P. J. Soles
Encyclopedia
P. J. Soles is an American film
and television
actress, known for her roles as Lynda van der Klok in Halloween
, Norma Watson in Carrie and Bill Murray
's military girlfriend Stella in Stripes
.
, Germany, to an American mother from New Jersey
and a Dutch father. 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.
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 was injured during the filming of Carrie, when a blast from a fire hose during the prom scene ruptured her eardrum. After Carrie, 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
.
Later that year she played one of the supporting roles in Halloween
(1978), as the final victim of the Michael Myers
character in the classic horror film
. John Carpenter
wanted her for his film Halloween after seeing Carrie. 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.
Soles had roles in two military comedies, 1980's Private Benjamin
and as Bill Murray
's romantic interest in 1981's Stripes
.
In 2005 Soles played the victim, Susan, of a family on a murderous rampage in the Rob Zombie
movie The Devil's Rejects
.
Soles was also in the science fiction movie Alienator with Jan Michael Vincent, a Terminator take off, produced by Jeffrey C. Hogue
, and directed by Fred Olen Ray
to work in TV and movies. She and Soles were divorced, but she decided to retain her name as P. J. Soles. She was later married to actor Dennis Quaid
from 1978 to early 1983. Her third marriage was to Skip Holm
, who was the stunt pilot on The Right Stuff (1983). They have a son named Skye (born in 1983) and a daughter named Ashley (born in 1988). She and Holm were divorced in 1998.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
actress, known for her roles as Lynda van der Klok in Halloween
Halloween (1978 film)
Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film directed, produced, and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with Debra Hill, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut and the first installment in the Halloween franchise. The film is set in the fictional midwestern...
, Norma Watson in Carrie and Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
's military girlfriend Stella in Stripes
Stripes (film)
Stripes is a 1981 American comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P. J. Soles, and John Candy. It also featured several actors in their first significant film roles, including John Larroquette, Sean Young, John Diehl, and Judge Reinhold. It was one...
.
Early life
Soles was born Pamela Jayne Hardon in FrankfurtFrankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Germany, to an American mother from New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and a Dutch father. At the time, her father was working for an international insurance company and the family moved all over the world. Soles lived in Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, and Maracaibo
Maracaibo
Maracaibo is a city and municipality located in northwestern Venezuela off the western coast of the Lake Maracaibo. It is the second-largest city in the country after the national capital Caracas and the capital of Zulia state...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, where she learned to speak fluent Spanish, and then Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium, where she went to high school at the International School of Brussels
International School of Brussels
The International School of Brussels is an English-language international school that provides an international education to over 1500 students aged 2 ½ to 19 from 62 countries. The secure campus lies in the Brussels commune of Watermael-Boitsfort, about 9 kilometres southeast of the city...
. When she was at Briarcliff College
Briarcliff College
Briarcliff College was a women's college located in the village of Briarcliff Manor in Westchester County, New York, near White Plains.Founded in the 1904, Briarcliff was a junior college until 1965, during the presidency of Charles E. Atkins, when it began awarding four-year Bachelor's degrees...
, she wanted to become the first woman ambassador to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. This career goal changed when she visited the Actors Studio
Actors Studio
The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street in the Clinton neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded October 5, 1947, by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford, Robert Lewis and Anna Sokolow who provided...
in New York City.
Career
Soles moved to ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and began acting in commercials and modeling for fashion magazines. She was among the hundreds of actors auditioning for Brian De Palma
Brian De Palma
Brian Russell De Palma is an American film director and writer. In a career spanning over 40 years, he is probably best known for his suspense and crime thriller films, including such box office successes as the horror film Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Scarface, The Untouchables, and Mission:...
and George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
in their joint casting session for Carrie (1976) and Star Wars
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
(1977). She was injured during the filming of Carrie, when a blast from a fire hose during the prom scene ruptured her eardrum. After Carrie, she went to Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
to film Our Winning Season
Our Winning Season
Our Winning Season is a 1978 film directed by Joseph Ruben from a screenplay by Nicholas Niciphor.-Plot:A high school senior aspires to become a track star.-Principal cast:...
(1978) and met actor Dennis Quaid
Dennis Quaid
Dennis William Quaid is an American actor known for his comedic and dramatic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the 1980s, his career rebounded in the 1990s after he overcame an addiction to drugs and an eating disorder...
. They were married in 1978 in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
on a dude ranch
Dude ranch
The guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agritourism.-History:...
