Lisa Eilbacher
Encyclopedia
Lisa Eilbacher is an American
television
and motion picture actress.
, Saudi Arabia
, the daughter of an American oil company executive. She was raised in France
. Her sister Cindy is also an actress, best known for portraying Jerry Van Dyke
's long-suffering daughter on the short-lived TV series My Mother the Car
.
Eilbacher is married to Brad May, whose work in photography and other behind the scenes areas of television and film has been considerable since the late 1970s. He directed her in 1986's New Twilight Zone episode "Nightsong" with a recent DVD release of the series including a commentary on it by him.
and Gunsmoke
. She later made a transition into adult roles. Ms. Eilbacher is best remembered for her roles in two popular films of the 1980s: An Officer and a Gentleman
and Beverly Hills Cop
. In An Officer and a Gentleman, she played a Navy cadet who couldn't complete the obstacle course. An avid body builder in real life, Eilbacher said the hardest aspect of this role was "pretending" to be out of shape. In BHC, she played Jenny Summers, a childhood friend of Eddie Murphy
's character Axel Foley
whom Foley visits following the murder of another mutual childhood friend and subsequently helps him solve the murder.
Eilbacher was also featured in the 1983 epic miniseries The Winds of War
playing Madeleine Henry. Eilbacher starred as Callie Shaw in the Hardy Boys Mysteries in 1977, the same year she appeared as "Lisa" in the episode "The Innocent" of the short-lived Logan's Run
. She also appeared in the 1974 television movie Bad Ronald
, 1981's This House Possessed, and several other motion and television films, and episodes of series (memorably, the episode of The New Twilight Zone
, 1986's "Nightsong".)
Eilbacher worked steadily through the 1980s and 1990s, though in recent years her appearances have been few. Her 1981 appearance in This House Possessed was really a supplement to her work with Parker Stevenson
a few years before on The Hardy Boys; the television movie-of-the-week plays like an extended episode of the series. The series never explored any romantic connection between Frank Hardy and Callie, though the implication was present; the movie settles the issue.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and motion picture actress.
Personal life
Eilbacher was born in DhahranDhahran
Dhahran is a city located in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, and is a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry. Large oil reserves were first identified in the Dhahran area in 1931, and in 1935 Standard Oil of California drilled the first commercially viable oil well...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, the daughter of an American oil company executive. She was raised in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Her sister Cindy is also an actress, best known for portraying Jerry Van Dyke
Jerry Van Dyke
Jerry Van Dyke is an American comedian and actor. He is the younger brother of comedian and actor Dick Van Dyke, and made his acting debut on The Dick Van Dyke Show with several guest appearances as Rob Petrie's brother, Stacey...
's long-suffering daughter on the short-lived TV series My Mother the Car
My Mother the Car
My Mother the Car is an American fantasy sitcom which aired for a single season on NBC between September 14, 1965 and September 6, 1966. A total of thirty episodes were produced by United Artists Television....
.
Eilbacher is married to Brad May, whose work in photography and other behind the scenes areas of television and film has been considerable since the late 1970s. He directed her in 1986's New Twilight Zone episode "Nightsong" with a recent DVD release of the series including a commentary on it by him.
Career
Eilbacher started acting as a child appearing on such popular shows as My Three SonsMy Three Sons
My Three Sons is an American situation comedy. The series ran from 1960 to 1965 on ABC, and moved to CBS until its end on August 24, 1972. My Three Sons chronicles the life of a widower and aeronautical engineer named Steven Douglas , raising his three sons.The series was a cornerstone of the CBS...
and Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
. She later made a transition into adult roles. Ms. Eilbacher is best remembered for her roles in two popular films of the 1980s: An Officer and a Gentleman
An Officer and a Gentleman
A Officer and a Gentleman is a 1982 American drama film that tells the story of a U.S. Navy aviation officer candidate who comes into conflict with the Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant who trains him. It was written by Douglas Day Stewart and directed by Taylor Hackford...
and Beverly Hills Cop
Beverly Hills Cop
Beverly Hills Cop is a 1984 American comedy-action film directed by Martin Brest and starring Eddie Murphy, Lisa Eilbacher, John Ashton, Judge Reinhold, and Ronny Cox...
