Michael Schoeffling

Michael Earl Schoeffling (born December 10, 1960) is an American former actor and model, known for playing the role of Jake Ryan in Sixteen Candles, Al Carver in Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, Kuch in Vision Quest, and Joe in Mermaids.[1]

Michael Schoeffling
Born
Michael Earl Schoeffling

(1960-12-10) December 10, 1960
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
OccupationActor
Years active1984–1991

Early life and education

Schoeffling was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and raised in South Jersey. He graduated from Cherokee High School in New Jersey, and majored in Liberal Arts at Temple University in Philadelphia. In the mid-1980s he began modeling for GQ,[1] and photographer Bruce Weber paid for his acting classes at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in Manhattan.[1]

Acting career

Schoeffling came to international prominence at the age of 23 for his role as Jake Ryan, the popular yet sensitive high school athlete on whom Molly Ringwald's character has a crush in the teen film Sixteen Candles. For Valentine's Day in 2004, twenty years after the film's American premiere, the Washington Post ran an article entitled "Real Men Can't Hold a Match to Jake Ryan of Sixteen Candles", which discussed the character's enduring appeal.[2]

He appeared in eight additional films after Sixteen Candles, including roles in Vision Quest and Mermaids, and starring roles in the 1986 action film Let's Get Harry and 1991's Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken.[1]

Post-acting career

Since giving up acting, he has produced handcrafted furniture as the owner of a woodworking shop.[3]

In 2005, a poll was conducted by Teen Magazine, which ranked Shoeffling #22 on its list of "Biggest Hunks of the 1980s."

Filmography
Film
Year Film Role Notes
1984 Sixteen Candles Jake Ryan
Racing with the Moon Amputee Soldier Uncredited
1985 Sylvester Matt
Vision Quest Kenny "Kuch" Kuchera
1986 Let's Get Harry Corey Burck
Belizaire the Cajun Hypolite Leger
1989 Longtime Companion Michael
Slaves of New York Jan
1990 Mermaids Joe Perretti
1991 Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken Al Carver
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1986 The Hitchhiker Lance Episode: "Dead Man's Curve"

See also

References
  1. "Michael Schoeffling". The New York Times. 2019-08-08.
  2. Stuever, Hank (February 14, 2004). "Reflections on Jake Ryan of the John Hughes Film 'Sixteen Candles'". The Washington Post.
  3. "9 Actors Who "Quit" Being Famous Archived 2015-05-18 at the Wayback Machine
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