Brenda
A counselor lured to her death by the voice of a drowned boy.
Brenda is a camp counselor in the 1980 American slasher film Friday the 13th, directed by Sean S. Cunningham. She is already at Camp Crystal Lake when a group of five counselors—Ned, Jack, Bill, Marcie, and Alice—arrive to help reopen the abandoned summer camp. Brenda is portrayed by actress Laurie Bartram, who was cast alongside other actors who had previously appeared on soap operas. Her character is among the counselors at the camp who are subsequently murdered one by one by an unknown killer. Brenda's death occurs after she returns to her cabin and is lured outside by a little boy's voice calling for help.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Camp Counselor; Victim
- First appearance
- Friday the 13th (1980)
- Killer
- Pamela Voorhees
Lore & Background
Brenda is already present at Camp Crystal Lake when the other counselors—Alice, Bill, Jack, Marcie, and Ned—arrive in 1979 to prepare for its reopening. After returning to her cabin, Brenda is lured outside by the sound of a little boy's voice calling for help, and ventures toward the camp's archery range, where the floodlights suddenly turn on. Alice later hears Brenda screaming, and after investigating, finds a bloodied axe in Brenda's bed. Brenda's body is later discovered outside near the archery range; Mrs. Voorhees throws Jack's body through the window after Alice finds the axe.
Reader's Guide
Brenda appears in the 1980 film Friday the 13th as one of the camp counselors hired to reopen Camp Crystal Lake. She is played by Laurie Bartram, who was cast by New York-based casting directors Julie Hughes and Barry Moss. Brenda is among the group of counselors that includes Ned (Mark Nelson), Jack (Kevin Bacon), Bill (Harry Crosby), Marcie (Jeannine Taylor), and Alice (Adrienne King). After playing strip Monopoly with Alice and Bill, Brenda returns to her cabin and is lured outside by a little boy's voice. She is killed off-screen; her body is later found by Alice, who discovers a bloodied axe in Brenda's bed. The killer is revealed to be Mrs. Voorhees, who blames the counselors for the drowning of her son Jason in 1957.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are her key activities before dying?
Before her death, she participates in games like strip Monopoly with fellow counselors Alice and Bill. These interactions establish her connection to the other victims before the attacks begin.
How does Brenda die?
She is lured away from the group by a mysterious voice mimicking a drowned child. This distraction leads directly to her murder at the hands of the camp's killer.
Who kills Brenda?
The character responsible for her death is Pamela Voorhees, who seeks revenge against the staff members. Brenda becomes one of the victims in this specific vendetta during the film's events.
More in Characters & Killers
Elsewhere in Friday the 13th
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