Brinke Stevens (born Charlene Elizabeth Brinkman, September 20, 1954) is an American actress, model, and writer. A native of
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
, Stevens initially pursued a career as a
marine biologist
Marine biology is the scientific study of the biology of marine life, organisms in the sea. Given that in biology many scientific classification, phyla, family (biology), families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others th ...
prior to becoming an actress, earning an undergraduate degree in biology from
San Diego State University
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
before studying marine biology at the
Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Unable to find employment in the field of biology, Stevens began modeling in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
in 1980, and she worked as a film extra.
Her first major film role was in the
slasher film
A slasher film is a genre of horror films involving a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools like knife, chainsaw, scalpel, etc. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as ...
''
The Slumber Party Massacre
''The Slumber Party Massacre'' (also known as ''The Slumber Party Murders'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1982 American slasher film directed by Amy Holden Jones and written by Rita Mae Brown. It is the first installment in the ''Slumber Party Mas ...
'' (1982). She went on to appear in a number of horror films, including ''
Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama
''Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama'' (also known as ''The Imp'') is a 1988 American comedy horror film directed by David DeCoteau, loosely based on the classic short story ''The Monkey's Paw''. Notable for scream queens Linnea Quig ...
'' (1988), ''
Nightmare Sisters
''Nightmare Sisters'' (also released as ''Sorority Succubus Sisters'') is a 1988 direct-to-video, Low budget film, low-budget, horror comedy. It is notable as one of only two films in which 1980s scream queens Linnea Quigley, Brinke Stevens, and ...
'' (1988), ''
Grandmother's House
Grandfather's House, also known as the Paul Curtis House, is a historic house in Medford, Massachusetts. It is claimed to be the original house named in the American poem "Over the River and through the Wood" by Lydia Maria Child. (Although ma ...
'' (1988), and ''
Mommy'' (1995).
In addition to acting, Stevens has co-written several films, including the comedy horror feature ''
Teenage Exorcist'' (1991).
Biography
Early life and education
Stevens was born Charlene Elizabeth Brinkman on September 20, 1954 in
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
to Charles Brinkman II, an aircraft riveter, and Lorraine Brinkman. She is of
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
and
Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
n descent. Stevens was raised in
Crest, California
Crest is an unincorporated community in San Diego County, California. The Crest census-designated place (CDP) had a population of 2,593 at the 2010 census, down from 2,716 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Crest is located on a hill east of El Cajon. ...
along with her brother, Kerry. She graduated from
Granite Hills High School in
El Cajon
El Cajon ( , ; Spanish: El Cajón, meaning "the box") is a city in San Diego County, California, United States, east of downtown San Diego. The city takes its name from Rancho El Cajón, which was in turn named for the box-like shape of the va ...
, and was a gifted student, becoming a member of
Mensa International
Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organisation open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test. Mensa formally compr ...
while still in high school.
[ As a teenager, she was a fan of '']Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'', and frequently attended sci-fi-themed conventions. In 1974, Stevens attended San Diego Comic Con and won first place in the first Masquerade Ball. She remained involved in running the masquerade at Comic Con for years after her win.
She earned a B.S.
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University ...
degree in biology and psychology from San Diego State University
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
before enrolling to study marine biology
Marine biology is the scientific study of the biology of marine life, organisms in the sea. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies s ...
at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California
La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781.
La Jolla is surrounded on ...
, aspiring to become a marine biologist.[ Stevens planned to pursue a PhD at the institute, but was barred from completing when it was uncovered that she had incorporated ]dolphin
A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the ...
s at SeaWorld
SeaWorld is an American theme park chain with headquarters in Orlando, Florida. It is a proprietor of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, animal theme parks, and rehabilitation centers owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment (one park will be ...
as part of her studies, violating the institute's authorization that had given her clearance only to study the vision of seal
Seal may refer to any of the following:
Common uses
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...
s. Despite this, she was later granted an honorary doctorate.
Modeling and film beginnings
Stevens subsequently relocated with her then-husband, comic illustrator Dave Stevens
Dave Lee Stevens (July 29, 1955 – March 11, 2008) was an American illustrator and comics artist. He was most famous for creating ''Rocketeer, The Rocketeer'' comic book and film character, and for his pin-up style "glamour art" illustrations, ...
(whom she met in college) to Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
in 1980, and served as a model for the character of Betty in Stevens' comic series ''Rocketeer
The Rocketeer is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books originally published by Pacific Comics. Created by writer/artist Dave Stevens, the character first appeared in 1982 and is an homage to the Saturday matinee serial heroe ...
''.[ After the couple divorced in 1981, Brinke, unable to find employment in the field of biology, began working as a film extra for income.][ Photographer Dan Golden saw a photograph of her in costume, and hired her for a non-speaking role in the student film ''Zyzak Is King'' (1980); he also later photographed her for the cover of the first issue of '' Femme Fatales'' (1992).
