Jess Bradford

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Jess Bradford
Black Christmas character
First appearance	Black Christmas (1974 film)
Created by	A. Roy Moore
Portrayed by	Olivia Hussey (1974) Lisa Kovack (2024)
In-universe information
Full name	Jessica Bradford (film) Jessica Bradley (novel)
Occupation	Student
Nationality	Canadian

Jess Bradford^[a] is a fictional character in the Black Christmas franchise. She is the main protagonist of Bob Clark's seminal slasher film Black Christmas (1974) in which she was portrayed by actress Olivia Hussey. Hussey, known internationally at the time for her role as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (1968), signed on to the role after a psychic told her that she would be involved in a profitable Canadian film. Despite the dark undertones of the film and the mature themes, Hussey has described shooting the film as a great experience.

In early stages of the screenplay, she was named Jessica Bradley; this remained her name in the 1976 novelization of the film. She is sourced in numerous academic materials for subverting many prior horror film tropes of the 1960s and prior decades such as the damsel in distress. The character is distinctive for her feminist focused story arc which follows her decision to have an abortion despite the opposition of her estranged boyfriend. This was particularly notable at the time as it followed the 1973 landmark decision Roe v. Wade.^[1] This has led to her being a heavily discussed pop culture figure in film studies and the final girl theory. She is the first sole survivor of slasher villain Billy.

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