Jody Jaress

Last updated
Jody Jaress
Born
JoEllen Schafer

Ottawa, Illinois
Other namesJody Schafer
JE Jaress
JoEllen Jaress
Jody Jaress
Occupation(s)Actress, singer, director, writer
Years active1960s–present
Notable workInducted as Jazz & Blues Living Legend 2015 (LA)
Children2

Jody Jaress is an American actress, director, writer and jazz and blues singer in the Los Angeles, California area. She began studying acting, singing, and dancing in the mid 1950s.

Contents

Background

Jaress was born in Ottawa, Illinois, [1] and is the eldest daughter of realtor, John William "Bill" Schafer (1923–2017) from Marion, Illinois [2] and Freda Ellen Jones Schafer (1921–2005), formerly of Johnston City, Illinois, who was a member of the Business and Professional Women's Association in Southern California. [3] Jaress has two children, a son, JC Jaress (married to Anastasia King Jaress), and a daughter, Michele Lea Jaress (1967-1998). She divorced Michael F. Jaress, the father of her two children, in 1975. [4]

Early Days In Acting

Jaress began her entertainment career at a very young age (1950s) in Michigan and has made appearances on stage, film, television and radio. Early in her acting endeavors, she received acclaim at the Will-O-Way Apprentice Theatre (Michigan) for her Command Performance as Kate in "Taming of the Shrew" requested by Sir Basil Rathbone, (the original Sherlock Holmes (1939-1944). Jaress sang, danced, and recited verse as a guest on local television (After Hours) WXYZ-TV, Bill Kennedy's Showtime, The Auntie Dee Show, CKLW-TV and several radio stations in Detroit and Canada (1955–1960).

Divorce Court (1957) was an early reenactment television series filmed in Michigan, where Jaress played the very young child of an estranged couple. In the early 1960s Jaress joined the American Guild of Variety Artists as a singer/dancer, and by 1970 she had been accepted into the Screen Actors Guild. By 1979 Jaress had many legitimate stage performances in her repertoire like, Peter Pan , Stage Door , Of Mice And Men , then performing as a roller skater, she began her film career in Skatetown, USA , starring Patrick Swayze in his feature film debut. Also in 1979, she had a small role as a dancer in the film Love at First Bite starring George Hamilton. [5] This movie was shot in Los Angeles. Her first adult acting credit was in a feature film (also in 1979) as Rhea, directed and written by Richard Gardner, called The Hunting Season [6] which began as The Bigot and then re-released as a limited edition on DVD/Blu-ray in 1987 by Troma Entertainment and Vinegar Syndrome as Deadly Daphne's Revenge with James Avery from the television series, The Fresh Prince of Bel-air playing a small role as a detective. In the new DVD/Blu-ray release, there is an additional perk called Answering the Call [7] where Jaress gives an interview about director/writer Gardner and the filming of The Hunting Season. Crisis Counselor (1982) was a reality based reenactment television series, which starred Jaress as Julie in the episode: Breast Cancer. Gaining career momentum, Jaress appeared as Jane in director/writer Joseph Merhi's feature film, Fresh Kill with Robert Z'Dar. Jaress did some work as a stand-in for Karen Black in the remake of Invaders from Mars (1986), and the same stand-in work for all the lead actresses who guest starred on Michael Nesmith's late night music video television series titled "Television Parts" CBS.

Acting Through Millennium

Starting in 2001, Independent short films became popular as well as Ms Jaress who starred in many over several years. In 2005, she appeared in the David Gaz directed feature film Diamond Zero that starred Tippi Hedren and Bronson Pinchot . [8] Continuing in 2005, she starred in The Guest written and directed by (as Julia Inez Gandelsonas) Julia A.G. Storm.[ citation needed ] In 2008 she garnered top five credit listing, playing Rhea in the award-winning feature film, Chain Link, directed and written by Dylan Reynolds. [9] [10] Also that same year she co-starred as Ruby in the TV series, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles in Self Made Man Season II, episode 11. [11]

In 2014, she was given top five billing as Agnes in the Stanley Yung directed horror film, 2 Bedroom 1 Bath that starred Andrew W. Walker, Michele Hicks, Eric Roberts and Dee Wallace. [12] Also in the same year, she appeared in the Diane Cornell directed short See Me which also starred Tina Cole. [13] [14]

In 2015 she starred in the Dawn Fields directed Fragile Storm , an award-winning short film that also starred Lance Henriksen and Mackenzie Mason. [15] A short film titled, Duke (2016) Jaress stars alongside of actress, Spice Williams-Crosby, directed by Anthony De Longis (actor, stunt master, director/writer) [ citation needed ] and co-written and produced by Gregory Crosby producer, Hacksaw Ridge directed by Mel Gibson 2016.