While leaving a modeling agency, Stevens stopped by an office door to look at film posters on the walls. The occupant, Jacob Bressler, told her to enter and asked for her portfolio. On the basis of that, he cast her in an uncredited, non-speaking role in '' ...All the Marbles'' (1981). Stevens' first speaking role was as Linda Dawn Grant in '']The Slumber Party Massacre
''The Slumber Party Massacre'' (also known as ''The Slumber Party Murders'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1982 American slasher film directed by Amy Holden Jones and written by Rita Mae Brown. It is the first installment in the ''Slumber Party Mas ...
'' (1982), a role she reprised in ''Cheerleader Massacre
''Cheerleader Massacre'' is a 2003 American B-movie slasher film directed by Jim Wynorski and written by Lenny Juliano. It is the seventh installment in the ''Massacre'' franchise and was originally meant to be a direct sequel to ''The Slumber Par ...
'' (2003).
Stevens has appeared in more than 100 feature films, primarily in the genres of horror, science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
, and fantasy film
Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction f ...
. She has gained notoriety as a scream queen.
In addition to acting, Stevens has co-written a number of screenplays, co-produced two documentaries, and served as an onset decorator. She co-wrote '' Teenage Exorcist'' (1991), in which she also appeared.
Later work
Stevens portrayed Julie Quinn, mother of serial killer Wayne Montgomery, in the 2007 horror film ''Head Case
''Head Case'' is an American sitcom starring Alexandra Wentworth as Dr. Elizabeth Goode, a therapist who treats Hollywood stars. Celebrities appear on the show as themselves. The show ran for three seasons, airing on the Starz TV Network, Wednes ...
''. She reprised her role in the three sequels, 2009's '' The Ritual'', 2010's ''Post-Mortem'', and 2013's '' Head Cases: Serial Killers in the Delaware Valley''.
Stevens is depicted in the horror novel ''Bad Moon Rising'', the third installment of Jonathan Maberry
Jonathan Maberry (born May 18, 1958) is an American suspense author, anthology editor, comic book writer, magazine feature writer, playwright, content creator and writing teacher/lecturer. He was named one of the Today's Top Ten Horror Writers.
...
's "Pine Deep" trilogy, alongside Jim O'Rear
Jim O'Rear is an American actor, screenwriter, and director.
Career
O’Rear began his professional career working on stage with magicians including David Copperfield and Harry Blackstone, Jr. He then trained as an actor at The American A ...
, Tom Savini
Thomas Vincent Savini (born November 3, 1946) is an American prosthetic makeup artist, actor, stunt performer and film director. He is known for his makeup and special effects work on many films directed by George A. Romero, including ''Martin'' ...
, and Debbie Rochon
Debbie Ann Rochon (born November 3, 1968) is a Canadian actress and former stage performer, best known for her work in independent horror films and counterculture films.
Early life
When Rochon was ten years old, her parents were deemed unfi ...
, published in 2008.
More recently she has appeared in a 2009 documentary '' Pretty Bloody: The Women of Horror'' and appeared in the 2013 remake of ''Die Sister, Die!
''Die Sister, Die!'' (also known as ''The Companion'') is a 1978 American thriller film (filmed in 1972) directed by Randall Hood.
Plot summary
Edward (Jack Ging) is tired of the "allowance" granted him by his sister Amanda ( Edith Atwater) and ...
''. Alongside regular co-stars Linnea Quigley
Barbara Linnea Quigley (born May 27, 1958) is an American actress, film producer, model, singer, and author. She is best known as a B-movie actress, and is often referred to as a " scream queen" due to her frequent appearances in low-budget horro ...
, and Michelle Bauer
Michelle Bauer (born October 1, 1958) is an American actress, model, and scream queen.
Early life
Bauer was born and raised in Simi Valley, California.
Career
Bauer was ''Penthouse'' magazine's Pet of the Month for July 1981 and also appeare ...
, Stevens appeared in and was a main subject for the 2011 documentary '' Screaming in High Heels: The Rise & Fall of the Scream Queen Era'' and its 2020 follow up '' Screaming in High Heels: The Reunion''.
Stevens narrated the 2021 Sirius XM podcast limited series, ''Comic-Con Begins: Origin Stories of the San Diego Comic-Con and the Rise of Modern Fandom''.
Filmography
References
Sources
*
*
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Brinke
1954 births
Actresses from San Diego
American film actresses
American people of German descent
American people of Mongolian descent
Cosplayers
Living people
Mensans
San Diego State University alumni
Scripps Institution of Oceanography alumni
Writers from San Diego
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
20th-century American writers
21st-century American writers
21st-century American women writers
20th-century American women writers