Nationality American Occupation actress, singer Genre Jazz Children JonCary Jaress | Other names JoEllen Schafer Years active 1960s to present Record label Jody Jaress Albums Whisper Low | |
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Spouse Michael F. Jaress (m. 1962–1975) Movies Retake, Hollywoodland, Fragile Storm, Little Fish - Strange Pond, Kaylien Similar Nick Corporon, Dawn Fields, Allen Coulter, Mike Nichols, Zoe Saldana | ||
Jody jaress sharon farrell 1 11 1 13 john solari
Jody Jaress was born JoEllen Schafer in Southern Illinois. Jaress is an American actress and jazz and blues singer in the Los Angeles, California area. She began studying acting, singing and dancing in the mid 1950s.
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Jody jaress sharon farrell 11 1 13 2
Background
Jaress aka JoEllen Schafer born in Ottawa, Illinois is the eldest daughter of Realtor, John William "Bill" Schafer (1923-2017) from Marion, Illinois 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. 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.
Early Acting Days
Jody began her entertainment career over 30 years ago in Michigan and has made a plethora of appearances on stage, film and television. 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. Jaress sang, danced and recited verse as a guest on local television ("After Hours") WXYZ-TV, "Bill Kennedy's Showtime", "The Auntie DeeShow", CKLW-TV and radio stations in Detroit, Canada and surrounding areas (1955-1960).
"Divorce Court"(1957) was an early reality-type reinactment television series filmed in Michigan, where Jaress played the very young child of an Estranged Couple. By 1979, Jaress had many legitimate stage performances in her repertoire like, "Peter Pan", "Stage Door", "Of Mice And Men", then performing as a 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. Shot in Los Angles, "Crisis Counselor"(1982), was another reality based reinactment 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).
Millennium Forward
In 2005, Jaress appeared in the David Gaz directed film Diamond Zero that starred Tippi Hedren and Bronson Pinchot . Continuing in 2005, she starred in "The Guest" written and directed by (as Julia Inez Gandelsonas) Julia A.G. Storm. In 2008, she garnered top five credit listing, playing Rhea in the award-winning feature film, Chain Link'', directed and written by Dylan Reynolds. Also that same year she appeared as Ruby in the TV series, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles in Self Made Man Season II, episode 11.
In 2014, she played Agnes in the Stanley Yung directed horror film, 2 Bedroom 1 Bath that starred Andrew W. Walker, Michele Hicks, Eric Roberts and Dee Wallace. Also in the same year, she appeared in the Diane Cornell directed short See Me which also starred Tina Cole.
In 2015 she starred in the Dawn Fields directed Fragile Storm, an award winning short film that also starred Lance Henriksen and Mackenzie Mason. A short film titled, "Duke" (2016) Jaress stars along side of actress, Spice Williams-Crosby, directed by Anthony De Longis (actor, stunt master, director/writer) 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 screenplay, Traces of Memory, a short film that screened at eight film festivals thus far, and won seven awards. Maray Ayres and Sara Ballantine, were the lead actors, with Daniela Torchia in a featured role. It was produced by Hal Alpert, Rick Honstrater and co-produced by Robert Amico. It was Jaress's directorial film debut.
Music
Jaress is a singer in the Blues and Jazz genre. In the past she has opened for artsists that include Louis Armstrong, Harry Belafonte, Dinah Shore, and Janet Blair. she has also shared dual billing with multi-Grammy winner, Bili Redd Thedford.
In August 2014, she was headlining at Tom Rolla's Gardenia Supper Club on Santa Monica Boulevard, LA with Gary Bivona and Rick Hils. 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. Currently she performs a monthly gig with her friend and smooth jazz/pop singer, Linda A. as "Just Us... Jody & Linda" and musical friends.