10 Blatant Paycheck Movie Roles (That Were AWESOME)

Before she became a horror icon, Betsy Palmer had been a regular supporting player across both TV and film for three decades, not to ignore her extensive acting work on Broadway.

Palmer was unexpectedly cast as Jason Voorhees' mother Pamela in the original Friday the 13th, with Palmer's against-type casting preventing audiences from figuring out the film's twist, that Pamela herself had been the one vengefully offing Camp Crystal Lake's counsellors.

As beloved as Palmer's brief-but-effective work on the film is, she nevertheless only took the role - which paid $10,000 - to pay for a new car after her previous one broke down.

Palmer famously had no love for the project, having been quoted as saying, "What a piece of s**t! Nobody is ever going to see this thing."

Of course, Friday the 13th ended up being a surprise box office hit, kickstarting a franchise which saw Palmer make a reluctant cameo in its first sequel the very next year.

Palmer was offered to reprise the cameo once more in 2003's Freddy vs. Jason, but turned the part down after receiving a low-ball offer from the studio.

As much as Palmer initially disdained being part of a trashy horror franchise, in her later years she ultimately warmed to her involvement, appreciating that it acquainted her with an entirely new generation of moviegoers.