.
Later that year she played one of the supporting roles in Halloween
Halloween (1978 film)
Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film directed, produced, and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with Debra Hill, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut and the first installment in the Halloween franchise. The film is set in the fictional midwestern...
(1978), as the final victim of the Michael Myers
Michael Myers (Halloween)
Michael Myers is a fictional character from the Halloween series of slasher films. He first appears in John Carpenter's Halloween as a young boy who murders his older sister, then fifteen years later returns home to murder more teenagers...
character in the classic horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
. John Carpenter
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
wanted her for his film Halloween after seeing Carrie. 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
Rock 'n' Roll High School
Rock 'n' Roll High School is a 1979 musical comedy film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Allan Arkush, and featuring the Ramones.The film starred P. J. Soles, Vince Van Patten, and Clint Howard...
(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.
Soles had roles in two military comedies, 1980's Private Benjamin
Private Benjamin
Private Benjamin is a 1980 American comedy film starring Goldie Hawn. The film was one of the biggest box office hits of 1980, and also spawned a short-lived television series. The film is ranked 82 on the American Film Institute's "100 Funniest Movies" poll, and 59 on Bravo's "100 Funniest...
and as Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
's romantic interest in 1981's Stripes
Stripes (film)
Stripes is a 1981 American comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P. J. Soles, and John Candy. It also featured several actors in their first significant film roles, including John Larroquette, Sean Young, John Diehl, and Judge Reinhold. It was one...
.
In 2005 Soles played the victim, Susan, of a family on a murderous rampage in the Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.Zombie has also established a career as a film director, creating the...
movie The Devil's Rejects
The Devil's Rejects
The Devil's Rejects is a 2005 American horror film written and directed by Rob Zombie, and the sequel to his 2003 film House of 1000 Corpses. The film is about the family of psychopathic killers from the previous film now on the run...
.
Soles was also in the science fiction movie Alienator with Jan Michael Vincent, a Terminator take off, produced by Jeffrey C. Hogue
Jeffrey C. Hogue
Jeffrey C. Hogue is the current president of Charles Atlas, Ltd. He also owns the rights to a number of films, as well as Majestic International Pictures, Inc.....
, and directed by Fred Olen Ray
Fred Olen Ray
Fred Olen Ray is an American director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and cinematographer.-Biography:He is the producer, director, and screenwriter of low to medium-budget feature films in many genres, including horror, science fiction, action/adventure, softcore sex films and crime dramas...
Personal life
She was married to J. Steven Soles during her years in New York, but then made the move to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to work in TV and movies. She and Soles were divorced, but she decided to retain her name as P. J. Soles. She was later married to actor Dennis Quaid
Dennis Quaid
Dennis William Quaid is an American actor known for his comedic and dramatic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the 1980s, his career rebounded in the 1990s after he overcame an addiction to drugs and an eating disorder...
from 1978 to early 1983. Her third marriage was to Skip Holm
Skip Holm
Skip James Holm is a retired pilot who lives on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada.Holm claims to hold the world record for combat flight hours: 1,172. He retired from the U.S. Air Force Reserve in 1992, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He logged his combat hours flying F-105s and F-4s in...
, who was the stunt pilot on The Right Stuff (1983). They have a son named Skye (born in 1983) and a daughter named Ashley (born in 1988). She and Holm were divorced in 1998.
Filmography
- Blood BathBlood BathBlood Bath is a 1966 horror film directed by Jack Hill and Stephanie Rothman. William Campbell stars as an artist with vampiric tendencies who kills beautiful women and dumps their bodies into a vat of boiling wax in his studio...
(1976) - Sport (1976)
- Carrie (1976) as Norma Watson
- The Boy in the Plastic BubbleThe Boy in the Plastic BubbleThe Boy in the Plastic Bubble is a 1976 made-for-TV movie inspired by the lives of David Vetter and Ted DeVita, who lacked effective immune systems. It stars John Travolta, Glynnis O'Connor, Diana Hyland, Robert Reed, and P.J. Soles...
(1976) as Deborah - The Possessed (1977) as Marty
- Alexander: The Other Side of DawnAlexander: The Other Side of DawnAlexander: The Other Side of Dawn was a NBC made-for-television movie, that was first telecast on May 16, 1977, and was directed by John Erman. It was a sequel to Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway, which came out the prior year,...
