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Melanie Kinnaman

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Melanie Kinnaman
Born
OccupationActress
Years active1978–present

Melanie Kinnaman is an American film and stage actress. She is known for her role as Pam Roberts in the 1985 horror film Friday the 13th: A New Beginning. She later co-starred with Eric Roberts in the 1989 film Best of the Best. Kinnaman has made guest appearances on television in programs such as Hill Street Blues, The People Next Door and Cheers. She has continued acting and working on projects for stage, television and film.

Biography

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Melanie Kinnaman was born and raised in Holyoke, Massachusetts, where she attended Holyoke High School, and later, the Williston Northampton School in Easthampton.[1]

After graduating from high school, Kinnaman relocated to New York City where she appeared in several Off-Broadway productions, attempted to obtain roles in soap operas[2] as well as appearing in commercials.[3] She relocated to Los Angeles in 1982 and eight months later appeared in a thirteen-week run of General Hospital.[2]

In 1984, Kinnaman was cast as Star, a drug-addicted prostitute in Cannon Films's Thunder Alley (1985).[2] She was subsequently cast as the lead heroine, Pam Roberts, in Friday the 13th: A New Beginning.[4] She was originally going to reprise her role as Pam (who evidently survived in the previous film) in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, but Paramount Pictures changed the concept of the sequel and the character was written out.[5]

Filmography

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Film and television roles
Year Title Role Notes
1978 Saturday Night Live Cheryl Ladd Episode: "The Rolling Stones"
1981–1982 General Hospital Maria 7 episodes
1982 Hill Street Blues Tanya Episode: "Stan the Man"
1985 Friday the 13th: A New Beginning Pam Roberts Film
Thunder Alley Star Film
1989 The People Next Door Bridesmaid Episode: "I Do, I Do"
1989 Best of the Best Woman Film
Cheers Tanya Episode: "For Real Men Only"
2014 Slasher Fest '84 Jamie Saxon Short film
2020 I Spill Your Guts 2 Sheila Dick Film
2022 The Once and Future Smash Herself Film

References

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  1. ^ Dobbs 2014, p. 169.
  2. ^ a b c Dobbs 2014, p. 170.
  3. ^ "TV STORE ONLINE talks with actress Melanie Kinnaman about Friday The 13th: A New Beginning". TV Store Online. September 12, 2013. Archived from the original on March 2, 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  4. ^ Dobbs 2014, pp. 169–71.
  5. ^ Farrands, Daniel (dir.) (2013). Crystal Lake Memories: A Complete History of Friday the 13th. Image Entertainment.

Works cited

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