Early life

Schoelen was born in Burbank, California. Her mother is the famous fashion designer Dorothy Schoelen.

Acting career

Schoelen has starred in such movies as D.C. Cab

D.C. Cab

D.C. Cab is a 1983 comedy film, starring Mr. T, Max Gail, Adam Baldwin, Gary Busey and a special appearance by singer Irene Cara. The film was co-written and directed by Joel Schumacher. The R-rated comedy was controversial upon release due to Mr...

(1983), Babes in Toyland

Babes in Toyland (1986 film)

Babes in Toyland is a 1986 television film directed by Clive Donner which stars Drew Barrymore and Keanu Reeves. It was broadcast on NBC on December 19, 1986 and subsequently released on VHS. The European theatrical version was shortened to 94 minutes—this version was released worldwide on...

(1986), The Stepfather

The Stepfather (1987 film)

The Stepfather is a 1987 American thriller film starring Terry O'Quinn in the title role. It is loosely based on the life of mass murderer John List, although the plot is more commonly associated with slasher films of the era than a true story. It was directed by Joseph Ruben and written by Donald E...

(1987), Curse II: The Bite (1988), Cutting Class

Cutting Class

This article is about the film. For the song, see Cutting Class . For the crime, see truancyCutting Class is a 1989 horror film directed by Rospo Pallenberg and written by Steve Slavkin. The film was Brad Pitt's first major role.-Plot:...

(1989), The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera (1989 film)

The Phantom of the Opera: The Motion Picture is a 1989 horror film directed by Dwight H. Little and based on Gaston Leroux's novel of the same name....

(1989), Rich Girl (film)

Rich Girl (film)

Rich Girl is a 1991 film that starred Jill Schoelen as 21-year-old Courtney, a wealthy girl from Bel-Air, California who wants to make it own her own...

 (1991), Popcorn

Popcorn (1991 film)

Popcorn is a 1991 American horror film, directed by Mark Herrier and written by Alan Ormsby.- Plot :A group of film students plan an all-night horror film festival in order to raise funds for their cinema club. They decide to show a number of horror films from the 1950s that rely on gimmicks such...

(1991), When a Stranger Calls Back

When a Stranger Calls Back

When a Stranger Calls Back is a 1993 made-for-television horror/thriller film directed by Fred Walton. The original music score is composed by Dana Kaproff.It is the sequel to the 1979 classic When a Stranger Calls.- Plot summary :...

(1993), and There Goes My Baby

There Goes My Baby (film)

There Goes My Baby was directed by Stephen Fisher & Floyd Mutrux, and starred Dermot Mulroney, Rick Schroder, Noah Wyle, Lucy Deakins & Kelli Williams. It is also known under the name The Last Days of Paradise....

(1994). Her role as the heroine in no less than six low-budget horror films earned her a minor cult following and reputation as a scream queen

Scream queen

A scream queen is an actress who has become associated with horror films, either through an appearance in a notable entry in the genre as a frequent victim or through constant appearances as the female protagonist...

. She also guest starred in the hit TV show Murder, She Wrote

Murder, She Wrote

Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...

, "Little House on the Prairie (TV series)

Little House on the Prairie (TV series)

Little House on the Prairie is an American Western drama television series, starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books...

" in an episode entitled "Love" where she played a blind girl, and Hell Town (TV series), which starred Robert Blake and lasted only one season. In the latter, she appeared in an episode entitled "The People vs. Willy the Goat."

Personal life

Schoelen briefly dated Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt

William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...

. They were engaged for three months, but she broke off the engagement in Budapest

Budapest

Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...

, Hungary

Hungary

Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

 where she was filming The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera (1989 film)

The Phantom of the Opera: The Motion Picture is a 1989 horror film directed by Dwight H. Little and based on Gaston Leroux's novel of the same name....

.

Jill took time off from the spotlight to raise her two children with her husband, composer Anthony Marinelli, in Encino, California. The two were divorced in 2002. In 2003, Jill began a relationship with jazz bassist Dave Carpenter, who has played with Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Boz Scaggs

Boz Scaggs

William Royce "Boz" Scaggs is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1970s with several Top 20 hit singles in the United States, along with the #2 album, Silk Degrees. Scaggs continues to write, record music and tour.-Early life and career:Scaggs was born in Canton,...

, and many others. Jill and Dave began working on a jazz album, with Jill providing the vocals and Dave playing bass as well as producing.

Jill is currently working on a new CD recording songs she believes will be part of the American Songbook, and has actively produced a play called The Standard Bearer and has co-produced Baby, it's You for Broadway with director Floyd Mutrux

Floyd Mutrux

Floyd Mutrux is an American stage and film director, writer, producer, and screenwriter.- Career :He began his work in Hollywood as an uncredited writer for Two-Lane Blacktop...

, both as of 2011.

External links