Image of Jill Schoelen

Jill Schoelen

A more unconventional husky-voiced "scream queen" heroine of the 1980s was Jill Schoelen, daughter of well-known fashion designer Dorothy Schoelen. Born and raised in Burbank, she studied at the Acting for Life Theatre in Burbank and started off on TV as a teen in the Fame-influenced TV pilot called Best of Times (1981) (TV) starring the up-and-coming Nicolas Cage and Crispin Glover. She gained in experience with a number of innocuous films geared mostly toward the young, including D.C. Cab (1983), Thunder Alley (1985) and Hot Moves (1984). The dark-eyed, black-haired pretty with the trademark bangs wouldn't find her horror niche until hooking up with Wes Craven and his TV movie Chiller (1985) (TV). From there she scored big with the cult shocker The Stepfather (1987) wherein she played the resourceful stepdaughter terrorized by the lecherous, meek-appearing Terry O'Quinn as the title monster. The sleeper hit put Jill on the map with a seemingly solid future, continuing on with The Phantom of the Opera (1989), this time keeping company opposite Freddy Krueger inhabiter Robert Englund as her deranged pursuer. But a few bumps in the road with such lowgrade fodder as Curse II: The Bite (1989), Cutting Class (1989) and Popcorn (1991) put a permanent damper on her career, despite coming back with a bit of grit in the thriller TV movie When a Stranger Calls Back (1993) (TV). Her object-of-a-stalker days behind her after filming Not Again! (1996), she settled comfortably back and raised two children with husband/musician/composer Anthony Marinelli.


Read bio at tmdb | Read bio at Wikipedia
Born:
Mar 21, 1963 In Burbank, California, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
26
First Appeared:
In the series Little House on the Prairie 1974-09-11
Latest Project:
Movie Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story 2022-10-07
Known For
Poster of When a Stranger Calls Back
Poster of State Of Mind
Poster of Rich Girl
Poster of Hot Moves
Filmography
Movie Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story Self 2022-10-07
Movie A Taboo Identity Herself 2017-08-01
Movie Behind the Mask: The Making of The Phantom of the Opera Self 2015-02-17
Movie There Goes My Baby Babette 1994-09-02
Movie When a Stranger Calls Back Julia Jenz 1993-04-04
Movie State Of Mind Wishman 1992-01-01
Movie Adventures in Spying Julie Converse 1992-12-06
Movie Rich Girl Courtney 1991-05-03
Movie Popcorn Maggie 1991-02-01
Movie Cutting Class Paula Carson 1989-04-24
Movie The Phantom of the Opera Christine Day 1989-11-04
Movie Curse II: The Bite Lisa Snipes 1989-06-27
Movie The Stepfather Stephanie Maine 1987-01-23
Movie Babes in Toyland Mary Piper / Mary Contrary 1986-12-19
Movie Shattered Spirits Allison 1986-01-06
Movie Chiller Stacey 1985-05-22
Movie That Was Then... This Is Now Angela Shepard 1985-11-08
Movie Thunder Alley Beth 1985-08-01
Series Murder, She Wrote Unknown 1984-09-30
Movie Hot Moves Julie Ann 1984-10-04
Movie D.C. Cab Claudette 1983-12-16
Movie Great Day Carla Simpson 1983-01-01
Movie Happy Endings Anne Marie Bartlett 1983-12-26
Series T. J. Hooker Unknown 1982-03-13
Movie The Best of Times Jill 1981-07-13
Series Little House on the Prairie Unknown 1974-09-11