- P. J. Soles
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P. J. Soles
Soles at a celebrity autograph collector's convention in Burbank, CaliforniaBorn Pamela Jayne Hardon
July 17, 1950
Frankfurt, GermanyOccupation Actress Years active 1973–present Spouse Skip Holm (November 16, 1983-1998) (divorced) 2 children
Dennis Quaid (November 25, 1978-January 23, 1983) (divorced)
J. Steven Soles (1971-1975) (divorced)Website http://www.PJSoles.com/ P. J. Soles (born Pamela Jayne Hardon; July 17, 1950) 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.
Contents
Early life
Soles was born Pamela Jayne Hardon in Frankfurt, 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.
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 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.[1] 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
Personal life
She was married to J. Steven Soles during her years in New York, but then made the move to Los Angeles 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.
Filmography
- Blood Bath (1976)
- Sport (1976)
- Carrie (1976) as Norma Watson
- The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976) as Deborah
- The Possessed (1977) as Marty
- Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn (1977)
- Our Winning Season (1978) as Cindy Hawkins
- Zuma Beach (1978) as Nancy
- Halloween (1978) as Lynda van der Klok
- Old Boyfriends (1979) as Sandy
- Breaking Away (1979) as Suzy
- Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979) as Riff Randell
- Private Benjamin (1980) as Pvt. Wanda Winters
- Soggy Bottom, USA (1981) as Sharlene
- Stripes (1981) as Stella
- The Awakening of Cassie (1982) as Cassie
- Sawyer and Finn (1983) as Becky Thatcher
- The Other Woman (1983) as Mary Louise
- Innocent Prey (1984) as Cathy Willis
- Listen to the City (1984) as Sophia
- Terror in the Aisles
- Sweet Dreams (1985) as Wanda
- B.O.R.N. (1988) as Liz
- Saigon Commandos (1988) Jean Lassiter
- Alienator (1989) as Tara
- Soldier's Fortune (1992) as Debra
- Shake, Rattle and Rock! (1994) as Evelyn Randell
- The Power Within (1995) as Mrs. Applegate
- Out There (1995) as Religious Nut
- Little Bigfoot (1997) as Carolyn
- Uncle Sam (1997) as Madge Cronin
- Jawbreaker (1999) as Mrs. Purr
- Mirror, Mirror IV: Reflection (2000) as Annika's Mom
- Blast (2000) as Deputy
- Kept (2001) as Celia
- Pee Stains and Other Disasters (2005) as Jenny
- The Devil's Rejects (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 Home (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 II (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 Knight (1976)
- Cheers (1984)
- Airwolf (1984)
- Simon & Simon (1983–1984)
- Hardcastle and McCormick (1985)
- Knight Rider (1986)
Popular culture references
- Local H's 2004 album is titled Whatever Happened to P.J. Soles?. Includes the song "P.J. Soles".
References
External links
Categories:- 1950 births
- Actors Studio alumni
- American film actors
- American television actors
- American people of Dutch descent
- Living people
- People from Frankfurt
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