vernon.
 * Jonathan is the only character to not find out that someone was killing everyone.