#5- Betsy Palmer as Pamela Voorhees in Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th (1980)
Betsy Palmer as Pamela Voorhees in Sean S. Cunningham’s ‘Friday the 13th’- Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
“You see, Jason was my son, and today is his birthday” – Pamela Voorhees
Slashing her way on our list of greatest horror performances at number 5 is Mrs. Voorhees herself, Betsy Palmer.
Starting her onscreen career in the 1951 TV series “Martinsville U.S.A.,” Palmer went on to cut her way into horror history. While accepting the role of Pamela Voorhees in Sean Cunningham’s classic, 1980’s Friday the 13th, she did what others thespians often only dream of.
Encompassing both false compassion and blind rage, Mrs. Voorhees is unlike any other characters in the history of horror. Showcasing the script’s more underrated intricacies, Palmer was playing ’80s audience expectations like a finely tuned instrument.
While not on screen for much of the film’s 95-minute running time, Palmer makes the most of every second. On top of that, the actress had to make us understand her reasoning for killing. While not justifiable, the loss of a loved one would make anyone go a bit insane. Only, hopefully, not to the point of murder.
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