Michael Schoeffling was an undeniable ‘80s heartthrob, best known for playing Jake Ryan in the 1984 film “Sixteen Candles,” alongside Molly Ringwald. The actor’s other notable projects include “Mermaids,” “Crazy for You,” and “Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken.” But where is Schoeffling now, and what is he doing with his life?
Michael Schoeffling’s Life After ‘Sixteen Candles’
Schoeffling left the spotlight in the ‘90s and moved to a small town in Pennsylvania to focus on woodworking, People reports. He has lived a private life, avoiding interviews and public events. He married actress and model Valerie Robinson in 1987, and the couple appears to still be together.
Robinson has shared a rare glimpse into her reclusive husband’s life: “He is a very different kind of person,” she told People in 2014, Us Weekly reports. “He’s very reclusive and private.” She also said Schoeffling is “doing fine” and “very happy,” as he values his privacy.
The couple has a daughter, Scarlett, who has made her debut as a model, and she is gorgeous! People reports that Scarlett is signed to New York Models and LA Models and has also appeared in “Billions” and “Blackjack: The Jackie Ryan Story.”
On August 20, Scarlett gave a rare glimpse into Schoeffling’s life when she posted a video on Instagram of herself modeling ties from her “dad’s vintage tie collection.” The video shows Schoeffling’s tie collection in various colors and bold prints. In the caption, she teased, “There’s like a million more – That Armstrong Tires Rhinoflex is a collectible for sure.”
Scarlett also protects her father’s desire to stay out of the spotlight, and she has rarely posted about him. However, on January 20, 2020, she shared two throwback photos on Instagram of herself with her famous parents. In the caption, she wrote, “dad, mom and one sweet little angel.”
Fans reacted to the post, with comments including, “Great looking family and you guys seem down to earth too,” “You were such a cutie like ur Dad !!!!!!!!! How sweet!” and “Your Mom must be a model as well! Good looks run in your family!”
What Has Michael Schoeffling Said About His Breakthrough Role?
In a 1985 interview, Schoeffling acknowledged the fame that his role in “Sixteen Candles” brought him. “I suppose I brought something to the character that people liked,” he told reporter Bobbie Wygant, Us Weekly reports. “Vision Quest was a big stretch from ‘Sixteen Candles.’ I need to make those stretches as an actor, and I think I get the parts because I can bring something to the character that, maybe, somebody else couldn’t.”
Schoeffling’s “Sixteen Candles” co-star Anthony Michael Hall praised him for being a really nice guy in an interview with Entertainment Tonight in May 2025. “Where is Mr. Handsome when we need him?” he joked. “I think he married his high school sweetheart and he moved back to Pennsylvania. In the late ’80s, he did a movie called ‘Vision Quest’ after we did ‘Sixteen Candles,’ and then he decided to take another run at life, which you have to respect.”
Hall added, “He was a great guy. It was fun. On that set, he was like a big brother to me. He was real cool, so we hung out a lot, even though I was a little kid.”
