The brand new Friday the 13th prequel series “Crystal Lake” – now streaming in full on Peacock – features the screen return of several characters from the original horror classic, including Pamela Voorhees, Jason Voorhees, Officer Dorf, and original victims Barry and Claudette. But do any actors from Sean Cunningham’s horror classic appear in the new prequel series from A24?
Yes, actually! The fan website Friday the 13th: The Franchise points out in an article this week that Mark Nelson from Friday the 13th 1980 makes a cameo appearance in “Crystal Lake”!
Mark Nelson played the ill-fated Ned Rubenstein in the original slasher classic, who ends up getting his throat sliced by Mrs. Voorhees. The actor obviously can’t reprise the role in “Crystal Lake,” which takes place at least a decade before the events of Friday the 13th, but Mark Nelson makes an appearance as a totally new character that inhabits the world of Crystal Lake.
You may have spotted Mark Nelson as Dick Wagner in the sixth episode of “Crystal Lake,” the mustachioed boss of Devin Kessler’s character Brianna Brooks! He’s briefly glimpsed in the episode, escorting a couple Bellflower goons around the office in search of Brianna.
It’s a very quick cameo, but one that serves as further proof that showrunner Brad Caleb Kane is a legit fan of the Friday the 13th franchise and wanted to pay tribute to one of its original stars.
As Meagan Navarro writes in her 3.5 skull review of the series for Bloody Disgusting, “There’s a remarkable level of detail and reverence for Friday the 13th here, one apparent by every careful tie to the original film and even more thoughtful treatment of original characters.“
All eight episodes of “Crystal Lake” are now streaming only on Peacock.
