[Interview] Jill Schoelen Talks Horror Movies, Christmas Album, and Halloween
Actress, singer, writer, producer, songwriter, and horror icon, Jill Schoelen (The Stepfather, The Phantom of the Opera, When a Stranger Calls Back) recently joined us for a candid conversation about her career, her personal journey, her new Christmas album that includes a few gifts for genre fans, her love for Halloween, and much more.
Among her many career highlights, we discussed working with Wes Craven on the 1985 TV movie Chiller, co-starring with Drew Barrymore and a then unknown Keanu Reeves (who Jill also dated for years after) in the 1986 family fantasy Babes in Toyland, and many more of her fan favorite films in our conversation.
We dig deep into the 1987 classic The Stepfather, definitely one of the most unique “slashers” ever made, as Jill recalls being cast as Stephanie long before producers found the right actor to play the all-important titular killer, testing with various other performers until Terry O’Quinn eventually landed the role just weeks before filming started.
When asked if she would be interested in reprising her role as Stephanie for a legacy sequel to The Stepfather, Schoelen makes it clear that she would love to and that she very much hopes it will happen.
Other highlights of our discussion include working with Robert Englund in the 1989 version of The Phantom of the Opera (directed by Halloween 4 director Dwight Little);Â finding a new way to look at her 1989 horror film Cutting Class, also starring Brad Pitt, which she admits she does not have pleasant memories of making at the time, but for which she has recently found new appreciation for thanks to its fans; the recent reappraisal and cult following of 1991’s proto-meta Popcorn; and how she won the pivotal role of Julia in the underrated 1993 made-for-Showtime sequel When a Stranger Calls Back, for which she would ultimately deliver one of her best performances.
After leaving acting to become mother in the early 1990s, and not being in front of the camera for 29 years, Schoelen makes her return to feature films as the female lead in Ralph’s Perfekt Christmas, a dark comedy with a horror twist, and she just finished shooting A Dying Art. Both films are expected to be released in 2026, but meanwhile, she released her independently produced Christmas album in November, as she tells HDN that singing was earliest passion and something she has longed to return to.
Schoelen’s new album and digital EP Christmas is Forever includes a fun rendition of “Here Comes Santa Claus” that features friends and ladies of horror Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, You’re Next), Judie Aronson (Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter), Diane Franklin (Amityville II: The Possession), and Krsy Fox (Terrifier 3), along with an official music video with a comedic horror angle and an appearance by WWE wrestler CM Punk.
Christmas is Forever is out now as a digital EP featuring her newest recordings, which you can listen to via Spotify below, and as a physical LP also including some of her earlier Christmas songs that is available to purchase directly from her site here. In addition to her covers of four seasonal classics, it also includes the new original song “Mingle and Jingle”, written by Jill and the record’s producer Brandon Jarrett.
We had the pleasure of talking to Jill on the day of the video’s premiere, for a wide-ranging and at times emotional conversation looking back on many of her career highlights, her own journey in recent years, and her new music through which she is beyond excited to spread kindness and love. She also tells us all about the horror connections listeners will find when they listen to her latest music this holiday season.
And of course we talked about Halloween, as Jill shared that her earliest memories of childhood itself are mostly tied to Halloween, which has grown to be more of a spiritual time for her in recent years, and shared an adorable photo of herself as a child dressed up in a pumpkin costume (handmade by her mom!) for Halloween.
Watch our full exclusive interview with Jill Schoelen below, or listen on thee Hallowen Daily Podcast.
Related:Â Jill Schoelen Brings Horror Friends and CM Punk Together for Christmas Video
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