. In An Officer and a Gentleman, she played a Navy cadet who couldn't complete the obstacle course. An avid body builder in real life, Eilbacher said the hardest aspect of this role was "pretending" to be out of shape. In BHC, she played Jenny Summers, a childhood friend of Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
's character Axel Foley
Axel Foley
Axel Foley is a fictional character, portrayed by Eddie Murphy, and is the main protagonist of the Beverly Hills Cop film franchise. He is ranked number 78 on Empire Magazine's list of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time...
whom Foley visits following the murder of another mutual childhood friend and subsequently helps him solve the murder.
Eilbacher was also featured in the 1983 epic miniseries The Winds of War
The Winds of War
The Winds of War is Herman Wouk's second book about World War II, the first being The Caine Mutiny . Published in 1971, it was followed up seven years later by War and Remembrance; originally conceived as one volume, Wouk decided to break it in two when he realized it took nearly 1000 pages just to...
playing Madeleine Henry. Eilbacher starred as Callie Shaw in the Hardy Boys Mysteries in 1977, the same year she appeared as "Lisa" in the episode "The Innocent" of the short-lived Logan's Run
Logan's Run (TV series)
Logan's Run is a 1977–1978 American CBS-TV series and a spin-off from the 1976 film of the same name.- Cast :*Gregory Harrison as Logan 5*Heather Menzies as Jessica 6*Donald Moffat as Rem*Randy Powell as Francis- Episode list :...
. She also appeared in the 1974 television movie Bad Ronald
Bad Ronald
Bad Ronald is a television film that aired in 1974, starring Scott Jacoby, Dabney Coleman and sisters Lisa and Cindy Eilbacher. It is based on the book of the same title by Jack Vance....
, 1981's This House Possessed, and several other motion and television films, and episodes of series (memorably, the episode of The New Twilight Zone
The New Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is the first of two revivals of Rod Serling's acclaimed 1950/60s television series of the same name. It ran for two seasons on CBS before producing a final season for syndication.-Series history:...
, 1986's "Nightsong".)
Eilbacher worked steadily through the 1980s and 1990s, though in recent years her appearances have been few. Her 1981 appearance in This House Possessed was really a supplement to her work with Parker Stevenson
Parker Stevenson
Parker Stevenson is an American television and film actor.-Career:His first notable screen appearance was a starring role in the 1972 movie A Separate Peace...
a few years before on The Hardy Boys; the television movie-of-the-week plays like an extended episode of the series. The series never explored any romantic connection between Frank Hardy and Callie, though the implication was present; the movie settles the issue.
Filmography
- Alias Smith and JonesAlias Smith and JonesAlias Smith and Jones is an American Western series that originally aired on ABC from 1971 to 1973. It stars Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Jedediah "Kid" Curry, a pair of Western cousin outlaws trying to reform...
(1971) Episode: "The Posse That Wouldn't Quit" - The War Between Men and WomenThe War Between Men and WomenThe War Between Men and Women is a 1972 slapstick live-cartoon comedy film starring Jack Lemmon, Barbara Harris, and Jason Robards.It is based on the writings of humorist James Thurber, and was released in 1972 by Cinema Center Films. Like many other films in the Cinema Center catalog, it has long...
(1972) as Caroline Kozlenko - The Texas WheelersThe Texas WheelersThe Texas Wheelers was an ABC situation comedy television series that aired in 1974 and 1975. The series, produced by MTM Enterprises, was about the cantankerous but lovable Zack Wheeler, a long-lost father who returned to raise his children Truckie, Doobie, Boo, and T.J...
(1974) TV Series as Sally - Bad RonaldBad RonaldBad Ronald is a television film that aired in 1974, starring Scott Jacoby, Dabney Coleman and sisters Lisa and Cindy Eilbacher. It is based on the book of the same title by Jack Vance....
(1974) (TV) as Ellen Wood - Panache (1976) (TV) as Lisa
- The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew MysteriesThe Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew MysteriesThe Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries is a television series which aired for three seasons on ABC...
(1977) TV Series as Callie Shaw - Run for the Roses (1977) as Carol
- Logan's RunLogan's Run (TV series)Logan's Run is a 1977–1978 American CBS-TV series and a spin-off from the 1976 film of the same name.- Cast :*Gregory Harrison as Logan 5*Heather Menzies as Jessica 6*Donald Moffat as Rem*Randy Powell as Francis- Episode list :...
