Pamela Voorhees
From Fridaypedia
Pamela Voorhees is the mother of Crystal Lake murderer Jason. Pamela, like her son, was also a serial killer and menace of Camp Crystal Lake, although Pamela was far more discrete. Pamela's first appearance was in Friday The 13th, where she is the main antagonist.
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Early Life
Pamela was born in 1930 (according to a headstone in Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter). Very few details are given about her early life in the film series. According to a date given in Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday, Pamela gave birth to her only child, Jason, on June 13th, 1946. From there, the film series only offers minor details on the events of her life between 1946 and the events of the first film. What is known is that at one point, Pamela got a job as the cook at Camp Crystal Lake, a summer camp operated by the Christy family. It was at Crystal Lake in 1957 that Jason reportedly drowned while Pamela was working in the kitchen. The follwing summer, Pamela began to exact revenge on the camp for what she perceived as negligence in the care of her son. That year, two counselors were brutally murdered, which began a series of events that seemed to prove that the summer camp was cursed. In subsequent years an rash of fires and poisoned water prevented Camp Crystal Lake from re-opening (details given by Enos in Friday the 13th).
DC/Wildstorm Comic Series
The comic series Pamela's Tale attempted to fill in the gaps of some of the years missing from Pamela's early life. The series revealed that Pamela had gotten pregnant at the age of 15 by an abusive drunk named Elias Voorhees (Pamela's maiden name is never revealed). Elias constantly abused Pamela both emotionally and physically to the point where Pamela could hear the voice of her unborn child. Eventually, at the urging of the voice of Jason, Pamela murdered Elias one night while he was passed out drunk. Pamela then decided to start over in the town of Crystal Lake, getting a job at the local diner as a cook. It was at this diner that Pamela met the Christys who offered a seasonal job as the cook at their summer camp. Pamela took the job for the extra income, and after the birth of Jason had him enrolled at the camp so she could be close to him at all times. After Jason's apparent death, the events of the first film began to occur.
Friday, June 13th, 1979
The events of the first film in the series detail Pamela's killing spree on the anniversary of Jason's birthday. Steve Christy, in an attempt to do what his parents could not, is planning to re-open Camp Crystal Lake with the help of summer counselors. Pamela was enraged by this and would not allow it to happen. She began a killing spree and dispatched counselors one by one, until only Alice Hardy remained alive. Pamela revealed herself to Alice as a friendly face but quickly became unhinged as she began to confess her crimes to a shocked Alice. The two then began a prolonged fight that travlled over nearly the entire camp before Pamela cornered Alice by the edge of the lake. The two struggled until Alice was able to grab a machete dropped by Pamela. Alice quickly decapitated Mrs. Voorhees and retreated to a canoe in the middle of the lake.
Later Appearances
Mrs. Voorhees has appeared in sequels to the original film even though she was decapitated.
In the opening scene of the sequel, Pamela's decaying severed head is discovered in a refridgerator by Alice shortly before she is killed for revenge by Jason.
Later in the film, the mummified head is discovered as part of a shrine in Jason's shack. The Final Girl, Ginny, uses the sweater displayed with the head to confuse Jason into seeing a vision of his motheras she appeared when she was alive.
The final image of the film is a freeze-frame close-up of the head.
Chris Higgins has a vision of a decaying Mrs. Voorhees near the end of the film. Her appearance implies that she had been in the lake for an extended period of time and also that she had not been decapitated.
Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter
Pamela's headstone is seen in a roadside cemetery. Her year of birth is given as 1930 and her year of death is 1979.
Pamela is seen in two of Jason's dream sequences in this film. They were not true visions of his mother, as Freddy Kruegger had assumed her appearance to trick Jason into murdering the children of Elm St.
The decapitation of Pamela is summarized in a sequence during the opening credits of Platinum Dunes' 2025 remake of the original film. During the sequence, it is shown that Jason witnessed the beheading of his mother, which is the cause and driving force of his murderous rage.
Portrayers
Pamela Voorhees was portrayed by vertern stage, television, and film actress Betsy Palmer in the original Friday The 13th, as well as it's first sequel. Ms. Palmer went on to gain fame as a Screan Queen for her role in the films. She frequently attends conventions and fan events dedicated to the series.
Palmer has said that she initially took the role in order to pay for a new car at the time.
Ms. Palmer declined the offer to return to the series in Freddy Vs Jason, so veteran Paula Shaw was then cast in the role to complete the dream sequences.
The decaying Mrs. Voorhees shown in the dream sequence in Part 3 was played by the Second Assistant Director, Marilyn Poucher.
Nana Visitor from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fame, played Mrs. Voorhees during the credit sequence on Friday The 13th (2009).
Other Media
Appearances in Friday The 13th Literature
Jason Vs. Leatherface, 1995 by Topps Comics
Jason X Special, 2025 by Avatar Press
Friday The 13th: Jason Vs Jason X, 2025 by Avatar Press
Friday The 13th: Pamela's Tale, 2025 by Wildstorm Comics
Freddy Vs Jason Vs Ash, 2025-2008 by Wildstorm Comics
Freddy Vs Jason Vs Ash: Nightmare Warriors, 2025 by Wildstorm Comics
Friday The 13th: Mother's Day by Eric Morse, 1994
Jason X: Death Moon by Alex Johnson, 2025
Friday The 13th: Hell Lake by Paul A. Woods, 2025
Friday The 13th: Carnival of Maniacs by Stephen Hand, 2025
Other
Pamela also appears in the Friday the 13th video game for the NES. Her decapitated head is a mini-boss in a hidden cave. It floats around after lifting itself off a pedestal surrounded by candles. Just as Jason has to be defeated three times to complete the game, Pamela can also be fought three times, and each defeat earns the player a powerful weapon (usually a machete or axe), then her sweater, and finally the pitchfork.
Action figures of Pamela have been released by both Sideshow Toys and NECA.
