Lar Park Lincoln, Friday the 13th Part VII Star, Dead at 63

Lar Park Lincoln, known for her roles in multiple horror properties and the long-running soap opera Knots Landing, passed away on April 22. Cause of death is not currently known but the actor had previously battled breast cancer. The company she founded, Actors Audition Studios, announced her death via a Facebook post. Park Lincoln was a steady presence on Knots Landing, starring as two different characters over the course of five years, 48 episodes total. One year after joining that series, she secured what would remain her most recognized role: Tina Shepard in Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood.

The New Blood is one of the more iconic installments of the franchise for several reasons. For one, its version of Jason is the one that springs to mind most when people are asked to picture the character in their minds. This is in no small part because it is the first of four installments to feature Kane Hodder as the hockey mask-wearing, machete-wielding cinematic monster.

The majority of Friday the 13th fans hold The New Blood close to their hearts. Even though it was the installment most tampered with by the MPA (then the MPAA), it holds a certain level of charm. A lot of that charm comes from Park Lincoln herself, who manages to turn the inherently silly concept of Carrie White vs. Jason into a fun little rollercoaster ride of a movie with a likable protagonist at its core.

When it comes to the “Final Girls” of the Friday the 13th franchise, Park Lincoln’s Tina far more often than not ranks towards the very top, right up there with the original film’s Alice and the second film’s Ginny. While the Friday the 13th series has never been known for coming equipped with particularly formidable acting, Park Lincoln’s work was impressive, and her performance is certainly the best of the film and some of the best work of the franchise overall.

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Outside of The New Blood and Knots Landing, Park Lincoln made various appearances on beloved television series and feature films, including The Princess Academy and House II: The Second Story (both 1987, one year prior to The New Blood). In recent years, she also had roles in low-budget horror films such as Ghost Party, Autumn Road, and Sky Sharks.

Park Lincoln also turned in appearances in two fan-made Friday the 13th films. First was 13 Fanboy (in which she played herself), and second was Rose Blood: A Friday the 13th Fan Film, in which she once more played Shepard. As for TV series, she put in single episode appearances in Beverly Hills, 90210, Murder, She Wrote, Highway to Heaven, and Freddy’s Nightmares (making her one of the few to be in both a Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street “installment,” though Freddy rarely popped up in his show).

Park Lincoln’s greatest achievement, however, was founding Actors Audition Studios. In their statement, the company wrote, “Over her 45-year career, Lar left an unforgettable mark on Hollywood through her dynamic performances and dedication to mentoring aspiring actors.” She will be missed by those who knew her and Friday the 13th fans alike.

Park Lincoln is survived by her daughter Piper, her son Trevor, her sister Karen, her brother Michael, and her four grandchildren.