It may not be fair to label someone a scene stealer when they've got the lead role in a film, but when they're up against The Ramones and manage to hold their own, they've earned it. P.J. Soles, playing high-school groupie/wanna-be songwriter Riff Randell in Rock 'n' Roll High School, is one of the reasons why people still remember and cherish this goofy Roger Corman-produced movie today. (Other reasons include The Ramones and Mary Woronov.) Soles manages to be perky without acting at all stupid, and her high level of energy helps keep the movie interesting. The above photo is from a memorable scene in an all-girls gym class where the scantily clad young women shake it to the movie's title song.Rock 'n' Roll High School is one of Soles' few star turns -- she mostly appeared in supporting roles, usually as a "screamer" in horror films or as a bubbly girlfriend. One of her first memorable films was the 1976 movie Carrie, where she played one of the mean teen girls -- the one in the red baseball cap, which became a trademark look for her. Many people remember her as the chick whose every other word was "totally" in Halloween. She also has a small role as a sorority girl in the 1980 film Breaking Away. (I didn't realize until writing this article that Soles was married at that time to Dennis Quaid, who had a lead role in the film.) She was one of Goldie Hawn's fellow recruits in Private Benjamin, and then played Bill Murray's love interest in Stripes.
There's not a single frame in James Cameron's 
Actor 
Everyone is familiar with 
Charactor actor 
With his three scenes as the "dickless" EPA agent in 
I don't think it's a stretch to say that 
I haven't ever been able to actually prove it, but I swear I remember hearing, many moons ago, that the 
The 1984 film 
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Cinematicess 
Ever since I was a kid, I was drawn to the
"sidekick" characters; the henchmen, the assistants, the murder suspects and the school teachers. Movie stars
are great and all that jazz, but the heart and soul of an ensemble often lies within the supporting cast: the horny best
friend, the abusive boss, the comic relief, etc. ... Over the years I've made a habit out of putting all those faces to
all those names, and I often find myself telling friends, "Oh, you know this actor. Not by his name,
maybe, but trust me -- you've seen this guy." And there are hundreds of 'em to pick through: professional
character constructors who toil just outside the spotlights afforded to your Jamie Foxxes and your Russell Crowes. 