(1977) - Our Winning SeasonOur Winning SeasonOur Winning Season is a 1978 film directed by Joseph Ruben from a screenplay by Nicholas Niciphor.-Plot:A high school senior aspires to become a track star.-Principal cast:...
(1978) as Cindy Hawkins - Zuma Beach (1978) as Nancy
- HalloweenHalloween (1978 film)Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film directed, produced, and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with Debra Hill, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut and the first installment in the Halloween franchise. The film is set in the fictional midwestern...
(1978) as Lynda van der Klok - Old Boyfriends (1979) as Sandy
- Breaking AwayBreaking AwayBreaking Away is a 1979 American film. A coming of age story, it follows a group of four male teenagers in Bloomington, Indiana, who have recently graduated from high school. It stars Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern , Jackie Earle Haley, Barbara Barrie and Paul Dooley...
(1979) as Suzy - Rock 'n' Roll High SchoolRock 'n' Roll High SchoolRock 'n' Roll High School is a 1979 musical comedy film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Allan Arkush, and featuring the Ramones.The film starred P. J. Soles, Vince Van Patten, and Clint Howard...
(1979) as Riff Randell - Private BenjaminPrivate BenjaminPrivate Benjamin is a 1980 American comedy film starring Goldie Hawn. The film was one of the biggest box office hits of 1980, and also spawned a short-lived television series. The film is ranked 82 on the American Film Institute's "100 Funniest Movies" poll, and 59 on Bravo's "100 Funniest...
(1980) as Pvt. Wanda Winters - Soggy Bottom, USA (1981) as Sharlene
- StripesStripes (film)Stripes is a 1981 American comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P. J. Soles, and John Candy. It also featured several actors in their first significant film roles, including John Larroquette, Sean Young, John Diehl, and Judge Reinhold. It was one...
(1981) as Stella - The Awakening of Cassie (1982) as Cassie
- Sawyer and Finn (1983) as Becky Thatcher
- The Other WomanThe Other WomanThe Other Woman , is a 1995 made-for-TV movie that follows dying mother Tessa Bryan's attempts to gain the acceptance of her two young daughters Lara and Kate of her husband Michael's second wife Carolyn. To do so, she takes them on a trip across the country to their father's ranch...
(1983) as Mary Louise - Innocent Prey (1984) as Cathy Willis
- Listen to the City (1984) as Sophia
- Terror in the AislesTerror in the AislesTerror in the Aisles is a 1984 documentary film about horror films featuring clips from Friday the 13th I and/or II, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Halloween I and II, Jaws 1 and 2, Alien, John Carpenter's The Thing, The Shining and Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and The Birds. The film is hosted by...
- Sweet Dreams (1985) as Wanda
- B.O.R.N. (1988) as Liz
- Saigon Commandos (1988) Jean Lassiter
- AlienatorAlienatorAlienator is a 1989 science fiction/action/thriller, directed by filmmaker Fred Olen Ray—the producer, director, and screenwriter of over one hundred low to medium-budget feature films in many genres—and starring Jan-Michael Vincent, star of the CBS television series Airwolf. Alienator is among...
(1989) as Tara - Soldier's Fortune (1992) as Debra
- Shake, Rattle and Rock!Shake, Rattle and Rock!Shake Rattle and Rock! is a 1994 television movie starring Renée Zellweger, Howie Mandel and members of the Grammy-nominated R&B band For Real. The film was produced by Lou Arkoff Shake Rattle and Rock! is a 1994 television movie starring Renée Zellweger, Howie Mandel and members of the...
(1994) as Evelyn Randell - The Power WithinThe Power Within (1995)-Plot:Stan Dryer, an unsuccessful-at-life green-belt in karate teenager, is given an ancient ring by an old karate master whom Stan tried to save from impending doom....
(1995) as Mrs. Applegate - Out There (1995) as Religious Nut
- Little Bigfoot (1997) as Carolyn
- Uncle SamUncle Sam (film)Uncle Sam is a 1997 comedy-horror film directed by William Lustig. The film is about an extremely sadistic and patriotic American soldier named Sam Harper who is killed by friendly fire in Kuwait during Desert Storm. He is brought back to life on the Fourth of July, as THE Uncle Sam! He then...
(1997) as Madge Cronin - JawbreakerJawbreaker (film)Jawbreaker is an American black comedy satire film, directed by Darren Stein. It was released February 19, 1999. The film stars Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart, Julie Benz, and Judy Greer as girls in an exclusive clique in their high school. Charlotte Ayanna has a non-speaking cameo role as a...
