1. Early Life and Background
Laurie Bartram's personal history includes her birth, upbringing, and educational background, which later influenced her career path and personal choices.
1.1. Birth and Childhood
Laurie Bartram was born on May 16, 1958, in St. Louis, Missouri. Details of her early childhood experiences beyond her birthplace are not widely documented.
1.2. Education
After concluding her primary acting career in the early 1980s, Bartram chose to pursue further education. She attended Liberty Baptist College, which is now known as Liberty University. It was during her time at this institution that she met her future husband.
2. Career
Laurie Bartram's professional journey encompassed both the performing arts, particularly as a ballet dancer and actress, and later extended into various creative and community-oriented activities.
2.1. Ballet Dancer
Prior to and during her acting career, Laurie Bartram was also active as a ballet dancer. Her involvement in ballet contributed to her overall background in the performing arts.
2.2. Actress
Bartram's acting career included roles in both television and film, with her most notable performance coming in a landmark horror film.
2.2.1. Early Acting
Bartram's initial acting roles included appearances in television series. She was seen in two episodes of the 1972 TV series Emergency!, where she was credited under the name "Laurie Brighton". She also had an uncredited appearance in the 1974 horror film The House of Seven Corpses, portraying the character Debbie.
2.2.2. Friday the 13th
Laurie Bartram gained significant recognition for her role as Brenda in the original 1980 slasher film Friday the 13th. This film became a landmark in the horror genre. Her portrayal of Brenda, one of the camp counselors, was particularly noted for being among the more "likeable" characters in the movie, contributing to her public recognition.
2.2.3. Other Television and Film Roles
In addition to her role in Friday the 13th, Bartram had other notable acting credits. She held a recurring role as Karen Campbell in the soap opera Another World.
2.3. Post-Acting Career
After stepping away from her primary acting career in the early 1980s, Laurie Bartram remained involved in creative endeavors. She took on roles directing and choreographing local theater productions. Furthermore, she designed and made costumes for numerous productions. Bartram also engaged in voice work for local businesses, including WSET-TV in Lynchburg, Virginia, and appeared in various local commercials and on billboards.
3. Personal Life
After leaving the entertainment industry in the early 1980s, Laurie Bartram underwent a significant personal transformation, becoming a born again Christian. During her time at Liberty Baptist College, she met Gregory McCauley, who would become her husband. The couple had five children: Lauren, Scott, Jordan, Francis, and Isabelle, all of whom were home-schooled. Bartram resided in Tacoma, Washington, before eventually settling in Lynchburg, Virginia, where she lived until her death.
4. Death
Laurie Bartram died on May 25, 2007, nine days after her forty-ninth birthday. The cause of her death was pancreatic cancer. Following her passing, the documentary His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th was dedicated to her memory, alongside several other deceased cast and crew members from the film. She passed away in Lynchburg, Virginia.
5. Filmography
Laurie Bartram's career included various roles in both film and television productions.
5.1. Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The House of Seven Corpses | Debbie |
| 1980 | Friday the 13th | Brenda Jones |
5.2. Television
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Emergency! | Karen / Jill |
| 1978-1979 | Another World | Karen Campbell |