Jill Schoelen

Jill Marie Schoelen (born March 21, 1963) is an American actress.^[1]

Early life

Jill Marie Schoelen was born in Burbank, California. She is the only daughter and one of four children of Paul and Dorothy Schoelen. Dorothy Schoelen was a prominent women’s fashion designer from the 1980s and 1990s. Schoelen grew up Burbank, and in 1974 moved to Encino, California. She began singing at the age of 7 and taught herself to read music and play the guitar by the age of 10. Her career began when at 15 years old, a talent agent heard her sing and play guitar. Shortly thereafter, Schoelen began booking commercials for American and international markets.^[2]

Acting career

Schoelen’s theatrical debut was in the 1981 TV pilot The Best of Times, which starred Crispin Glover and Nicolas Cage. Schoelen went on to star in such movies as D.C. Cab (1983), Chiller (1985), That Was Then... This Is Now (1985), Babes in Toyland (1986), The Stepfather (1987), Billionaire Boys Club (TV miniseries 1987), Cutting Class (1989), The Phantom of the Opera: The Motion Picture (1989), Popcorn (1991), When a Stranger Calls Back (1993), and There Goes My Baby (1994).

Schoelen guest starred on TJ Hooker, Little House on the Prairie, Murder She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder Sara, Hell Town,^[3] and Aaron Spelling’s The Heights (1992).

Schoelen starred in the musical Pepper Street (1984–1989), playing the lead role of Spirit. In 1988, Sean Penn cast her in a dramatic play he wrote and directed, The Kindness of Women.^[4] Schoelen and Penn worked together again on stage, starring opposite each other in David Rabe’s Hurlyburly (1988/1989),^[5] in a production that David Rabe also directed.

In 2009, Jill released her debut album, Kelly’s Smile, a jazz album that is composed of songs related to her childhood friend, Kelly Troup, who grew up across the street from Schoelen.^[6]

Personal life

Schoelen was engaged to Brad Pitt for three months in 1989.^[7] In 1993, Schoelen married film composer Anthony Marinelli, and from 1994 until 2008, Jill took a long hiatus from her career to be a full-time mom. Schoelen and Marinelli have two sons.^[8] In 2002 they separated and then divorced. In 2003, Schoelen began a long-term relationship with jazz bassist Dave Carpenter, who died in 2008. In 2015, Schoelen was linked to conservative blogger Bill Whittle.^[9]

Filmography

Films

TV series

References

External links

• Jill Schoelen at the Internet Movie Database