(1999) as Mrs. Purr - Mirror, Mirror IV: Reflection (2000) as Annika's Mom
- Blast (2000) as Deputy
- KeptKeptKept is a reality television series that centered on Jerry Hall searching for a kept man. The show premiered on the American cable network VH1 in late May 2005. When Hall narrowed the list down to twelve, she spirited them off to London and eliminated them one by one.The final three consisted of...
(2001) as Celia - Pee Stains and Other DisastersPee Stains and Other DisastersPee Stains and Other Disasters is a 2005 comedy film about two best friends, Ben and Thomas, and a summer they'll never forget. The film was directed by Jon Carnoy and written by Mike Horelick.- Cast :*Michael Soll - Ben*Steele Justiss - Thomas...
(2005) as Jenny - The Devil's RejectsThe Devil's RejectsThe Devil's Rejects is a 2005 American horror film written and directed by Rob Zombie, and the sequel to his 2003 film House of 1000 Corpses. The film is about the family of psychopathic killers from the previous film now on the run...
(2005) as Susan - Murder on the Yellow Brick Road (2005) as Hannah Gruber
- Death by Engagement (2005) as Mrs. Starkington
- Dead Calling (2006) as Valerie Redmond
- Tooth Fairy (2006) as Mrs. MacDonald
- Ray of Sunshine (2006) as Mother
- No Place Like HomeNo Place Like HomeNo Place Like Home is the fifth studio album by Scottish band Big Country, released in 1991. . Its title derives from a quote in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which is referenced by the first track, "We're Not in Kansas"...
(2006) - Mil Mascaras vs. the Aztec Mummy (2007)
- The Kentucky Fried Horror Show (2008)
- Love in the Age of Fishsticks (2008) as God
- Prank (2008) as Marianne
- Alone in the Dark IIAlone in the Dark IIAlone in the Dark II also known as Alone in the Dark: Fate Of Existence is a 2008 horror film, starring Rick Yune, Rachel Specter and Lance Henriksen, directed by Peter Scheerer and Michael Roesch. It is a sequel to Uwe Boll's 2005 film Alone in the Dark.Alone in the Dark II was filmed in New York...
(2008) as Martha - Beg (2010) as Eva Fox
- The Butterfly Room (2010) as Lauren
- Bind (2011) as Carol (post-production)
- Eternal (2012) as Lucinda
Series
- Love is a Many Splendored Thing (1973)
- The Blue KnightThe Blue Knight (TV series)The Blue Knight was a CBS Crime TV series, running in 1975 and 1976, starring George Kennedy as Officer Bumper Morgan. The show was a based on a novel by author Joseph Wambaugh and produced by Lorimar Productions.- Plot :...
(1976) - CheersCheersCheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
(1984) - AirwolfAirwolfAirwolf is an American television series that ran from 1984 until 1987. The program centers on a high-tech military helicopter, code named Airwolf, and its crew as they undertake various missions, many involving espionage, with a Cold War theme....
(1984) - Simon & SimonSimon & SimonSimon & Simon is an American detective television series starring Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker.-History:The original 1978 pilot called Pirate's Key was set in Florida...
(1983–1984) - Hardcastle and McCormickHardcastle and McCormickHardcastle and McCormick is a 1980s action/drama television series from Stephen J. Cannell Productions, shown on ABC from 1983–1986, starring Brian Keith as Judge Milton C. Hardcastle and Daniel Hugh Kelly as ex-con and race car driver Mark "Skid" McCormick.The show's premise involves the...
(1985) - Knight Rider (1986)
Popular culture references
- Local HLocal HLocal H is an American rock duo, formed by Joe Daniels and Scott Lucas in Zion, Illinois in 1987. Local H's 1996 album, As Good as Dead, includes the top 10 hit "Bound for the Floor" Author, rock critic and Rolling Stone contributor Greg Kot and the Chicago Tribune named the band its 2008 Chicago...
's 2004 album is titled Whatever Happened to P.J. Soles?Whatever Happened to P.J. Soles?Whatever Happened to P.J. Soles is an album by the alternative rock band Local H. It was released on April 6, 2004 on Studio E Records. On July 16th, 2007 it received an Australian release doubled with Alive '05. "Hey Rita" and "California Songs" have become staples at many of Local H's live...
. Includes the song "P.J. Soles".