P. J. Soles

P. J. Soles

P.J. Soles in 2008
Born Pamela Jayne Hardon
(1950-07-17) July 17, 1950
Frankfurt, Germany
Occupation Actress
Years active 1973–present
Spouse(s) J. Steven Soles
(m. 1973; div. 1975)

Dennis Quaid
(m. 1978; div. 1983)

Skip Holm
(m. 1983; div. 1998)
Children 2
Website www.pjsoles.com

P.J. Soles (born Pamela Jayne Hardon; July 17, 1950) is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1976 as Norma Watson in Brian De Palma's Carrie (1976) before portraying Lynda van der Klok in John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) and Riff Randell in Allan Arkush's Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979). She has since starred in a variety of films including Breaking Away (1979), Private Benjamin (1980), Stripes (1981), Sweet Dreams (1985), Jawbreaker (1999), and The Devil's Rejects (2005).

Early life

Soles was born Pamela Jayne Hardon in Frankfurt, Germany, to an American mother from New Jersey, Nancy, and a Dutch father from Rotterdam, Cornelis Johannes Hardon II.[1][2] At the time, her father was working for an international insurance company and the family moved all over the world. Soles lived in Casablanca, Morocco, and Maracaibo, Venezuela, where she learned to speak fluent Spanish, and then Brussels, Belgium, where she went to high school at the International School of Brussels. When she was at Briarcliff College, she wanted to become the first woman ambassador to the Soviet Union. This career goal changed when she visited the Actors Studio in New York City.

Career

Soles moved to Manhattan and began acting in commercials and modeling for fashion magazines. She was among the hundreds of actors auditioning for Brian De Palma and George Lucas in their joint casting session for Carrie (1976) and Star Wars (1977). She originally auditioned for the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars but the part ultimately went to Carrie Fisher.[3] However, she was cast as Norma Watson in Brian De Palma's Carrie. She starred alongside Sissy Spacek, Nancy Allen, John Travolta, and Piper Laurie. Originally, her character was only supposed to have one line but Palma expanded her role.[4] Soles was injured on the set during filming, when a blast from a fire hose during the prom scene ruptured her eardrum.[5] The same year, she reunited with Carrie costar John Travolta in Randal Kleiser's television film The Boy in the Plastic Bubble.[6] Subsequently, she went to Georgia to film Our Winning Season (1978) and met actor Dennis Quaid. They were married in 1978 in Texas on a dude ranch, and both appeared in the comedy film Breaking Away in 1979.

In 1978, Soles was cast as Lynda van der Klok in John Carpenter's Halloween (1978), the final victim of the Michael Myers character in the classic horror film. John Carpenter wanted her for his film Halloween after seeing Carrie.[7] He wrote the part of Lynda especially for her because of the way she said the word "totally". Soles starred in Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979) with The Ramones and was injured during filming. She has a singing credit for a second version of the title song on the movie's soundtrack. She reprised the role of Riff Randell in the artwork for the Local H album Whatever Happened to P.J. Soles?. In 1980, Soles portrayed Private Wanda Winter in the comedy film Private Benjamin. The following year, she portrayed Bill Murray's girlfriend, Stella Hansen, in the comedy film Stripes.

In 1985, Soles starred alongside Jessica Lange as Wanda in Karel Reisz's biographical film Sweet Dreams. In 1999, Soles was cast in the black comedy film Jawbreaker. In 2005, Soles played the victim, Susan, of a family on a murderous rampage in the Rob Zombie movie The Devil's Rejects. In 2012, she starred alongside Barbara Steele, Heather Langenkamp, Camille Keaton, and Adrienne King in The Butterfly Room.

Personal life

She married J. Steven Soles in 1973, when she resided in New York, but then made the move to Los Angeles to work in TV and movies. She and Soles subsequently divorced in 1975, although she decided to retain the name P.J. Soles. She was later married to actor Dennis Quaid from 1978 until their divorce in early 1983. Later that same year, she married Skip Holm, who was a stunt pilot on The Right Stuff (1983). They have a son named Sky (born in 1983) and a daughter named Ashley (born in 1988). She and Holm were divorced in 1998.

