Betsy Palmer, known for playing the role of Jason's mother, Mrs. Voorhees, in Friday the 13th, has died.
She was 88 years old. According to Brad Lemack, Palmer's longtime manager, the actress died of natural causes Friday in a hospice care center in Connecticut. She is survived by Melissa Merendino, her daughter.
"Today I celebrate Betsy and the wonderful life she led. While she achieved fame and success for the work she did, she earned admiration and respect for the person she was," wrote Lemack in a YouTube tribute.
Palmer had already been active in the Broadway scene and had regular spots on TV before she took on the role of Mrs. Voorhees, Jason's murderous mother in Friday the 13th. She may have done many things as an actress, but her role in the 1980 movie gave her a cult following.
Funnily, Palmer only accepted the part because she needed money for a new car. She didn't want to star in a horror movie, but before her agent called her about the role, her car had broken down. She had eyes on a new Mercedes and the movie would pay her $10,000 ($1,000 per day for a 10-day shooting schedule, coincidentally fully covering the cost of a new car) so it all worked out despite Palmer calling Friday the 13th's script "junk."
Still, the movie gave her the change of pace she was looking for. Palmer has a "girl next door" image, and she wanted to change that. Friday the 13th gave her the opportunity to step away from wholesome roles and show a different side of her.
Friday the 13th is a slasher horror movie following the string of murders in a camp on the verge of being reopened. Jason, Mrs. Voorhees' child, had died years ago at the camp, drowning as a result of previous counselors' neglect, so she is exacting revenge on counselors in the camp. The movie's success led to a series of sequels and a reboot in 2009. It was inspired by John Carpenter's Halloween.
Some of the TV shows and other movies she was in include: Studio One, Playhouse 90, Kraft Theatre, Mr. Roberts, The Long Gray Line, Queen Bee, The Tin Star, The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, Newhart, Knot's Landing and Just Shoot Me. On Broadway, she appeared on stage for Cactus Flower and Same Time, Next Year.
Photo: Sam Howzit | Flickr
