Linda Cardellini Embraces Her Dark Side as Pam Voorhees in ‘Crystal Lake’, Check out the New Look
For decades, ‘Friday the 13th’ fans have known Jason Voorhees as one of horror’s most terrifying icons. But in the original 1980 film, the killer stalking the counselors at Camp Crystal Lake was actually his mother, Pamela, played by Betsy Palmer, who sought revenge on the teens she blamed for her son’s drowning in 1957.
Despite her pivotal role, Pamela has remained something of a mystery. Peacock’s upcoming prequel series ‘Crystal Lake’ aims to change that, giving the franchise’s original killer a full origin story under showrunner Brad Caleb Kane, whose credits include ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ and ‘Tokyo Vice’.
Now the show’s star is taking center stage. Linda Cardellini, who plays Pam Voorhees, has landed Entertainment Weekly’s latest digital cover, opening up about what EW calls her biggest horror role yet.
The cover video sets an eerie tone. It shows Cardellini drifting in a canoe beside a dark dock at night, with a weathered Camp Crystal Lake sign looming overhead. Cardellini has also been reflecting on why the character matters so much. “There is no Jason without Pamela Voorhees… it is really sort of the making of the monster we all come to know and love,” she said in Dread Central’s October cover story.
She explained that Jason is everything to Pam and that her single-minded drive to protect him informs everything about the character. That devotion, she suggested, is the thread connecting the films, the show and her performance.
Mother has arrived. 🔪 Linda Cardellini takes on her biggest horror role yet as Pam Voorhees in ‘Crystal Lake,’ the ‘Friday the 13th’ prequel series about the mother of future machete-wielding serial killer Jason. The Emmy-winning actress goes deep on tackling the scary movie icon for EW’s latest digital cover: https://t.co/iOv42EATVF
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) October 6, 2026
Cardellini has said she loved scary movies as a young girl, even when her friends found them too frightening to sleep. She came to the horror genre fairly late in her career, but has since embraced the big, wild roles it offers.
When she first heard the creative team wanted her for ‘Crystal Lake’, her biggest question was why. She has said she asked purely out of curiosity what made them think of her for the role.
Mommy’s home. New look at Linda Cardellini as Mrs. Voorhees in CRYSTAL LAKE. Every episode premieres October 15 on Peacock. Source: @EW https://t.co/urV05RKdCd
— Bloody Disgusting (@BDisgusting) October 6, 2026
Kane, meanwhile, has explained that the series wanted to dive into Pam’s psychology and show her unraveling. One early scene reportedly shows a horrified Pam staring into her bathroom mirror, covered head to toe in blood.
Callum Vinson plays a young Jason Voorhees. The young actor, known for ‘Chucky’, has said he got to wear the iconic hockey mask on set behind the scenes, using it to playfully chase his castmates.
The cast also includes William Catlett as Officer Levon Brooks, Devin Kessler as his journalist sister Brianna, Cameron Scoggins as Dorf, and Gwendolyn Sundstrom as Grace. Cardellini has teased that Levon is Pam’s friend, though she hinted he may not stay that way.
First trailer for the ‘Friday the 13th’ prequel series ‘CRYSTAL LAKE’. Releasing October 15 on Peacock. https://t.co/rpckMSxdcF
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 13, 2026
‘Crystal Lake’ has been years in the making. Bryan Fuller was originally attached before exiting over creative differences, and Kane stepped in as creator, writer, showrunner, and executive producer.
The series is produced with A24. Dread Central, which saw the first 4 episodes, praised Cardellini as a true performer. ‘Crystal Lake’ premieres exclusively on Peacock on October 15, just in time for Halloween. For horror fans, it’s a chance to finally see how one of the genre’s most infamous mothers became a killer.
Are you excited to see Linda Cardellini play Pam Voorhees in ‘Crystal Lake’?
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