Other Work In Film

She directed and wrote the psychological screenplay, Traces of Memory, [16] a short film that won eight awards from eleven film festivals [ citation needed ] Maray Ayres and Sara Ballantine, were the lead actors, with Daniela Torchia in a featured role with Jody appearing in a cameo. It was produced by Hal Alpert, Rick Honstrater and co-produced by Robert Amico [17] [18] [19] It was Jaress's directorial film debut garnering her honors as a new director.

Music

Jaress is a singer in the blues and jazz genres. She has opened for artists that include Louis Armstrong, Harry Belafonte, Dinah Shore, and Janet Blair. She has also shared dual billing with multi-Grammy winner, Bili Redd Thedford. [20]

For her years of performing and contribution to the jazz and blues community, on April 30, 2015, Jaress was named as a "Jazz and Blues Living Legend" and Inducted into the foundation by the Duke Ellington Society of L.A., the Living Legend Foundation, JaZzabration, NAACP Beverly Hills and Hollywood, and by the City of Los Angeles as an official event to celebrate "International Jazz Day" created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO), and held annually since 2011, around the globe in more than 196 countries to date. [21] For four years she performed a monthly gig with her friend and smooth jazz/pop singer, Linda A. as "Just Us... Jody & Linda" and musical friends. [22]

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freda Payne</span> American singer and actress

Freda Charcilia Payne is an American singer and actress. Payne is best known for her career in music during the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s. Her most notable record is her 1970 hit single "Band of Gold". Payne was also an actress in musicals and film, as well as the host of a TV talk show. Payne is the older sister of Scherrie Payne, a former singer with the American vocal group the Supremes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daphne Zuniga</span> American actress (born 1962)

Daphne Eurydice Zuniga is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1982 slasher film The Dorm That Dripped Blood (1982) at the age of 19, followed by a lead role in another slasher film The Initiation (1984) two years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Fields</span> American actress and television director

Kim Victoria Fields-Morgan is an American actress and director. She first gained fame as a child actress on the television series Good Times (1978–1979), and rose to greater prominence for her role as Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey in the NBC sitcom Diff'rent Strokes (1979–1981), as well as its spin-off The Facts of Life (1979–1988).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julie London</span> American actress and singer (1926–2000)

Julie London was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A torch singer noted for her sultry, languid contralto vocals, London recorded over thirty albums of pop and jazz standards between 1955 and 1969. Her recording of "Cry Me a River", a track she introduced on her debut album, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. In addition to her musical notice, London was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1974 for her portrayal of nurse Dixie McCall in the television series Emergency!.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debbie Allen</span> American actress (born 1950)

Deborah Kaye Allen is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer-songwriter, director, producer, and a former member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She has been nominated 20 times for an Emmy Award, two Tony Awards, and has also won a Golden Globe Award and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesley Ann Warren</span> American singer-actress

Lesley Ann Warren is an American actress and singer. She made her Broadway debut, aged 17, in 110 in the Shade in 1963, then received wide recognition in the title role of the 1965 television musical Cinderella. She subsequently had starring roles in the Disney musical films The Happiest Millionaire (1967) and The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968), both opposite John Davidson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jody Watley</span> American singer

Jody Vanessa Watley is an American singer whose music crosses genres including pop, R&B, jazz, dance and electronic soul. During the late 1970s and early 1980s she was a member of the R&B/funk band Shalamar, who scored many hits, notably so in the UK. In 1988, she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist and has been nominated for three Grammy awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Jenkins</span> Canadian actress and singer

Rebecca Jenkins is a Canadian actress and singer.

Helen Shaver is a Canadian actress and film and television director. After appearing in a number of Canadian movies, she received a Canadian Screen Award for Best Actress for her performance in the romantic drama In Praise of Older Women (1978). She later appeared in the films The Amityville Horror (1979), The Osterman Weekend (1983), Desert Hearts (1985), The Color of Money (1986), The Believers (1987), The Craft (1996),Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1996) and Down River (2013). She received another Canadian Screen Award for Best Actress nomination for the 1986 drama film Lost!, and won a Best Supporting Actress for We All Fall Down (2000). Shaver also starred in some short-lived television series, including United States (1980) and Jessica Novak (1981), and from 1996 to 1999 starred in the Showtime horror series, Poltergeist: The Legacy, for which she received a Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitzi Gaynor</span> American actress (born 1931)

Mitzi Gaynor is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Her notable films include We're Not Married! (1952), There's No Business Like Show Business (1954), The Birds and the Bees (1956), and South Pacific (1958) – for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical at the 1959 awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbey Lincoln</span> American musician (1930–2010)

Anna Marie Wooldridge, known professionally as Abbey Lincoln, was an American jazz vocalist and songwriter. She was a civil rights activist beginning in the 1960s. Lincoln made a career out of delivering deeply felt presentations of standards as well as writing and singing her own material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maureen O'Brien</span> English actress (b. 1943)

Maureen O'Brien is an English actress and author best known for playing the role of Vicki in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, although she has appeared in many other television programmes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christina Pickles</span> British-American actress (born 1935)

