Actor / Director Profile

Betsy Palmer is probably best known for playing Jason Voorhees' mother in Friday the 13th (1980/I), but her career as an actress began many years before. Palmer was encouraged to play a young female officer co-starring with Jack Lemmon in Mister Roberts (1955) and in another war film the same year The Long Gray Line (1955). Throughout the late fifties, Palmer was recognized as a news reporter on "The Today Show on NBC" then became largely involved in television; from then on she remained in made for TV films and notable guest appearances, and then appearing in the 1980 hit horror film, Friday the 13th (1980/I), but continued on with television. Her film The Fear: Resurrection (1999) didn't make much impact. Palmer today often spends her time at her home in Indiana. She apparently was offered the role of Jason Voorhees' mother in Jason X (2001) year, but turned it down and said to use her original footage from Friday the 13th (1980/I).