There are many things about 1983 slasher Sleepaway Camp that allowed it to stand apart from the pack at the time as well as endure to this day, and one of them is the early appearance from Angela’s Aunt Martha before she heads off to camp. Aunt Martha was memorably played by actress Desiree Gould in the film, who has sadly passed away this week.
A few years prior to Sleepaway Camp, Gould had appeared in 1979 TV movie You Can’t Go Home Again, with her road to the screen being paved by ballet and musical theater. Gould left acting behind in the wake of Sleepaway Camp, but she returned in 2006 for the film Under Surveillance and later appeared in Caesar and Otto Meet Dracula’s Lawyer and Tales of Poe.
Outside of acting, Desiree Gould had been a real estate agent since the 1990s.
Sleepaway Camp co-star Felissa Rose paid tribute to Gould on Twitter this week, writing: “My heart is heavy. Today we lost a Sleepaway Camp family member. We all love you Desiree Gould. Thank you for creating such a charismatic and memorable character! Aunt Martha will be forever remembered. Condolences to all your family and friends. Rest easy.”
Desiree Gould was 76 years old. She may leave behind only a couple of performances in the horror genre, but Sleepaway Camp alone made her a horror icon we will truly never forget.