Lisa Eilbacher

American actress From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lisa Marie Eilbacher[2] (born May 5, 1957)[3] is an American former actress. She is best known for her role as Jeanette Summers in Beverly Hills Cop (1984).

Born
Lisa Marie Eilbacher

(1957-05-05) May 5, 1957 (age 68)
OccupationActress
Yearsactive1969–1995
Quick facts Born, Occupation ...
Lisa Eilbacher
Born
Lisa Marie Eilbacher

(1957-05-05) May 5, 1957 (age 68)
OccupationActress
Years active1969–1995
Known forAn Officer and a Gentleman
Beverly Hills Cop
The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries
Spider-Man
10 to Midnight
Midnight Caller
SpouseBradford May (1988– ) [1]
RelativesCindy Eilbacher
Bobby Eilbacher
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Early life

Eilbacher was born to American parents, Beverly and Robert Charles Eilbacher, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.[4] Her father was an executive at Aramco, headquartered in Dhahran.[5] She is the second of five children, two others of whom also worked as child actors.[4] Eilbacher and her family divided their time between Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, and Switzerland until 1963, when her father relocated the family to Beverly Hills and became a realtor.[5][6][7][8][a] Eilbacher attended Beverly Hills Catholic School and Beverly Hills High. She never formally studied acting, but was coached in it by her mother.[5] In a 1987 interview, Eilbacher described the coaching she received:

I really believe that no one can teach anyone to 'act.' You can only be taught to open up, and that she did for me.[5]

Eilbacher is the older sister of former actress Cindy Eilbacher, with whom she appeared in the 1974 television movie Bad Ronald,[9] and of former child actor, Bobby Eilbacher.[4][10][11]

Career

Child actress and tv roles

Eilbacher started acting as a child, appearing on such shows as My Three Sons and Gunsmoke. She later made a transition into adult roles on such shows as The Amazing Spider-Man.

Eilbacher starred as Callie Shaw in The Hardy Boys Mysteries in 1977. The same year she appeared in the episode "The Innocent" of the short-lived Logan's Run TV series. She also guest starred on the TV series Man from Atlantis in an episode where she played Shakespeare's Juliet. She also appeared alongside her sister Cynthia "Cindy" Eilbacher at least twice, most famously in the 1974 made-for-television horror film Bad Ronald, in which they portray two of the three teenage daughters of the family newly residing in the old Wilby house.[9] Prior to that, they had appeared as sisters Bridget and Beth Jordan, onscreen daughters of guest star Vera Miles in the 1971 Alias Smith and Jones episode, "The Posse That Wouldn't Quit".[12][13]

Subsequent roles and films

In 1981, she starred in the television film This House Possessed with Parker Stevenson, with whom she worked on The Hardy Boys Mysteries.

That year she acted in Lee Philips's film On the Right Track starring television star Gary Coleman. Some reviews concluded that it was sappy and capitalizing on Coleman's TV following, many found the film charming, well written, and well acted.[14][15][16][17][18][19] Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times, felt she stood out by saying it "is Coleman's picture, but its unexpected pleasure is Eilbacher".[20]

Eilbacher is best known for her roles in two 1980s films: An Officer and a Gentleman and Beverly Hills Cop. In An Officer and a Gentleman, she played Naval Aviation Officer Candidate Casey Seeger, a popular and charming woman who nearly flunked out of the program due to her inability to complete the obstacle course; however, she persevered and graduated. An amateur bodybuilder in real life, Eilbacher said the hardest aspect of this role was "pretending" to be out of shape.[21] In Beverly Hills Cop, she played Jenny Summers, a childhood friend of Eddie Murphy's character who reunited with him to solve the murder of a mutual friend.[22][23]

Eilbacher was also featured in the 1983 miniseries The Winds of War, playing Madeleine Henry.[24]

In 1985, she co-starred with Holland Taylor in the ABC detective series Me and Mom.

Personal life

Eilbacher has been married to director and photographer Bradford May since 1988.[1]

Filmography

Film

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Notes
1972 The War Between Men and Women Caroline Kozlenko
1977 Run for the Roses Carol
1981 On the Right Track Jill Klein
1982 An Officer and a Gentleman Casey Seeger
1983 10 to Midnight Laurie Kessler
1984 Beverly Hills Cop Jeannette 'Jenny' Summers
1988 Deadly Intent Laura Keaton Video
Never Say Die Melissa Jones
1989 Leviathan Bridget Bowman
1990 The Last Samurai Susan
1992 Live Wire Terry O'Neill
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Television

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Notes
1969 My Three Sons Bunny Episode: "Teacher's Pet"
1971 Alias Smith and Jones Bridget Jordan Episode: "The Posse That Wouldn't Quit"
1972 Bonanza Eloise Episode: "First Love"
1973 The Waltons Lois-May Episode: "The Fire"
The Brady Bunch Vicki Episode: "The Subject Was Noses"
Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law Jeannie Holden Episode: "The Pool House"
Gunsmoke Melody Episode: "Kimbro"
1974 The Texas Wheelers Sally Episode: "Wailin' Wheeler Is Dead"
Apple's Way Gloria Episode: "The First Love"
Bad Ronald Ellen Wood TV film
Shazam! Cathy Moore Episode: "The Doom Buggy"
1975 Movin' On Cathy Episode: "Landslide"
Gunsmoke Lailee Episode: "The Sharecroppers"
Caribe Cindee Episode: "The Patriots"
1976 Panache Lisa TV film
The Streets of San Francisco Gail Dobbs Episode: "Dead or Alive"
1977 The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries Callie Shaw Recurring role (7 episodes)
The Amazing Spider-Man Judy Tyler Episode: "Pilot"
Logan's Run Lisa Episode: "The Innocent"
Man from Atlantis Juliet Episode: "The Naked Montague"
1978 Hawaii Five-O Elaine Sebastian Episode: "Tall on the Wave"
Wheels Jody Horton TV miniseries
1979 The Ordeal of Patty Hearst Patty Hearst TV film
Love for Rent Lynn Martin
1980 To Race the Wind Kit
1981 This House Possessed Sheila Moore
1982 Simon & Simon Stacey Wheeler / Maggie & Sharon Dameron Episodes: "Earth to Stacey", "Sometimes Dreams Come True"
1983 The Winds of War Madeline Henry TV miniseries
55th Academy Awards Self - Presenter
Ryan's Four Dr. Ingrid Sorenson Episode; "Ryan's Four"
Battle of the Network Stars XIV Self - ABC Team
1985 Me and Mom Kate Morgan Main role (6 episodes)
1986 The Twilight Zone Andie Fields Episode: "Nightsong"
Monte Carlo Maggie Egan TV film
1987 Deadly Deception Anne
1989 Manhunt: Search for the Night Stalker Anne Clark
1990 Joshua's Heart Kit
1990–1991 Midnight Caller Nicky Molloy Regular role (19 episodes)
1992 Blind Man's Bluff Carolyn TV film
Deadly Matrimony Nina Sloane
1995 The Return of Hunter Sally Vogel
Dazzle Fernanda Kulkullen
919 Fifth Avenue Janet Van Degen
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Notes

  1. Two decades later, in a UPI profile of his by-then well established actress daughter, he was referred to as "a Beverly Hills oil and real estate tycoon".

References

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