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Jill Schoelen
Burbank, California, USA
Jill Marie Schoelen (born March 21, 1963) is an American actress. A more unconventional husky-voiced "scream queen" heroine of the 1980s was Jill Schoelen, daughter of well-known…
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Jill Marie Schoelen (born March 21, 1963) is an American actress. 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.
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
-
2025
Ralph's Perfekt Christmas
Movie Heather
-
2024
In Search of Darkness: 1990-1994
Movie Self
-
2024
Stereo-Vision
Movie Katherine Barrows
- 2022
-
2017
A Taboo Identity
Movie Herself
-
2017
Midnight Madness: The Making of "Popcorn"
Movie Self
- 2015
-
1996
Not Again!
Movie Jenny
-
1994
There Goes My Baby
Movie Babette
-
1993
Diagnosis: Murder
TV show Becky Garfield
-
1993
Triumph Over Disaster: The Hurricane Andrew Story
Movie Ruth Henderson
-
1993
When a Stranger Calls Back
Movie Julia Jenz
-
1992
Adventures in Spying
Movie Julie Converse
-
1992
The Heights
TV show Betty B
-
1992
State Of Mind
Movie Wishman
-
1991
Rich Girl
Movie Courtney
More credits
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1991
Popcorn
Movie Maggie
-
1989
The Phantom of the Opera
Movie Christine Day
-
1989
Curse II: The Bite
Movie Lisa Snipes
-
1989
Cutting Class
Movie Paula Carson
-
1987
Billionaire Boys Club
TV show Amy Whitehall
-
1987
The Stepfather
Movie Stephanie Maine
-
1986
Babes in Toyland
Movie Mary Piper / Mary Contrary
-
1986
Shattered Spirits
Movie Allison
-
1985
That Was Then... This Is Now
Movie Angela Shepard
-
1985
Hell Town
TV show Shelley
-
1985
Thunder Alley
Movie Beth
-
1985
Chiller
Movie Stacey
-
1985
Sara
TV show Emily
-
1984
Hot Moves
Movie Julie Ann
-
1984
Murder, She Wrote
TV show Flora Gerakaris
-
1983
Happy Endings
Movie Anne Marie Bartlett
-
1983
D.C. Cab
Movie Claudette
-
1983
Trauma Center
TV show Leslie
-
1983
Great Day
Movie Carla Simpson
-
1982
T. J. Hooker
TV show Kelly Hobbs
-
1981
The Best of Times
Movie Jill
-
1974
Little House on the Prairie
TV show Jane Canfield
-
—
A Dying Art
Movie Mitzy Rudzinski
