‘Friday the 13th’ premiered in 1980 and starred Kevin Bacon, Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King and Bing Crosby’s son, Harry

NEED TO KNOW

• Friday the 13th premiered in 1980 and spawned one of the longest-running horror franchises in history
• The film starred Kevin Bacon, Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King and Bing Crosby’s son, Harry
• Bacon went on to become one of Hollywood’s most recognizable figures, with starring roles in movies like Footloose and Apollo 13

Friday the 13th premiered in 1980 and went on to spawn one of the longest-running horror franchises in history.

Inspired by the success of 1978’s Halloween, Friday the 13th follows a group of counselors at Camp Crystal Lake who are murdered one by one by a mysterious killer. After its release, the film inspired 10 sequels, a 2009 reboot and a 2026 prequel series titled Crystal Lake on Peacock. The original Friday the 13th movie was also one of Kevin Bacon’s first major acting roles. He starred in the film alongside Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King and Bing Crosby’s son, Harry.

“It’s interesting because Friday the 13th is such a seminal movie for horror fans, but for me, it’s not something that I necessarily keep at the top of my list for best performances or meaningful life experiences,” Bacon told Entertainment Weekly in August 2022. “I was a young actor, barely squeaking by in a crappy New York apartment, and got a gig. Thankfully, it turned into something big, but at the time I didn’t see any importance in it.”

Here’s a look at the cast of the original Friday the 13th film, then and now.

01 of 09

Betsy Palmer as Pamela Voorhees

Palmer plays Pamela Voorhees, the mother of Jason, a young boy who drowned at the camp years ago. In Friday the 13th, she avenges her son’s death.

Long before she starred in Friday the 13th, Palmer had already made a name for herself in Hollywood. For decades, she was a regular celebrity panelist on game shows like I’ve Got a Secret, Password and The $10,000 Pyramid. She also appeared in films like Mister Roberts (1955) and The Tin Star (1957).

In 1954, Palmer married Dr. Vincent J. Merendino. The couple welcomed a daughter, Melissa Merendino, before divorcing in 1971, per the Los Angeles Times.

In May 2015, Palmer died at age 88.

02 of 09

Adrienne King as Alice Hardy

King plays Alice Hardy, the final girl of the film who survives Pamela and who briefly returns for 1981’s Friday the 13th Part 2.

Years later, King praised Friday the 13th, calling it more of a whodunnit than a traditional horror movie, and saying that it was actually a trailblazing film for having a female killer.

“Who would have ever guessed that the killer could have been a woman?” she told Daily Dead in June 2016. “A sweet lady, too, Betsy Palmer. No one saw that coming.”

After Friday the 13th, King had a successful career behind the camera, working in the sound department and providing voice looping for films like Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Jerry Maguire (1996) and Almost Famous (2000). She also did voice looping for the show Melrose Place from 1992 to 1999. In 2026, she returned to the Friday the 13th franchise with a role in Crystal Lake.

Horror is a big part of King’s life off-screen, too. She’s married to Richard Hassanein, son of late horror producer Salah M. Hassanein, whose résumé includes films like Creepshow (1982) and Day of the Dead (1985).

03 of 09

Harry Crosby as William “Bill” Brown

Harry plays William “Bill” Brown, one of the camp counselors at Camp Crystal Lake. He is Pamela’s ninth and final victim.

Harry was no stranger to Hollywood before Friday the 13th, having grown up in the spotlight thanks to his father. Throughout his childhood, Harry appeared in many of Crosby’s annual Christmas TV specials and talk show episodes. His final acting role was in 1989’s Hollow Venus: Diary of a Go-Go Dancer.

Harry eventually left Hollywood and became an investment banker. He has been married to Dr. Mihaela Skobe since 2003 and the pair share at least two children.

04 of 09

Kevin Bacon as Jack Burrell

Bacon plays Jack Burrell, a counselor who gets stabbed by Pamela while smoking in bed. “There was no way I was surviving,” the actor later quipped in a March 2024 episode of his Six Degrees with Kevin Bacon podcast.

Bacon is the most recognizable star from Friday the 13th and went on to have a successful career in Hollywood. He’s starred in films like Footloose (1984), A Few Good Men (1992) and Apollo 13 (1995) and led series like The Following (2013-2015) and City on a Hill (2019-2022).

Since 1988, he’s been married to actress Kyra Sedgwick. The longtime couple share two children: son Travis and daughter Sosie, who followed in her dad’s footsteps by starring in the 2022 horror film Smile.

In 2024, Bacon and Sedgwick announced that they would co-direct and star with their kids in a comedy horror movie titled Family Movie, which later premiered at South by Southwest in March 2026.

05 of 09

Laurie Bartram as Brenda Jones

Laurie Bartram plays camp counselor Brenda Jones. Her death occurs off-screen, after she’s lured onto the camp’s archery range during a thunderstorm.

While Friday the 13th was Bartram’s final acting role, she was previously a series regular on the soap opera Another World, starring in 85 episodes from 1978 to 1979.

After leaving Hollywood, Bartram enrolled at Liberty University, then known as Liberty Baptist College, where she met her future husband, Gregory McCauley, according to her obituary. The couple went on to welcome five children.

In 2007, Bartram died at age 49 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

06 of 09

Jeannine Taylor as Marcie Stanler

Jeannine Taylor plays Marcie Stanler, who gets an axe to her head while in the camp bathroom.

After Friday the 13th, Taylor had a few more acting roles, including in the TV movie The Royal Romance of Charles & Diana (1982). She also worked as a marketing manager for a New York City-based magazine. In 1990, she married James McConnell, per The New York Times.

07 of 09

Mark Nelson as Ned Rubenstein

Mark Nelson plays camp counselor Ned Rubenstein, one of Pamela’s earlier victims. Ned is killed off-camera and is later found dead with his throat slashed.

Nelson went on to land supporting roles in films like The First Wives Club (1996) and in shows like Spin City (1998-2000), but most of his career has been in the theater. He’s starred in Broadway productions of shows like Biloxi Blues and Angels in America, and was in the 2016 national tour of Cabaret.

08 of 09

Ari Lehman as Jason Voorhees

Ari Lehman makes a brief appearance in Friday the 13th as a young Jason Voorhees.

“Every time I get to meet people and share their experiences with Friday the 13th and Jason Voorhees, it’s absolutely fascinating,” Lehman told Dread Central in April 2024. “Because the imagination and the enthusiasm and the dedication of Jason fans are absolutely amazing, and I’m very grateful for that daily.”

Since then, Lehman has made a career of starring in horror films. Among his dozens of credits are ThanXgiving (2006), Camp Killer (2016), Leaf Blower Massacre 2 (2017) and Clown Motel: 3 Ways to Die (2025). He also performs in the band FIRST JASON, which was named in homage to his iconic role.

09 of 09

Walt Gorney as “Crazy” Ralph

Walt Gorney is best known for his character “Crazy” Ralph’s chilling line at the start of Friday the 13th, when he declares, “You’re all doomed!”

Though his part was small, Gorney reprised it for Friday the 13th Part 2, where he meets his untimely demise. Gorney also returned to the franchise for his final acting credit in 1988, when he served as the opening narrator for Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood.

Gorney also had small roles in other hits like King Kong (1976) and Trading Places (1983). He died at age 91 in 2004.

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