Vivian Schilling (born 1968) is an American novelist, screenwriter, actor and independent filmmaker. She resides in Fayetteville, Arkansas and Los Angeles, California.
Born and raised in Kansas, Schilling studied at The Lee Strasberg Theater Institute and also under Stella Adler before embarking upon careers in literature and film.
Schilling has acted in a variety of leading roles in independent films since 1986, including Savage Land and the Polish film Niemcy, a World War II drama based on the stage play by Leon Kruczkowski in which she portrayed heroine Ruth Sonnenbruch. In 2006 she portrayed feminist and author Gertrude Atherton opposite Campbell Scott in the film anthology Ambrose Bierce: Civil War Stories.
Schilling wrote and starred in Soultaker, a 1991 theatrical release which went on to win the 1992 Saturn Award as the first-ever feature title designated as Best Genre video. It later became the premiere for MST3K's tenth season.
In 2012, Schilling completed work for Paris-based Eurocine Films as the writer, producer and director of the English adaptation of Toys in the Attic, based on the stop-motion animated feature by Czech director Jiří Barta. Schilling provided the voice of Buttercup alongside co-stars Forest Whitaker, Joan Cusack, and Cary Elwes.
Schilling has written the novels Quietus and Sacred Prey. Both novels have supernatural elements and address themes of immortality, existentialism, and religious conflict. After a hiatus to work on Toys in the Attic, Schilling started her third novel. It has not yet been released.
Riffed Movies[]
- Soultaker (Episode #1001) - as Natalie McMillan, also writer and producer
- Project Eliminator (RiffTrax) - as Terry Anderson
