Lisa Eilbacher is a retired American actress who had a few significant roles in the 1980s but retired in the 1990s. On May 5th, 1956, she was born in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
She was the daughter of an American oil company executive. She would spend her childhood in Paris until her family moved to Beverly Hills, California, where she would be spotted on the streets and begin work as a child actor.
She is of German ancestry, and during her career, she had an interest in bodybuilding.
How did her career start?
Upon moving to Beverly Hills as a child in the 1950s, Lisa Eilbacher would catch the attention of producers and be cast as a child actress.
She would appear in the later runs of television series such as Wagon Train (1957), Gunsmoke (1955), and My Three Sons (1960).
She would continue to make television series appearances, with a significant run of episodes of The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977) being a highlight in her early career. She played the recurring character Callie Shaw.
Lisa would also audition for the part of Princess Leia in the 1977 movie Star Wars: A New Hope
An Officer and a Gentleman
A major breakthrough for her in her career would be in the 1982 romantic drama An Officer and a Gentleman, where she played the character of Casey Seeger. The film follows a young man at Navy Officer Candidate School who desires to become an aviator.
The film was directed by Taylor Hackford for Paramount Pictures and starred Richard Gere, Debra Winger, and Louis Gossett Jr.
In the movie, Lisa Eilbacher plays a Navy recruit who struggles with the obstacle course, but Zach risks breaking a record to help her finish her run, illustrating teamwork.
Beverly Hills Cop
Beverly Hills Cop was a 1984 action comedy film directed by Martin Brest for Paramount Pictures. The film was a high-grossing film that was extremely popular. The film starred Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, and Lisa Elibacher. The film would turn Eddie Murphy into an international star.
The film follows Detroit cop Axel Foley as he investigates the murder of his best friend in Beverly Hills.
Lisa Eilbacher would play Jeanette "Jenny" Summers, a mutual friend of the murder victim, and Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley. Jenny would be a significant player in the events of the film.
Midnight Caller
Midnight Caller was a drama television series that aired on NBC from October 1988 to May 1991. The series was created by Richard DiLello and dealt with the phenomenon of talk radio. The shows starred Gary Cole, Wendy Kilbourne, Dennis Dun, and Lisa Eilbacher.
Lisa Eilbacher would appear on Midnight Caller across 19 episodes from 1990 to 1991. She would pay the character of Nicky Molloy. Nicky Molloy would be brought on later in the show as a replacement for the character of Devon King. Molloy would be a strict and no-nonsense producer for the radio show.
What is she doing now? Is she still acting?
Lisa Eilbacher’s career seemingly came to an end in 1995 with the release of her final movie, 919 Fifth Avenue. In that TV movie, she played the character of Valeria Damore.
In the years since, she has been virtually unheard of. She has had no scandals or controversies, nor has she come back for any new film projects. She seems to be retired with no desire to act again.
With that being said, there is a lot of interest in her and where she is, so perhaps one day, she may get the acting bug again.
Is she married?
Lisa Eilbacher married director and cinematographer Bradford May on the 27th of August 1988. The two have been together since.
On August 3rd, 1951, Bradford May was born in Los Angeles, California. He is best known for his work as a cinematographer on The Monster Squad (1987) and for directing both Lady Against the Odds (1992) and Tremors: The Series (2003).
The two likely first met on the set of the 1980s version of The Twilight Zone. Specifically, during the production of the episode “The Storyteller/Nightsong” in 1986, where she acted in one segment, and he was the director of that segment.
Does she have kids?
There is no record of Lisa Eilbacher having any children. It seems likely that Lisa Eilbacher never had a child, though given how private she has been since the mid-1990s, it would be hard to tell.
Who are her siblings?
Lisa Eilbacher is one of five siblings, but she was one of the three actors in the group. However, curiously, all three of the actors in the family would retire from the industry rather dramatically.
Cindy Eilbacher is Lisa’s youngest sister and is best known for Planet of the Apes (1974) and The Young and the Restless (1973).
Bobby Eilbacher, Lisa’s youngest brother, would retire by the late 1970s.
Is she on social media?
There is no evidence of Lisa Eilbacher having an active social media presence.
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Hey Nick (or Tobias Fünke)
Great article. I watched Beverly Hills Cop last night and forgot Lisa Eilbacher was in it – she and Murphy had great chemistry.
My guess: She retired as she saw too much of the seedier side of Hollywood and wanted out.
Great article. I’m here because of the Netflix reboot buzz. Glad she hasn’t been cast. She was so awkward and unbelievable as Axle’s friend in the first film.
Looks like she stopped getting call backs and just gave up which worked out for everyone. Nice to see younger and much better actresses get their chance in Hollywood.