Pamela Sue Voorhees is a fictional character in the Friday the 13th films. She is a former camp cook and the mother of Jason Voorhees, the main character of the series. In the original Friday the 13th film, the character is simply named Mrs. Voorhees, her first name not being revealed until Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. 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 when the salary offered proved to be very small. Nana Visitor has been cast to play Pamela Voorhees for the 2009 reimagining of Friday the 13th.