Rebecca began modeling at the age of 16, going off to New York on her own to begin her career. Four months later, she found herself in Japan, modeling there. Eventually, she landed her role on My Sister Sam (1986), for which she is best known. In 1989, she became a spokesperson for Thursday's Child, a charity for at-risk teens. In April of that same year, having missed a signing due to filming, she reluctantly went to a girl's shelter to sign autographs. "No one will recognize me", she insisted, "or want my autograph," but as it turned out all of them did. In fact, the girls were so in awe that they invited her to the Renaissance Fair in May. Rebecca accepted, though only two months later, she lay dead on the pavement in front of her new apartment in Hollywood, having been shot to death by a paranoid schizophrenic man around her age, who came to her apartment disguised as a flower delivery man with a gun, most likely to save her from whatever delusions he had. Unfortunately, after signing an autograph for him twenty minutes earlier, she abruptly told him she was busy, he, in a fit of irrational anger, took the gun from the brown bag where he had carried it and shot her once in the chest, the bullet directly hitting her heart. Rebecca screamed out, "Why?" then hit the walkway and, a few moments later, died on the scene. The killer fled, aghast at his own act and strode onto the freeway, walking blindly, hoping to be hit and killed by some car or truck. He was subsequently arrested and plea-bargained for a life sentence without the possibility of parole with a then young assistant district attorney named Marcia Clark, who later became famous for her failed attempt to convict O.J. Simpson of murder. There was never any trial in the Rebecca Schaeffer case. Rebecca loved Japan and space exploration. She had a cat named Katherine (after Katharine Hepburn) and possessed quite a bit of intelligence and erudition for someone who had not completed school.
Known For
Credits
Cast Credits
My Sister Sam (1986)
Starring as Patricia "Patti" Russell
(44 episodes)
- Episode 2x22: A Day in the Lives ()
- Episode 2x21: Earthquake ()
- Episode 2x20: The Good, the Bad and the Auditor ()
- Episode 2x19: The Thrill of Agony, the Victory of Defeat ()
- Episode 2x18: The Wrong Stuff ()
- Episode 2x17: Walk a While in My Shoes ()
- Episode 2x16: The Grand Prize ()
- Episode 2x15: Camp Burnout ()
- Episode 2x14: The Art of Love ()
- Episode 2x13: Patti, I Have a Feeling We're Not in Oregon Anymore ()
- Episode 2x12: Good Neighbor Sam ()
- Episode 2x11: It's My Party and I'll Kill If I Want To ()
- Episode 2x10: Life, Death, and Admiral Andy (Apr 12, 1988)
- Episode 2x09: Ol' Green Eyes Is Back (Mar 29, 1988)
- Episode 2x08: Play It Again, Sam (Mar 22, 1988)
- Episode 2x07: Revenge of the Russell Sisters (Mar 15, 1988)
- Episode 2x06: Drive, She Said (Nov 7, 1987)
- Episode 2x05: Who's Afraid of Virginia Schultz? (Oct 31, 1987)
- Episode 2x04: Never a Bridesmaid (Oct 24, 1987)
- Episode 2x03: Deep Throat (Oct 17, 1987)
- Episode 2x02: And They Said It Would Never Last (Oct 10, 1987)
- Episode 2x01: Goodbye, Steve (Oct 3, 1987)
- Episode 1x22: Fog Bound (May 4, 1987)
- Episode 1x21: Campaign Contributions (Apr 13, 1987)
- Episode 1x20: Exposed (Apr 6, 1987)
- Episode 1x19: Sister, Can You Spare a Fifty? (Mar 16, 1987)
- Episode 1x18: If You Knew Susie (Mar 2, 1987)
- Episode 1x17: Making Up Is Hard to Do (Feb 23, 1987)
- Episode 1x16: Family Business (Feb 16, 1987)
- Episode 1x15: Another Saturday Night (Feb 9, 1987)
- Episode 1x14: Go Crazy (Feb 2, 1987)
- Episode 1x13: Almost In-laws (Jan 26, 1987)
- Episode 1x12: Anything for a Friend (Jan 19, 1987)
- Episode 1x11: Club Dread (Jan 12, 1987)
- Episode 1x10: Jingle Bell Rock Bottom (Dec 22, 1986)
- Episode 1x09: Babes in the Woods (Dec 15, 1986)
- Episode 1x08: Mirror, Mirror... on the Wall (Dec 8, 1986)
- Episode 1x07: Teacher's Pet (Dec 1, 1986)
- Episode 1x06: The Aunt Elsie Crisis: Day One (Nov 24, 1986)
- Episode 1x05: Roomies (Nov 10, 1986)
- Episode 1x04: What Makes Samantha Run? (Nov 3, 1986)
- Episode 1x03: Shooting Stars (Oct 27, 1986)
- Episode 1x02: Patti's Party (Oct 20, 1986)
- Episode 1x01: Samantha Russell, Man Stealer (Oct 6, 1986)