10 Horror Actors Forced Into Roles They Never Wanted

Friday the 13th spawned numerous sequels, crossovers, and video games with Jason Voorhees becoming inducted into the pantheon of famous horror movie slashers.

But longtime fans of the series know that in the original installment, Jason was not the killer at all. Instead, it was Pamela Voorhees, played by Betsy Palmer, who sought to keep Camp Crystal Lake closed after the death of her son.

While Mrs. Voorhees is one of the rare female villains in the genre, her actress actually thought little of the project. She did not like the film's script, called it, "a piece of sh*t", and even threw it into the trash. She'd later admit in interviews that she only took the role because she desperately wanted a new car and believed that Friday the 13th would disappear into the annals of history.

Of course, the movie was a huge hit and Palmer became synonymous with the role of Mrs. Voorhees, even returning to film a cameo in Friday the 13th Part II. And while she had low regard for the film, Betsy Palmer eventually warmed up and appeared in conventions and documentaries to talk about the experience.