List of Jem characters

The list of characters from the animated television series "Jem."

The Holograms

Jem ("Lead vocals") — Jem is the leader of the Holograms and the most popular singer of her day. She is the alter-ego of Jerrica Benton, owner of Starlight Music. Jerrica also runs Starlight House, a home for foster girls. Using the power of Synergy, an incredibly powerful holographic computer with extremely advanced audio/visual synthesizer technology, Jerrica can become Jem by touching her special star-shaped earrings (the "Jemstar earrings") while saying "Showtime, Synergy" (Jem changes back to Jerrica by saying "show's over, Synergy"). A primary storyline of the series involves her hiding her identity from others, especially Rio Pacheco, who loves both Jem and Jerrica. The character was voiced by Samantha Newark and her singing voice was recorded by Britta Phillips.

Kimber Benton ("keyboards", "synthesizers" and "Backup vocals") — Kimber is Jerrica's younger sister. She is the primary songwriter of the Holograms. Episodes in which Kimber is the main focus often involve romance and rebellion. Kimber, more than once, has been shown to be a little jealous of all the media attention that Jem gets. Kimber is also a hopeless romantic, who seems to fall in love at the drop of a hat. The character was voiced by Cathianne Blore.

Aja Leith ("Lead Guitarist" and "Backup vocals") — Aja is an Asian-American foster girl who grew up with the other Holograms at Starlight House. She was the first one adopted by Jacqui and Emmett Benton, Jerrica & Kimber's parents. Naturally handy and a sports fan, Aja is cool and level headed. She is the girlfriend of Craig Phillips, the brother of the Misfit's keytarist, Stormer. Aja is almost always the driver of the Rockin' Roadster. The character was voiced by Cathianne Blore.

Shana Elmsford ("Synth Drums", "Bass Guitarist" and "Backup vocals") — Shana is an African-American foster girl who grew up with Kimber, Jerrica and Aja at Starlight House. Despite her shy demeanor she eventually became good friends with the other girls. She designs many of the Holograms' costumes and even left the band for a short time, wrongly assuming the others wanted her out of the band for good, to pursue a career in fashion as a designer for actress Liz Stratton. However, when Stratton's unreasonable demands and egotistical behavior became too much for Shana to take, she walked off the job and returned to the band, where she learned that the girls never wanted her out, they just wanted to see her fulfill her dream of being a professional designer. She switched to playing the bass guitar with Raya taking over on drums. The character was voiced by Cindy McGee.

Carmen 'Raya' Alonso ("Synth Drums and Backup Vocals") — Raya is the talented Hispanic-American drummer of the Holograms. Quiet, kind and unassuming, Raya won the position of drummer for the Holograms during a nationwide talent search, beating close competitor Craig Phillips (Stormer's Brother) in a drum duel. Raya is the only member of the Holograms who comes from a traditional family. The character was voiced by Linda Dangcil.

The Misfits

Phyllis 'Pizzazz' Gabor ("Lead Vocals" and "Guitarist") — Pizzazz is an archetypal spoiled rich girl. Abandoned by her mother when she was a child, Pizzazz was raised by her tycoon father and given almost anything her heart desired. She is the primary antagonist on the show, constantly trying to upstage Jem and the Holograms. She has been shown to be attracted to Rio (Jem/Jerrica's paramour), Sean Harrison (British teen idol and Kimber's on-and-off boyfriend), and Riot (of The Stingers). She despises her real name "Phyllis" and is prone to fits of rage if things don't go her way. The character was voiced by Patricia Alice Albrecht and her singing voice was recorded by Ellen Bernfield.

Roxanne 'Roxy' Pellegrini ("Bassist" and "Backup vocals") — Roxy is the Misfits' tough-as-nails bassist. A high school dropout, she was almost completely illiterate until one of the Starlight girls, Ba Nee, gave her a kid's book to learn to read. She takes an instant dislike to new Misfit Jetta, and the two are often at odds with each other. The character was voiced by Bobbi Block (now known as Samantha Paris).

Mary 'Stormer' Phillips ("Keytarist" and "Backup vocals") — Stormer is the primary songwriter of the Misfits and overall creative force behind the group (though she is almost never given credit for it). She is a world-renowned guitarist and expert Keytar player. She is sweet-natured and compassionate, and often pushed around by the other Misfits. She and Kimber forge a friendship when both women, feeling unappreciated by their bandmates, strike out on their own, join forces, and record an album together. Though Stormer eventually returns to The Misfits (and Kimber to The Holograms), she does so with new-found self-assurance, and remains friends with Kimber. Stormer's underdog demeanor and gracious attitude has made her one of the best-loved characters in the series. The character was voiced by Susan Blu.

