AN ACTOR CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE
By Jerry Saravia
Celebrities (actors, actresses, directors, etc.) are people first, celebrities second. I always thought of Jill Schoelen as a person first, not a movie star or an actress. To those who are unaware of who Jill Schoelen is, she is the star of films like "The Stepfather," "Popcorn," "Rich Girl," and "When a Stranger Calls Back," among other films. From my own experience, I guess it has to do with "The Stepfather," the first film where I first took notice of her. Her Stephanie Maine character in that film instilled confidence in me that I might meet someone special later in life, and of course I have - my darling, wonderfullest Dana who has been my better half since 2003. I first saw "The Stepfather" on late night TV in the fall of 1989, not long after graduating high school. In high school, I was a loner and never had much luck with women, and didn't try to. I can't explain it but Jill Schoelen's sweetness and rebelliousness in that film was hitting me like a flash of my future - that a woman like that could be in my future and take an interest in someone like me. She was like an angelic sister at my side, somehow directing me to where I am today. It may sound odd but that is what she did for me. Although Jill is not a friend of mine beyond facebook nor have I ever met her, I would thank her for giving me the confidence to communicate with women, without feeling agitated or nervous about it. I don't know where I would be had it not been for that late night in the fall of 1989...it was fate I suppose and it still took some work (I hardly became an overnight Lothario). Of course, I don't know where I would be without my Dana either. Jill Schoelen was the first step in making a difference in my life. Thank you Jill!
