Linda Cardellini has stepped into horror as Pamela Voorhees in Crystal Lake, a prequel to the Friday the 13th franchise. Cardellini, known for roles in Freaks and Geeks, Mad Men, Dead to Me and ER, recently won an Emmy for her work in DTF St Louis.
In Crystal Lake, Cardellini plays the original slasher from the 1980 film. Pamela Voorhees is Jason's mother and the villain of the first movie, though casual audiences often associate the franchise with Jason and his hockey mask. "He didn't even have the mask until the third movie," Cardellini said. "Pam is the original killer, in vengeance of his death."
Cardellini described her transition to horror as marked by specific, visceral moments on set. "The first time I had the tooth in my hand, I thought, 'Oh my God, this is what I'm doing,'" she said. The tooth is human and becomes embedded in Pam's knuckle before being yanked out with what Cardellini described as a "gruesome, revolting slurping sound."
The prequel does adjust elements of the franchise's established timeline. Crystal Lake moves Jason's drowning from the 1950s to the early 1970s. Cardellini noted that such changes fit within the franchise's existing flexibility. The series has previously sent Jason into space, making timeline adjustments relatively minor by comparison.
Cardellini's filmography spans television drama, dark comedy and now horror. Her shift to the slasher genre marks a departure from her recent work tormenting Don Draper in Mad Men and her Emmy-winning role in DTF St Louis.