Josh Becker, a filmmaker and crew member on the original Evil Dead film who frequently collaborated with director Sam Raimi, has passed away.
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Becker’s sister, Pamela, announced the sad news of his death in a Facebook post.
“I am in a state of disbelief and profoundly heartbroken to share the loss of my Brother Josh Becker. Literally, NO WORDS,” she wrote alongside a candid snapshot of the two.
The filmmaker’s online obituary stated that he passed away on December 7 but did not mention the cause of death. He was 67 years old.
Becker began making Super 8 films in junior high alongside fellow Detroit natives Sam Raimi and Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell. He contributed to 1981’s The Evil Dead by handling lighting, sound, and other tasks. During production, he kept a detailed journal, which is available to read in full on Evil Dead Archives.
Fango is sad to learn of the passing of filmmaker, “Fake Shemp”, and longtime Sam Raimi associate Josh Becker. Our condolences go out to his friends and family. pic.twitter.com/eHCSM6ygH9
— FANGORIA (@FANGORIA) December 9, 2025
Becker also returned as a “fake shemp” (Raimi’s term for a glorified body double) in Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness. He also made an uncredited cameo in Raimi’s Darkman, per IMDb.
Josh Becker’s Film Career Saw Him Frequently Collaborating with Fellow ‘Evil Dead’ Alums
As a writer and director, Becker reunited with Evil Dead alumni on projects like Xena: Warrior Princess, Running Time, Alien Apocalypse, Thou Shalt Not Kill… Except, Lunatics: A Love Story, Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur, and Jack of All Trades.
RIP Josh Becker. We had the honor to interview him for this podcast and he was hilarious and insightful. Two days before he passed, I was reading his newsletter. pic.twitter.com/cbQpThaPIV
— The Bruce Campbell Podcast (@BruceCPod) December 10, 2025
Becker also published several books, including The Complete Guide to Low-Budget Feature Filmmaking.
Josh Becker is survived by his sister, Pam Becker; brother-in-law, Skip George; and step-sister, Wendy Davis. He is also survived by his nephew, Ari Siesser, and his cat, Ike.