Filmography

Film

Title Year Role Director Notes
Blood Bath
1976
Joel M. Reed
Carrie
Norma Watson
Brian De Palma
With Sissy Spacek & Piper Laurie
Our Winning Season
1978
Cindy Hawkins
Joseph Ruben
With Dennis Quaid
Halloween
Lynda van der Klok
John Carpenter
Also appeared in additional scene for Extended Cut (1981)
With Donald Pleasence & Jamie Lee Curtis
Old Boyfriends
1979
Sandy
Joan Tewkesbury
Breaking Away
Suzy
Peter Yates
Rock 'n' Roll High School
Riff Randall
Allan Arkush
With Vincent Van Patten & The Ramones
Private Benjamin
1980
Pvt. Wanda Winter
Howard Zieff
With Goldie Hawn
Stripes
1981
Stella Hansen
Ivan Reitman
With Bill Murray
Soggy Bottom, USA
Sharlene
Theodore J. Flicker
Listen To The City
1984
Sophia
Ron Mann
Innocent Prey
Cathy Wills
Colin Eggleston
Sweet Dreams
1985
Wanda
Karel Reisz
With Jessica Lange
Saigon Commandos
1988
Jean Lassiter
Clark Henderson
B.O.R.N.
Liz
Ross Hagen
Associate producer
Alienator
1989
Tara
Fred Olen Ray
Soldier's Fortune
1991
Debra
Arthur N. Mele
The Power Within
1995
Mrs. Applegate
Art Camacho
Direct-to-video
Uncle Sam
1996
Madge Cronin
William Lustig
Direct-to-video
Little Bigfoot
1997
Carolyn
Art Camacho
Jawbreaker
1999
Mrs. Purr
Darren Stein
With Rose McGowan
Blast
2000
Deputy
Martin Schenk
Mirror, Mirror IV: Reflection
Annika's Mom
Paulette Victor-Lifton
Kept
2001
Celia
George Santo Pietro
Pee Stains and Other Disasters
2005
Jenny
Jon Carnoy
Murder on the Yellow Brick Road
Hannah Gruber
Ross Hagen
The Devil's Rejects
Susan
Rob Zombie
Death by Engagemant
Mrs. Starkington
Philip Creager
The Tooth Fairy
2006
Mrs. MacDonald
Chuck Bowman
Direct-to-video
Ray of Sunshine
Mother
Norbert Meisel
No Place like Home
P.J.
Perry Henzell
Dead Calling
Valerie Redmond
Mike Nichols
Mil Mascaras vs. the Aztec Mummy
2007
Jeff Burr
Chip Gubera
Love in the Age of Fishsticks
2008
God (voice)
Yun Shin
Prank
Marianne
Ellie Cornell
Danielle Harris
Heather Langenkamp
Alone in the Dark II
Martha
Michael Roesch
Peter Scheerer
Direct-to-video
Imps*
2009
Young Lady
Scott Mansfield
Segment: "Soda"
Beg
2011
Eva Fox
Kevin MacDonald
Eternal
2012
Lucinda
Derek Rimelspach
The Butterfly Room
Lauren
Jonathan Zarantonello
13 Girls
2015
Medical Examiner
Jim Towns

Television

Title Year Role Notes
Love Is a Many Splendored Thing
1973
Soap opera
The Blue Knight
1976
Minnesota
Season 2, Episode 3 "Upward Mobility"
Romance Theatre
1982
Cassie
Anthology series
"The Awakening of Cassie" (5 parts)
Simon & Simon
1983
'Crazy Susan' Sackwell
Season 3, Episode 2 "D.J., D.O.A."
Cheers
1984
Julie
Season 3, Episode 2 "Rebound: Part 2"
Airwolf
Ellie
Season 2, Episode 8 "HX-1"
Simon & Simon
Martie Collins
Season 4, Episode 10 "Our Fair City"
Hardcastle and McCormick
1985
Ellen Styner
Season 3, Episode 4 "Something's Going on on This Train"
Knight Rider
1986
Ellen Whitby
Season 4, Episode 14 "Out of the Woods"

Television film

Title Year Role Director Notes
The Boy in the Plastic Bubble
1976
Deborah
Randal Kleiser
ABC television film
With John Travolta
The Possessed
1977
Marty
Jerry Thorpe
NBC television film
Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn
(uncredited)
John Erman
NBC television film
Zuma Beach
1978
Nancy
Lee H. Katzin
The Other Woman
1983
Mary Louise
Melville Shavelson
CBS television film
Sawyer and Finn
Becky Thatcher
Peter H. Hunt
Shake, Rattle and Rock!
1994
Evelyn Randall
Allan Arkush
Showtime television film
From television series Rebel Highway
Out There
1995
Religious Nut
Sam Irvin
Showtime television film

References

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