(1977) (TV) Season 01 ep.04 "The Innocent" as Lisa - The Amazing Spider-ManThe Amazing Spider-Man (TV series)The Amazing Spider-Man is the first live-action TV series based on the popular comic book The Amazing Spider-Man, not counting his appearances on the educational The Electric Company series, and was shown in the USA between 1977-1979...
(1977) (TV) as Judy Tyler - Hawaii 5-0 (1978) (TV series) Episode: "Tall on the Wave", as Elaine
- Wheels (1978) (mini) TV Series as Jody Horton
- The Ordeal of Patty Hearst (1979) (TV) as Patty Hearst
- Love for Rent (1979) (TV) as Lynn Martin
- To Race the Wind (1980) (TV) as Kit
- This House Possessed (1981) (TV) as Sheila Moore 'Margaret'
- On the Right TrackOn the Right TrackOn the Right Track is a 1981 comedy film that was the first feature film starring Gary Coleman. It was directed by Lee Philips, produced by Ronald Jacobs, and released to theaters by 20th Century Fox in the spring of 1981.-Background:...
(1981) as Jill - Spider-ManSpider-Man (1981 TV series)Spider-Man is a syndicated animated TV series based on the popular Marvel Comics character of the same name.-Production background:The series was created to launch Marvel Productions, successor of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, who had previously produced the 1978 New Fantastic Four and 1979...
(1981) TV Series (voice) - An Officer and a GentlemanAn Officer and a GentlemanA Officer and a Gentleman is a 1982 American drama film that tells the story of a U.S. Navy aviation officer candidate who comes into conflict with the Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant who trains him. It was written by Douglas Day Stewart and directed by Taylor Hackford...
(1982) as Casey Seeger - The Winds of WarThe Winds of WarThe Winds of War is Herman Wouk's second book about World War II, the first being The Caine Mutiny . Published in 1971, it was followed up seven years later by War and Remembrance; originally conceived as one volume, Wouk decided to break it in two when he realized it took nearly 1000 pages just to...
(1983) (mini) TV Series as Madeline Henry - 10 to Midnight10 to Midnight10 to Midnight is an action-crime-thriller film directed by J. Lee Thompson from a screenplay originally written by William Roberts. The film stars Charles Bronson in the lead role with a supporting cast that includes Lisa Eilbacher, Andrew Stevens, Gene Davis, Geoffrey Lewis, and Wilford Brimley...
(1983) as Laurie Kessler - Ryan's Four (1983) (TV) as Sorenson
- Beverly Hills CopBeverly Hills CopBeverly Hills Cop is a 1984 American comedy-action film directed by Martin Brest and starring Eddie Murphy, Lisa Eilbacher, John Ashton, Judge Reinhold, and Ronny Cox...
(1984) as Jeannette 'Jenny' Summers - Me and Mom (1985) TV Series as Kate Morgan
- Monte Carlo (1986) (TV) as Maggie Egan
- Deadly Deception (1987) (TV) as Anne
- Never Say DieNever Say Die (1988 film)Never Say Die is a New Zealand action comedy starring Temuera Morrison and Lisa Eilbacher. It was written and directed by Geoff Murphy.-Plot:...
(1988) as Melissa Jones - Deadly Intent (1988) (V) as Laura Keaton
- Leviathan (1989) as Bridget Bowman
- Manhunt: Search for the Night Stalker (1989) (TV) as Anne Clark
- The Last Samurai (1990) as Susan
- Joshua's Heart (1990) (TV) as Kit
- Midnight CallerMidnight CallerMidnight Caller is a dramatic NBC television series created by Richard DiLello, which ran from 1988 to 1991. It was one of the first television series to address the dramatic possibilities of the then-growing phenomenon of talk radio...
(1988) TV Series as Nicky Molloy (1990–1991) - Blind Man's Bluff (1992) (TV) as Carolyn
- Live WireLive Wire (film)Live Wire is a 1992 action movie, written by Bart Baker, directed by Christian Duguay and starring Pierce Brosnan, Ron Silver, Ben Cross and Lisa Eilbacher....
(1992) as Terry O'Neill - Deadly Matrimony (1992) (TV) as Nina Sloane
- The Return of Hunter (1995) (TV) as Sally Vogel
- Dazzle (1995) (TV) as Fernanda Kilkullen
- 919 Fifth Avenue (2000) (TV) as Janet Van Degen