The “Friday the 13th” franchise's crop of Final Girls are known for their keen survival instincts onscreen, but the careers of the actresses who played them? Not quite as impressive. When was the last time you heard the name “Amy Steel”? Dana Kimmell? Melanie Kinnaman? In celebration of Friday the 13th, here's our brief rundown of the post-“F13” careers of every Final Girl in the (original) franchise, from Adrienne King to Lexa Doig.
“Friday the 13th” (1980)
Adrienne King (Alice Hardy)
After briefly reprising her role in the film's 1981 sequel, King became the victim of a stalker (the man ultimately pulled a gun on her). Shaken by the experience, she didn't return to acting until the 2010 low-budget horror/sci-fi film “Psychic Experiment.”
“Friday the 13th Part 2” (1981)
Amy Steel (Ginny)
Steel actually has two claims to fame in the horror genre, as she also starred in the 1986 pseudo-slasher “April Fool's Day.” She worked steadily thereafter until 2003, before taking a decade off. Her comeback vehicle? The 2014 horror film “Tales of Poe” opposite fellow “Friday the 13th” alum Adrienne King.
“Friday the 13th Part III” (1982)
Dana Kimmell (Chris Higgins)
Kimmell's last screen credit was a minor role in the 1990 HBO film “By Dawn's Early Light” starring Rebecca DeMornay, Powers Boothe and James Earl Jones, though she did provide an audio commentary for the 1982 threequel's DVD release.
“Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter” (1984)
Kimberly Beck (Trish)
Beck's career petered out by the early 1990s, though recently she enjoyed a voice role in 2009's “Heidi 4 Paws,” which is literally a retelling of “Heidi” starring a cast of “fully mouth-articulated dogs.”
“Friday the 13th: A New Beginning” (1985)
Melanie Kinnaman (Pam Roberts)
As legend has it, Kinnaman was allegedly set to reprise her role in the film's followup, “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives,” but was subsequently written out when the concept was changed. After appearing in a 1989 episode of “Cheers” she all but disappeared from the acting scene — at least until last year, when she popped up in the horror short “Slasher Fest '85.”
“Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” (1986)
Jennifer Cooke (Megan Garris)
Cooke played “Debbie Nesbitt” in the NBC miniseries “A Year in the Life” that same year before disappearing from the scene completely (though she was interviewed for the 2013 “Friday the 13th” documentary “Crystal Lake Memories”). But don't worry about Jennifer! She's been married to Celestial Seasonings co-founder Mo Siegel since 1989.
“Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood” (1987)
Lar Park-Lincoln (Tina Shepard)
Lincoln had one of the most successful post-“Friday the 13th” acting careers of all the Final Girls, with a recurring role on the CBS drama series “Knot's Landing” between 1987 and 1991 (she played “Linda Fairgate”). She's only appeared sporadically in films and on TV since then, but don't worry: she's slated to appear in the upcoming horror-comedy “Sky Sharks,” which is like “Sharknado” except with Nazis. Release date: September 1, 2017.
“Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan” (1988)
Jensen Daggett (Rennie Wickham)
Undaunted by “Jason Takes Manhattan's” lackluster box office, Daggett enjoyed a string of guest-starring/recurring appearances on TV shows like “Home Improvement,” “The Single Guy” and “L.A. Firefighters” throughout the 1990s (she also co-starred in the 1998 comedy threequel “Major League: Back to the Minors”). Since retiring from acting, she's been interviewed for a pair of “Friday the 13th” documentaries and was also featured on an episode of the HGTV Canada reality show “Weekend Warriors,” which focused on her kitchen remodel.
“Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday” (1993)
Kari Keegan (Jessica Kimble)
Keegan's biggest credit since “Jason Goes to Hell” came with her searing performance as “Former girlfriend (uncredited)” in “Jerry Maguire.” Since then she's laid low even by the standards of an “F13” Final Girl; after starring in the 2003 thriller “Mind Games” opposite Joe Estevez, she pretty much disappeared altogether.
“Jason X” (2002)
Lexa Doig (Rowan LaFontaine)
After appearing in the franchise's only sci-fi-influenced installment, Lexa lived up to her futuristic-sounding name by playing the title role in Syfy's “Andromeda” between 2000 and 2005. She followed this up with a recurring role on “Stargate SG-1” and the Canadian sci-fi series “Continuum.”