Sheila 'Jetta' Burns ("Saxophone" and "Backup vocals") — Jetta became the newest Misfit when Stormer suddenly heard music, particularly a "powerful" saxophone, blaring in a seedy dance club. Jetta, a conceited, pathological liar, is originally from Hull, England and comes from a poor family; despite this, she likes telling people her family has close ties with British Royalty. She is also a skilled pickpocket. Extremely perceptive and stuck-up, she almost immediately begins a rivalry with Roxy. The character was voiced by Louise Dorsey.

Eric Raymond — Eric is the main villain in the series, a greedy and manipulative music executive who was running Starlight Music at the time of Emmett Benton's death. Shortly afterwards, his main focus was to gain back full control of the company, half of which was left to him, and the other half left to Jerrica. Eric is not a member of the Misfits but created the group in an attempt to oust Jerrica. Afterwards, he runs Misfits Music (with Pizzazz's father's money) which is later renamed Stingers Sound when he signs new band The Stingers. Handsome and extremely devious, he is a very smart and savvy (albeit dishonest) business man and will resort to almost anything to sabotage Jem and the Holograms; from fraud, to hiring goons to do the really dirty work, to passing out wads of cash to total strangers on the condition they use the funds to purchase Misfit albums. He also longs to know Jem's true identity, even going so far as to offer new Hologram Raya a music contract if she reveals to him Jem's secret. The character was voiced by Charlie Adler.

The Stingers

A new band introduced in season 3.

Riot/Rory Llewelyn ("Lead vocals") — Riot grew up in a strict household with his mother and army officer father who tried to force his values onto him. To escape his father's stronghold, Riot joined the army but went AWOL in Germany where he met Minx. Rapture soon joined and The Stingers were born. Riot is charming but aloof and arrogant. He is confident with his looks, believing he is the perfect man. He commands respect and demands devotion from his bandmates and fans. He is aware of the power he has over people and uses it to get what he wants. Riot's romantic interest in the show is Jem - he believes she is the perfect woman for him and pursues her relentlessly. His relationship with his father was deeply strained over the years, but due to his mother's temporary illness and the efforts of Jem to reconcile them in the episode, "Riot's Hope", their relationship has greatly improved. The character was voiced by Townsend Coleman and his singing voice was recorded by Gordon Grody.

Rapture/Phoebe Ashe ("Guitarist" and "Backup vocals") Rapture is a con-artist and uses her interest in the occult to trick people out of money. She enjoys making fools out of people for her own entertainment and will quickly discard them once she has had her fill of fun. Rapture is arrogant and self-centered but will take orders from Riot on a business level - she knows all too well that his charm and charisma will take him places where she wants to go too. She has no romantic interest on the show. The character was voiced by Ellen Gerstell.

Minx/Ingrid Krueger ("synthesizers" and "Backup vocals") Like the other members of The Stingers, Minx is arrogant and only interested in herself, but will take orders and advice from the charismatic Riot, as she knows he is a man with a future and she wants to be there when it happens. She is cunning and manipulative, and prides herself on being able to have her pick of men, only to toss them away once she gets bored, which happens with alarming regularity. Minx is also very technologically-minded and can work wonders with any computer or synthesizer. The only character in the show that she shows any genuine affiliation towards is Techrat, due to his similar interest in computers. Her romantic interest in the show is Rio, whom she teases and flirts with despite his constant rejections. She sees him as a challenge because she can usually have any man she wants. The character was voiced by Kath Soucie and her singing voice was recorded by Vicki Sue Robinson.

Additional characters

Synergy - An extraordinarily sophisticated holographic computer designed to be the ultimate audio/visual entertainment synthesizer. Synergy was created by Emmett Benton, and is in many ways considered to be his life's work. Synergy can generate holographic images that are extremely lifelike and convincing, apart from the fact that they aren't solid. Synergy's artificial intelligence, appearance and voice are all based on the likeness of Emmett's late wife, Jacqui, as he intended her to be a surrogate mentor, friend and mother figure to Jerrica and Kimber and not just a simple computer. She manifests herself physically as a hologram in the form of a light purple-skinned woman with dark purple hair and eyes. The character was voiced by Marlene Aragorn.

Rio Pacheco - Jerrica's long-time childhood friend and boyfriend, who plays a Mal Evans-like role as a road manager and engineer for the Holograms. He loves Jerrica, but has a crush on Jem. Rio has issues with secrecy, anger and lying which are never fully explained, but it is those issues which make Jerrica reluctant to reveal her masquerade to her long-time boyfriend for fear that he will feel betrayed and made a fool. The character was voiced by Michael Sheehan.

Techrat - This odd technical genius has a profound dislike of being touched and relates better to technology than other human beings, the only exception is the techno-savvy Minx, who he seems to be sweet on. He was Eric's secret weapon to invent various gadgets that could be used against Jem and the Holograms. The character was voiced by Charles Adler.

Zipper - A not-too-bright henchman of Eric's. He was responsible for burning the original Starlight house. The character was voiced by Charles Adler.

