The Doom Generation

Background:

Johnathon Schaech has created a successful career since making his professional debut in 1993's “The Webbers.” However, he is probably best known to moviegoers as Winona Ryder's suitor in “How to Make an American Quilt” (1995) and for his partnership with filmmaker Gregg Araki on the movies “The Doom Generation” (1995) and “Splendor” (1999). Schaech won the 2001 New York International Independent Film & Video Festival award for his supporting role in “Woundings” (1998) and for his writing in “Comforters, Miserable”(2001), which he also directed. Other films in which he has acted in include “Houdini” (1998, TV), “Hush” (1998), “If You Only Knew” (2000), “Kiss the Bride” (2002), “Judas” (2004, TV), “Sea of Dreams” (2006) and “Angels Fall” (2007, TV).

Recently playing roles in “Prom Night” and “Living Hell” (both 2008), Schaech was also seen in “The Poker Club” (2008, also a scriptwriter) and “Quarantine” (2008). He also wrote the script and is producing the upcoming horror movie “From a Buick 8” (2009) and will appear in the movie “Takers” (2010).

Maryland

Childhood and Family:

The son of Joe Schaech, a law enforcement officer, and Joanne Schaech, a telemarketing executive, Johnathon Schaech was born on September 10, 1969, in Edgewood, Maryland. He has an older sister named Renee.

Johnathon majored in Economics at the University of Maryland in College Park, but dropped out after two years to start an acting career in Los Angeles where he studied with illustrious couch Roy London for four years until London's death in 1993. He also honed in on his craft at the Actor's Studio in New York and trained with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Johnathon was also the student of Cameron Thor.

On April 21, 1995, Johnathon had a daughter named Lauren Grace with his girlfriend Marlene. Six years later, he married actress Christina Applegate on October 20, 2001. The couple divorced in 2007.

How to Make an American Quilt

Career:

Schaech first worked as a fashion model before making his professional acting debut in “The Webbers,” a 1993 independent film directed and written by Brad Marlowe. He was then cast in a leading role opposite Angela Bettis in the Italian/Japanese produced “Sparrow,” for director Franco Zeffirelli. The following year, he broke into the small screen with a guest spot in an episode of Fox's “The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.,” which was followed by a recurring role as a prowler named Frank Thompson in the Aaron Spelling produced soap “Models, Inc.” (1994).

Schaech, however, did not gain his first real break until he landed the supporting role of Leon, the suitor of Winona Ryder, in the Jocelyn Moorehouse directed “How to Make an American Quilt” (1995). After an episodic role in the short lived drama “Fallen Angels,” the Maryland native gained additional fame with “The Doom Generation” (also 1995), which was written and directed by Gregg Araki. Costars of the movie included James Duval and Rose McGowan.

In 1996, Schaech was hired by Tom Hanks to play the major role of rocker Jimmy Mattingly in the movie “That Thing You Do,” which was a moderate hit. He then received a starring role opposite Alyssa Milano in the thriller “Poison Ivy II” and costarred with Mili Avital in the drama “Invasion of Privacy.” He went on to star in Stephan Elliott's “Welcome To Woop Woop” (1997), the thriller “Hush” (1998, opposite Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Lange), David Winkler's “Finding Graceland” (1998, with Harvey Keitel and Bridget Fonda) and the TNT biopic “Houdini” (1998, as the magician Harry Houdini). He also played the supporting role of Douglas Briggs in the AFI Film Festival screened “Woundings” (1998), a role that later won the actor a Feature Film Award for Best Supporting Actor at the 2001 New York International Independent Film & Video Festival.

In 1999, Schaech rejoined Gregg Araki for “Splendor,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. In the movie, he portrayed a music journalist named Abel. Schaech also made his debut as a regular on a TV series in Fox's “The Time of Your Life,” where he portrayed John Maguire. The series was canceled after 21 episodes in 2001.

In the new millennium, Schaech starred in the romantic “If You Only Knew” (2000), acted with wife Christina Applegate in Cameron Thor's “The Giving Tree” (2000) and rejoined Thor for the comedy film “After Sex” (also 2000), which also starred Dan Cortese, Virginia Madsen and Maria Pitillo. He also supported Kenneth Branagh and Robin Wright Penn in 2000's “How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog.” In 2001, Schaech was cast as the leader of a band of vampires in the horror movie “The Forsaken” for writer/director J.S. Cardone. Also that year, he made his debut as a writer and director with the drama “Comforters, Miserable,” which debuted at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival in March and won the Most Original Screenplay Award.

Next up for Schaech, he made a cameo appearance in his wife's film “The Sweetest Thing” (2002), costarred with James Caan in the made-for-TV film “Blood Crime” (2002) and had a prominent supporting part in the movie “Kiss the Bride” (2002), which starred Amanda Detmer, Sean Patrick Flanery and Brooke Langton. Follow up credits include “Arrested Development” (2003), “Mummy an' the Armadillo” (2004, as Jesse), “Judas” (2004, TV), “Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas” (2005, TV), José Bojorquez's award winning drama “Sea of Dreams” (2006) and “Little Chenier” (2006). In 2007, Schaech offered a memorable guest performance as Mike Franks in “The Washingtonians,” which was an episode of “Masters of Horror,” and starred with Heather Locklear in the popular TV film “Angels Fall.” Recently, he could be seen playing Frank Sears in Richard Jefferies' “Living Hell” and Richard Fenton in “Prom Night” (both 2008), which starred Brittany Snow. He also starred as Aaron Tyler in the Tim McCann directed thriller “The Poker Club” (2008), alongside Judy Reyes, Johnny Messner and Jana Kramer. In addition to acting, he co-wrote the script with Richard Chizmar. He also received a starring role, opposite Jennifer Carpenter, in the thriller “Quarantine” (2008) and contributed to the script of “From a Buick 8” (2009), which was adapted from a Stephen King novel.

Awards:

• Phoenix Film Festival: Copper Wing Award, Best Ensemble Acting, “Little Chenier,” 2007

• New York International Independent Film & Video Festival: Feature Film Award, Best Supporting Actor, “Woundings,” 2001

• New York International Independent Film & Video Festival: Most Original Screenplay, “Comforters, Miserable,” 2001