JODI LYN O'KEEFE
THEN: With another cup of pumpkin spice coffee, the month of October continues here at AITH. Now there are a ton of great horror flicks that we can enjoy for the 31 days leading up to Halloween. However, this month for Where in the Horror are they Now we continue to look at actors who have battled Michael Myers. Today, I was in the mood to watch a sequel that some fans do not appreciate, but I sort of love. HALLOWEEN: H2O is one of those flicks that may not be perfect, yet it was impossible for me to resist the reunion of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode. This may be Jamie Lee’s movie, but the supporting cast is pretty awesome as well. And the one that I contemplate about was the intensely beautiful Jodi Lyn O’Keefe.
Aside from doing five episodes of the soap opera Another World, Jodi was a newbie when it came to not just scary movies, but movies altogether. In H2O (1998) she plays Sarah, and she and co-star Adam Hann-Byrd make a couple of great fodder for psycho killer Myers. When O’Keefe faces off against the mask assailant, she tries pretty damn hard to get away and I was rooting for her. I’m not sure what Myers had against this gorgeous gal, but man did he mess with her hardcore. Sure this may not please all the fans of the HALLOWEEN franchise, but I enjoyed the ride. And yes, Ms. O’Keefe helped make it all the more entertaining.
Her next flick said all you need to know about her… SHE’S ALL THAT. And yes, she certainly is. This 1999 comedy also starred Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachel Leigh Cook and Paul Walker. Maybe I should watch this movie! Yet since we are talking horror, let’s move right along to THE CROW: SALVATION in 2000. We all know that THE CROW franchise is not quite a fan favorite – nothing beats the original – but I appreciated the cast involved with this one. Eric Mabius was a decent choice, and then there is Kirsten Dunst who has done well enough since. Perhaps it would have been better to give O’Keefe the leading role? Well, they didn’t, but at least she continued taking on genre specific features.
In 2000, Jodi finally got that leading role after doing another comedy the same year. TEACHER’S PET (aka DEVIL IN THE FLESH 2) was unfortunately a really bad movie. However, it was fun seeing A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET vet Jsu Garcia star in this sleazy little thriller. And it was even better watching the lovely Jodi tear shite up and get all dangerous and demented. If only the movie had been better. Thankfully, this didn’t affect her career at all. From 1996 to 2001, Jodi was a regular on the Don Johnson series Nash Bridges. I’ve never watched this show, but perhaps it is worth a look? If only for Jodi? What do you guys think? Was anybody out there a fan?
After doing more television, Jodi returned to do the 2003 thriller RED ROVER opposite William Baldwin. And in 2004, the actress seriously got all genre on us with an episode of Tru Calling as well as an appearance on Charmed. And then came two features, one called OUT FOR BLOOD and the other, MUMMY AN’ THE ARMADILLO. This Armadillo flick has a pretty solid cast, including Busy Phillips, Clare Kramer, Betty Buckley, Johnathon Schaech and even the late Brad Renfro. So it appears to be about a creepy diner with dark secrets and such revealed. There are quite a few flicks on Jodi’s IMDB page that I’ve missed. Perhaps I need to add a few to this year’s October viewing.
Throughout the past decade, the actress has worked steadily in television. She was part of the Prison Break universe for a number of episodes throughout 2007 until 2009. There has been an appearance or two on shows like Criminal Minds (2006), CSI: NY (2007), The Big Bang Theory (2009) and even Lost (2010). She did kind of step back into thriller mode for a TV movie called A Nanny’s Revenge in 2012, and one in 2013 called Whisper of Fear – this is more of a drama I suppose but what the hell. Her big screen contribution in 2013 was the surprisingly solid Nicolas Cage and Vanessa Hudgens flick THE FROZEN GROUND. Give this one a try one time on cable, because it is better than you’d expect. Definitely one of Cage’s better recent contributions.
NOW: In 2014, Jodi appeared in a VH-1 series called Hit the Floor for 12 episodes. Billed as a drama and romance in the world of professional basketball, there is not much else I can tell you about this show. Now who out there watches the fan favorite The Vampire Diaries? Well, if you do, Jodi has found some fame on the series. Starting in 2014, Ms. O’Keefe has been featured as D. Jo Laughlin. And yes, lucky for her fans she is pretty terrific here and it is great to see her doing something with a little supernatural flair. And if you know anything about The Vampire Diaries, the fan base is pretty massive so that kind of exposure can only help the actress gain a whole new following.
According to Wikipedia, Jodi has also been doing a few side projects. In 2011 she started her own clothing line and in 2012, a jewelry line. However, she is still going strong on screen which is great news for genre fans. If you’d like to keep watch on this talented beauty, you can follow her on the official Twitter page which appears to be a lot of fun – with a few entertaining personal anecdotes. As well, you can always keep watch on her Instagram page. Jodi Lyn O’Keefe burst onto the screen as one of Michael Myers victims in H2O, but clearly, she is here to stay. How great would it be to see her make a return to big screen horror?