Christina Pickles is a British actress. She is known for her role as Nurse Helen Rosenthal in the NBC medical drama St. Elsewhere (1982–1988), for which she received five nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She is also known for her recurring role as Judy Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, for which she was nominated for the 1995 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Santley</span> Hollywood director and screenwriter

Joseph Mansfield Santley was an American actor, singer, dancer, writer, director, and producer of musical theatrical plays motion pictures and television shows. He adopted the stage name of his stepfather, actor Eugene Santley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Cauffiel</span> American actress and singer

Jessica Cauffiel is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Margot in Legally Blonde (2001) and Tori in White Chicks (2004). She is also known for her roles in the slasher films Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000) and Valentine (2001), as Sandra and Lily, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warwick Thornton</span> Australian film director

Warwick Thornton is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and cinematographer. His debut feature film Samson and Delilah won the Caméra d'Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and the award for Best Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. He also won the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Film in 2017 for Sweet Country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's Image Network Awards</span> American award ceremony

Women's Image Network (WIN) is a charity that produces The Women's Image Awards, "Advancing a gender-balanced world and increasing the value of women and girls by celebrating outstanding film and television." The awards show is produced during the Hollywood awards season to promote deserving media and drive attention to feature films also contending for Golden Globe and Academy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Kent</span> Australian actress, writer, and director (born 1969)

Jennifer Kent is an Australian director, screenwriter, and former actress. She is best known for writing and directing the psychological horror film The Babadook (2014). Her second film, The Nightingale (2018), premiered at the 75th Venice International Film Festival and was nominated for the Golden Lion.

Dawn Fields is a Los Angeles based film producer, director and writer who has worked in the film and television industry since the 1990s. In 2015/2016, her short film Fragile Storm, starring Lance Henriksen, Mackenzie Mason, and Jody Jaress, garnered numerous film festival awards. She is currently in development as the writer/director/producer of the Christmas horror/fantasy Zombie Elves and is also the writer/director/producer of the multi-award winningshort film FOUND and the romantic dramedy Touch. Before making the transition to writer/director, Fields worked as a producer, editor, assistant director, production manager and production assistant for such companies as Lucasfilm, Tristar, Twentieth Century Fox, Bret Ratner's Rat Productions, Orion, Lorimar, Morgan Creek, ABC, NBC/Universal and Aaron Spelling Productions. In the beginning of her career she worked on such notable projects as The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Love Potion No. 9, Wilder Napalm, Free-Jack and Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story .

Maray Ayres is a Californian actress who has acted in television and film since the mid-1960s. In 2014, she acted in and helped produce the award winning short film Traces of Memory directed by Jody Jaress. She is widely considered one of her generation's most enduring character actresses. She is best known for her performances in various independent films, such as the family drama Poe, the tense relationship drama Lost Lives and her spirited performance in the desert-set thriller Traces of Memory.

References

  1. ↑ "Watch Jody Jaress movies - MediaBang". Media Bang. Archived from the original on 2016-05-13.
  2. ↑ "The Southern Illinoisan" Feb 10, 2017
  3. ↑ The Southern Illinoisan Jun 24, 2006 News, Freda Ellen Jones Schafer
  4. ↑ Celebrity photos, biographies and more Jody Jaress
  5. ↑ Dracula in Visual Media By John Edgar Browning, Caroline Joan (Kay) Picart Page 114 - 115 Love at First Bite
  6. ↑ "Deadly Daphne's Revenge".,
  7. ↑ "Deadly Daphne's Revenge".
  8. ↑ Six Degrees Kevin Bacon: The Complete Guide to the Movie Trivia Game By Jeff Milne 2005 Diamond Zero
  9. ↑ Rotten Tomatoes Chain Link (2008), Cast
  10. ↑ The Hollywood Reporter, Volumes 400-401 PAge 21
  11. ↑ Scifi-Movies Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles 20 - Erreur temporelle Archived 2016-09-23 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ Mymovies.it Cast 2 Bedroom 1 Bath
  13. ↑ Ventura County Star May 19, 2014 Former 'My Three Sons' actress to star in film to be shot in Simi Valley about burn victims
  14. ↑ BroadwayWorld.com May 9, 2014 THE FOUR KING COUSINS Release Heartfelt Mother's Day Salute -= By Music News Desk
  15. ↑ Hollywood Film Festival Fragile Storm Archived 2016-10-22 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ↑ "Psychological Drama".
  17. ↑ "Psychological Drama".
  18. ↑ Kensington Gore Publishing Ann Wuehler Author Bio Archived 2016-06-29 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ↑ Wherevent.com TRACES OF MEMORY - Screening the short film by Jody Jaress
  20. ↑ Press Party April 2015 Jazz and Blues Singer Jody Jaress Named A 2015 Jazz Living Legend Honoree
  21. ↑ 24-7Pressrelease.com April 12, 2015 Jazz and Blues Singer Jody Jaress Named A 2015 Jazz Living Legend Honoree
  22. ↑ LA Weekly Events, Jody Jaress & Linda A. Time: 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. second Sat. of every month
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.