Michael Schoeffling started his acting career playing Jake Ryan in the 1980s romantic comedy Sixteen Candles. Needless to say, the movie skyrocketed his career and made him a hotshot in Hollywood. But if anything, Schoeffling’s career was short-lived. He called it quits after 7 years in the industry.
During his time, he was featured in 11 movies, including one unaccredited role. Additionally, Schoeffling simply dropped off the face of the earth. His brief career left fans with more questions than answers. To provide some closure, here are 10 things you didn’t know about Michael Schoeffling.
10. He Wasn’t Sure What To Do After College
The star attended Temple University in Pennsylvania, where he majored in Liberal Arts. After graduating from college, Schoeffling wasn’t sure of what to do next. So he spent about two and a half years traveling around Europe before he eventually joined GQ as a model.
9. Modeling Changed His Life
Becoming a model was a pivotal decision in Schoeffling’s life. In fact, it was during this time that he met his wife, a fellow model, Valerie Robinson. He also had the opportunity to travel the world and meet with casting directors. That’s not all, he also enrolled in acting classes at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in Manhattan, which was paid for by photographer Bruce Weber.
8. He Didn’t Get Great Roles After Sixteen Candles
Schoeffling’s debut in Hollywood is what many actors could only dream of. Freshly out of college, the young model-turned actor-landed a major role in the movie Sixteen Candles. Surprisingly, he didn’t land any roles after that. In fact, most movies he starred in after Sixteen Candles would hardly qualify as a success. That probably played a role in his decision to quit acting.
7. He Has A Daughter Who’s Following In His Footsteps
Schoeffling got married to former model Valerie Robinson, and together they have two children. While very little is known about Zane Schoeffling, Scarlett Schoeffling happens to be following in her father’s footsteps. The young model/actor has already made significant progress in both industries. She has appeared in the TV series Billions and, more recently, in Blackjack: The Jackie Ryan story.
6. He Had To Take On Woodworking To Make Ends Meet
Besides acting, Schoeffling had to find other ways to make ends meet. His background in modeling meant he had something to turn to whenever he wasn’t on set. Along with that, he also began learning woodwork which he completely fell in love with after he quit acting. His new family also played a role in this decision.
5. He Believes Woodworking Is Better Than Acting
Actors retire for good to pursue other passions, that’s not unusual. But what’s unusual is leaving acting for woodworking. That’s what makes the case of Michael Schoeffling an interesting one. At age 31, Schoeffling decided that woodworking was a better use of his time than acting.
He says, “Actors spend most of their time out of work, so I spend more time making furniture. The thing about furniture that’s much better than acting is that it’s just me. There’s no director, no script – the concept is me unless a client wants something.”
4. Michael Schoeffling Nearly Lost His Major Role To Viggo Mortensen
When auditioning for the role of Jake Ryan, Schoeffling was up against Viggo Mortensen. His co-actor, Molly Ringwald, actually wanted Mortensen to land the role saying, “He made me weak in the knees. He really did.” But Jackie Burch had a different opinion. According to her, Mortensen wasn’t right for the role.
3. Michael Schoeffling Is Really Good At Keeping A Low Profile
“Where is Michael Schoeffling?” is a common entry on Google searches. It’s almost as if the former actor fell off the face of the earth. Also, there’s no way to actually know what he looks like at the moment, so identifying him in public may pose a challenge. The only identifiable pictures of Schoeffling are from his younger days, but the actor is presently over 60.
2. He Was Shy When He Auditioned For The Role of Jack Ryan
The central character on Sixteen Candles, Jake Ryan, captured the hearts of so many in the 1980s. In fact, the name Jake Ryan became associated with “the perfect boyfriend”. But when auditioning for the role, Schoeffling came off as a bit shy, according to the casting director Jackie Burch.
“Michael Schoeffling [“Jake Ryan”] was a model and brand new, but he had a lot more depth and sweetness than most pretty boys have. The producers said he was too low-key at first, but I told them he had dental work, and that’s why he was low-key – they ended up trusting me, and he got the part.”, she said in an interview.
1. He Was An Accomplished Wrestler
Schoeffling was a member of the wrestling team from high school through to college. He took part in several wrestling tournaments both at the national and international levels. The star was also a member of the US Jr. wrestling team and won a gold medal at the European Wrestling Championship held in Munich, Germany, in 1978. In fact, his wrestling skills might have earned him the role of Kuch in the movie Vision Quest.