Jill Schoelen is probably one of the most underrated and overlooked scream queens of The Golden Age of Horror. If you don’t believe me, let’s take a look at her impressive resume in this installment of Where Are They Now?. Born in March 1963 in sunny California, the daughter of a fashion designer, Jill would study dramatic arts as a teenager and finally caught her big break in Hollywood in the mid-80’s. Following guest spots on television shows like “Hell Town,” “Little House on the Prairie,” “Sara” and “T.J. Hooker,” Schoelen booked the supporting role of Stacey in Wes Craven’s Chiller in 1985. This, of course, would be the jumpstart to her career as a scream queen. She quickly followed up this accomplishment with the female lead role of Stephanie in Joseph Ruben’s The Stepfather (1987) and the female lead role in Cutting Class (1989).
While Chiller was a made for TV movie, The Stepfather went to theaters and came in the top 15 at the box office in January 1987. Jill continued her horror film hit streak by earning the female lead role in Curse II: The Bite (1989) and by earning the iconic role of Christine in a more horror themed version of The Phantom of the Opera, co-starring A Nightmare on Elm Street‘s Robert Englund. Next, she was one of three leads – the others being fellow scream queen Dee Wallace and Tom Villard – in 1991’s Popcorn which hit cinemas in the #10 spot in February of that year. To end a rather impressive era, Jill’s last foray into our favorite genre was by appearing opposite Carol Kane in sequel When A Stranger Calls Back in 1993.
In 1994, Schoelen started exploring other genres of production following a guest spot on “Diagnosis Murder.” She had a supporting role in drama There Goes My Baby and a small role in comedy Not Again! (1996) before quietly retiring from acting.
So, where is Jill Schoelen now?
For a time she lived a normal life, eventually finding love and becoming the mother of two children. Recently, however, she’s looking to launch a comeback in Hollywood. She’s currently attached to two films that are in various stages of development. The first is a drama titled Fault, which will also feature “Land of the Lost” star Kathy Coleman. The second is a horror film (yay!) titled Ripped to Shreds. I know I can speak for all of us when I offer a huge welcome back!
Still waiting for Synapse to release Popcorn on Blu-ray.