Johnathon Schaech (pronounced /ʃɛk/; born September 10, 1969) is an American actor and screenwriter. He first gained recognition for his role in How to Make an American Quilt (1995). His other films include The Doom Generation (1995), That Thing You Do! (1996), Hush (1998), Prom Night (2008), Phantom (2013), Marauders (2016), and The Night Clerk (2020). 

On television, Schaech's work include as Harry Houdini in Houdini (1998), Time of Your Life (1999–2000), and Colonel Sidney Sherman in Texas Rising (2015). He also played the DC Comics gunslinger Jonah Hex in DC's Legends of Tomorrow (2016–2018) and Batwoman. As of 2025, he stars as the sheriff in the TV series Blue Ridge (2024), reprising his role from the 2020 film of the same name.

Early life

Johnathon Schaech was born in Edgewood, Maryland, in 1969 to Joseph, a Baltimore City law enforcement officer, and Joanne Schaech, a human resources executive. He is Catholic. He has a sister, Renée.

Schaech graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he studied economics and took one acting class.

Career

In 1989, Schaech signed with Wilhelmina West, Inc., and worked for three years doing commercials and bit parts in movies. He studied under acting teacher Roy London for three and half years until London's death in 1993.

In 1993, Schaech played the lead role in Franco Zeffirelli's period drama Sparrow (). Schaech then played drifter Xavier Red in the Gregg Araki film The Doom Generation. In 1995, Schaech's character Leon romanced Winona Ryder's character Finn in How to Make an American Quilt. It was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and was something of a break-out role for him. In 1996, Schaech played the ambitious but self-absorbed lead singer of the Wonders in Tom Hanks' That Thing You Do!. Schaech next starred in the 1998 thriller Hush, which "promptly bombed".

Also in 1996, he was on the cover of Vanity Fair's annual "Hollywood" issue. The Baltimore Sun said in 1998 that he "has been labeled a hot, young heartthrob to watch."

In 1997, Schaech starred in the Australian comedy Welcome to Woop Woop directed by Stephan Elliott. Playing a British military man, Schaech was in the independent feature Woundings in 1998, for which he won Best Supporting Actor at the 2001 New York International Independent Film & Video Festival. In 1998, Schaech portrayed Harry Houdini in TNT's Houdini. Schaech received praise not only for a convincing dramatic portrayal, but for learning and performing all the magic tricks and stunts himself. In 1999, Schaech appeared with Harvey Keitel in Finding Graceland and in 1999, Schaech reunited with Araki in Splendor, which premiered at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. In 1999, he played the love interest of Jennifer Love Hewitt in the Party of Five spin-off, Time of Your Life. In 2000, Schaech performed in his first major play, David Rabe's A Question for Mercy, playing a Colombian-born gay Manhattanite dying of AIDS. He lost for the role. In 2000, Schaech played a small part in the comedy How To Kill Your Neighbor's Dog.

In 2001, Schaech played the Judas Iscariot, the |title character in the ABC television film Judas. In 2002, he played Seattle cop and detective named Daniel Pruitt in the movie Blood Crime. In 2005, he co-starred with his then-wife Christina Applegate, in Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas for CBS. In 2006, Schaech starred in Little Chenier. The film won best picture and best ensemble at the Phoenix film festival. In 2006, he co-starred opposite Heather Locklear in the Lifetime television film Angels Fall. In 2007, Schaech was nominated for an MTV award for best villain for his performance in Sony's remake of Prom Night. In 2009, Schaech played Captain Rezo Avaliani in the Renny Harlin directed war film 5 Days of War. In 2009, Schaech guest-starred in a Cold Case episode, playing Julian Bellows, a light-skinned black man who was passing as white to live a better life.

Later career

Schaech said in 2011, "I was famous more for being around people who were famous, and I hate that kind of fame." In 2013, he played a Soviet political officer in the submarine thriller Phantom. He appeared in five episodes of the first season of the Showtime series Ray Donovan as an eccentric movie star, Sean Walker, and played the Egyptian mercenary Tarak in The Legend of Hercules, gaining of muscle for the role. In 2014, Schaech played Colonel Sherman in the miniseries Texas Rising.

Between 2016 and 2018, Schaech appeared in the first three seasons of the television series Legends of Tomorrow as the DC Comics bounty hunter Jonah Hex. He returned in 2019 to reprise the role in the crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths. In 2016, Schaech shot the heist movie Marauders, playing a possibly corrupt cop whose wife is dying of cancer. The film made it to Netflix's U.S. platform's top two in December 2020. In 2018, Schaech appeared in noir crime drama The Night Clerk opposite Ana de Armas. In 2018, Schaech starred opposite Frank Grillo in the action flick Reprisal. Years after its release, the film made Netflix's US platform's top five in October 2021.

Schaech played Marshall Hitchcock opposite Jason Scott Lee in The Wind & the Reckoning, a Hawaiian Western historical drama film released in November 2022. In 2022, he played cult leader Chisos in Frank and Penelope written and directed by Sean Patrick Flanery.

Schaech plays Sheriff Justin Wise in the 2020 crime drama Blue Ridge and the follow-up 2024 TV series of the same name. Schaech is part of the cast of Greyhound 2, an upcoming Apple original film sequel to the 2020 war film Greyhound.

Writing

Schaech has co-written several screenplays with Richard Chizmar, including Heroes (2002), Road House 2 (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2006), based on a story by Miles Chapman, Masters of Horror: The Washingtonians (Showtime, 2007), based on a story by Bentley Little, and The Poker Club, based on the story by Ed Gorman. They have also co-written screenplays based on stories by Peter Crowther (Fear Itself: Eater, NBC/AXN Sci-Fi, 2009), Lewis Shiner (Fear Itself: The Circle, NBC/AXN Sci-Fi, 2009) and Stephen King (From A Buick 8 and Black House, both in production 2009).

Schaech's book, Rick Dempsey's Caught Stealing: Unbelievable Stories From a Lifetime of Baseball, was published in 2014.

Personal life

During the mid-1990s, Schaech often accompanied actress Ellen DeGeneres, who had not yet come out as a lesbian to public events. Schaech was scheduled to appear in the 1997 episode of Ellen in which DeGeneres's character also came out as gay, but could not participate in the filming.

Schaech married actress Christina Applegate in October 2001. In December 2005, he filed for a divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce was finalized in August of 2007.

Schaech married Jana Kramer on July 4, 2010, seven months after announcing their engagement. The couple announced their separation one month later. Their divorce was finalized in June 2011.

In 2013, Schaech spoke on Capitol Hill about the importance of arts education.

Schaech has been married to Julie Solomon since July 2013. They have a son born in September 2013, and a daughter born in July 2020. Schaech has stated that he stopped drinking alcohol after meeting her, having tried to attain sobriety several times before.

In 2018, People published Schaech's first-person account of having been sexually assaulted by film director Franco Zeffirelli during the filming of Sparrow in 1993. Schaech wrote that the assault affected his confidence and caused trauma that led to his addictions to sex, drugs, and alcohol.

Schaech took part in the 2019 Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network PSA, "Won't Stay Quiet", as a survivor of sexual violence.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links