Every Pamela Voorhees Actress In 'Friday The 13th', Ranked
The Friday the 13th franchise would be nothing without Pamela Voorhees. Not only was she the first killer in the series, but she was also ruthless and completely unhinged. But as an audience, we understood her plight, being that her son died due to teenage negligence.
Crystal Lake (2026) is a new series coming to Peacock that will serve as a prequel to the franchise, showing a much younger Pamela Voorhees long before the events of the first film. But while Linda Cardellini brings this version to life, she's not the only one to carry the name Pamela Voorhees.
4. Linda Cardellini - Crystal Lake
As of now, we haven't seen much of Cardellini as Pamela, which is why she's at the bottom of this list. Nevertheless, what we've seen so far seems very promising, as it finally gives us a chance to get into her head for more than just the final act of a movie.
We see her working, trying to find her son in the lake, being present for the aftermath of murders, and also covered in blood. The only question is whether she's the killer or whether her son really was alive the whole time, taking lives. But with the franchise rejuvenated, it'll be exciting to see what new layers Cardellini will bring to such an iconic role.
3. Paula Shaw - Freddy vs. Jason
Paula Shaw gave us an energetic turn as Pamela in Freddy vs. Jason (2003). Unfortunately, the Pamela we saw was also a manifestation of Freddy trying to coax Jason into doing his killing in the real world.
Even still, Shaw was a very fun Pamela because she not only channeled the loving and violent nature of Pamela but also balanced the fact that she's playing Freddy, talking through her. Because of that, we can hear both in her performance and in how it technically takes away from her Pamela performance, it still deserves love.
2. Nina Visitor - Friday the 13th (2009)
Appearing in a flashback to set up Friday the 13th (2009), Nina Visitor's Pamela Voorhees doesn't appear for a long time in the remake. But as the opening flashback recaps the final act of the first film, Nina Visitor manages to do a lot with a little bit of time.
Visitor's performance captures the character's unhinged psyche and twisted morals that justify her trying to kill teenagers. She gives a motherly tone to what would've been her next victim, while still intending to kill her, and honestly, it's a shame she was beheaded so early because Visitor's role had a lot of potential in her performance.
1. Betsy Palmer - Friday the 13th (1981)
It's no surprise that the woman who brought Pamela Voorhees to life would be number one. Betsy Palmer gave us a character who, just by looking at her, is the last person we would expect to be a merciless killer. She may look meek, but the moment the mask drops, she's genuinely more terrifying than Jason.
Palmer creates a character that feels unstoppable as she chases Alice through the forest in Friday the 13th (1980). Through Palmer's acting in a role she wasn't even excited for, she set a standard for the generation of horror films on how to sell a twist and make it work. But Palmer's legacy is also kept alive thanks to Marikyn Poiucher playing her corpse in later films. Palmer's Pamela Voorhees remains amazing and a standard for a great killer.