Vivien "Video" Montgomery - A talented young filmmaker who makes and produces The Holograms music videos. She is Clash's cousin. The character was voiced by Noelle North.

Constance "Clash" Montgomery - The Misfits' groupie/biggest fan/hench person, she gets her nickname due to the miniature cymbals she wears around her wrists to get attention. She is a master of disguise and usually does undercover work for The Misfits. She is Video's cousin. The character was voiced by Cathy Cavadini.

Mrs. Bailey - The housemother at Starlight Houses. The character was voiced by Marlene Aragorn.

Lindsay Pierce/Lin-Z - The popular host of Lin-Z TV, a music video/news/talk show which regularly features the Holograms and Misfits videos. While Lindsay is usually impartial to the rivalry between the two groups while on the air, she is a good friend and ally to Jem, and maintains a grudge against Pizzazz for disrupting her show with her usual antics. The character was voiced by Susan Blu.

Giselle "Danse" Dvorak - A gifted dancer and choreographer, who is a friend and constant collaborator with the Holograms. She also does charity work and volunteers at "Haven House", a home for troubled teens. She relates to the teens in that she was raised in a foster home shortly after her mother disappeared. In one episode, "Homeland, Heartland", Danse travels to Zagreb with the Holograms to search for her missing mother and meets her long-missing father at last. Along the way, she finds out that her mother's dance teacher, Victor Krosach, was obsessed with her and went to extreme measures to drive her parents apart. Upon meeting Danse, Krosach becomes obsessed with her as well, for she strongly resembles her mother. The character was voiced by Desirée Goyette

Craig Phillips - Stormer's older brother, a drummer who tried to audition for the Holograms to be closer to his crush, Aja, but lost the spot to Raya. The day the winner of the competition was to be announced, Raya went to Eric Raymond for help when her parent's plant nursery was ransacked by thugs, who were paid by Jetta with Eric's money as a pressure tactic to force Raya into confessing Jem's secret identity. As she was struggling with the decision to do so, she noticed Jetta wearing a stolen orchid from the nursery in her hair. Infuriated, she physically attacked Jetta and berated Eric and the Misfits for their ruthlessness. She then stormed out of the office, vowing she would never reveal Jem's secret to the likes of them. Unbeknownst to Raya, Craig had heard the whole exchange and forced Eric to pay restitution to Raya's family for the damage the thugs caused. To this day, Raya is unaware Craig did this for her. Later on, he backed out of the competition as so not to endanger the Holograms: He did not want to be used to hurt them, especially with Eric pressuring him to learn Jem's true identity. Raya was worried about winning by default, feeling she would not have rightfully earned the place in the band, but Craig quickly reassured her of her talent and was confident she would be win, even if he hadn't withdrawn from the contest. Sure enough when the votes came in seconds later, Raya was the undisputed winner.

Harvey Gabor - Pizzazz's rich father who gives his daughter whatever she wants every time she whines for it. Rarely does he ever take his daughter in hand and make her take responsibility for her actions, although he has taken her to task on some occasions.

Howard Sands - One of Hollywood's foremost producers, and a close friend of Jem. Sands sweetens the rivalry between Jem and the Holograms and the Misfits by offering a movie contract and a mansion to the winner of the contest to become the most popular musical act in the country. Even-tempered and firm on fair-play, he does his best not to favor either band. However, when the Starlight House burns down and Jerrica appeals to him for a place to house her foster girls, he bends the rules enough to allow the Starlight Girls to stay in the mansion that is part of the prize. After that, he continues to try maintaining impartiality, but he soon he treats Jem and the Holograms as his preferred winners. He introduces them to Countess Danielle DuVoisin. There appears to be more than professional interest between him and the Countess. The character was voiced by Neil Ross.

Danielle DuVoisin - A very wealthy countess and close, personal friend of producer Howard Sands. The lively, sophisticated French fashion designer frequently takes young designers such as Shana Elmsford and Regine Cesaire under her wing. The character was voiced by Marlene Aragorn.

Anthony Julian - One of the industry's most talented directors. He and Shana quickly develop a romantic relationship. He supports Shana in her sideline of fashion design, and when he is put in charge of a mini-series and the original designer is fired by star/producer Liz Stratton, Anthony brings Shana in to meet Stratton, earning her the empty position. But after Shana quits the project due to Stratton's inflated ego, he remains at Shana's side and helps to bring her back into the Holograms. The character was voiced by T.K. Carter.

The Starlight Girls

The Starlight Girls - The name given to the foster girls Jerrica and the Holograms care for. There are twelve foster girls. They include Anne, Ashley, Ba Nee, Becky, Deirdre, Delaree, JoEllen, Krissie, Lela, Marianne, Nancy and Terri. While all the girls have appeared in certain episodes of the series, Ashley, Ba Nee, Krissie and Deidre have been seen the most often and were even made into dolls. Terri was featured in the episode "Trick or Techrat", which proved to be a signature episode for the character.

See also

*Jem