Pamela Sue Voorhees is a fictional character in the Friday the 13th films, and the main antagonist of the original Friday the 13th film. She is a former camp-cook and the mother of Jason Voorhees, the main antagonist of the series. In the original Friday the 13th film, the character introduces herself as Pamela Voorhees, and makes reference to her son Jason who drowned in the lake in 1958. The character was portrayed by Betsy Palmer in the first two films. During the character's brief appearance in Freddy vs. Jason, she was played by Paula Shaw. According to the actress herself at conventions, Betsy Palmer was asked to reprise her role as Pamela Voorhees for the Freddy vs. Jason film but turned the part down after she read the script, as she stated in the "Friday The 13th Reunion" available as a "special feature" on the 2009 Paramount release of the "Uncut: Special Edition". Nana Visitor played Pamela Voorhees in the 2009 reimagining of Friday the 13th.