David Schall

An actor remembered as much for the legacy of his Christian ministry work in the entertainment industry as for his appearances in theater, television, and films, David Schall actually started out with a career in politics. He was born, raised, and educated in Pennsylvania, serving as president of his senior class at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he studied political science and psychology. He was the Indiana County campaign manger for Milton J. Shapp in the successful campaign for governor of Pennsylvania in 1970. David served in Shapp's administration in a number of capacities such as executive assistant, and in 1974 he was Public Relations Director for the governor's re-election campaign. Ironically, he was later turned down for the part of a campaign manager in a stage revival of "The Best Man" despite his considerable "hands on" experience. In 1976 David moved to New York City to pursue a childhood dream of an acting career. After training at various acting studios, he was cast in numerous Off-Broadway and dinner theater productions as well as daytime TV dramas, commercials and industrial films. He maintained high moral standards, and once turned down a plum stage role that required nudity. Acting upon his beliefs, he began the "Actors Fellowship" in Manhattan in February, 1981 and within three years this group grew to include hundreds of actors, singers, and dancers who attended a variety of Christian churches. Finding himself involved in ministry, David started formal seminary training, attending classes at New York's General Seminary, New York Theological Seminary and the Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. He pursued three years of part-time studies before deciding to relocate to Los Angeles in January, 1986 where he resided in the Hollywood Hills. He joined the Hollywood First Presbyterian Church and served as the Executive Director of the Department of Entertainment Ministries. He co-founded "Actors Co-op" in 1987, a company of professional Christian actors headquartered at that church. This organization still performs a full season of major theater productions each year. He founded "Inter-Mission" later that same year, and it expanded to other cities a decade later. Its thousands of Christian professionals in the entertainment industry are pledged to maintain high moral standards within popular culture. David also founded "Act One: Writing for Hollywood" for aiding Christian screenwriters and facilitated the formation of the "Hollywood Prayer Network" to pray for Christians in entertainment. David was good at both comic and tragic roles shown respectively by the harried radio station manager in "The 1940s Radio Hour" and Jo Keller in "All My Sons." His television credits include L.A. Law (1986), Murder, She Wrote (1984). Just a few days after his death he fittingly appeared as a pastor presiding at a funeral in an episode of ER (1994) on May 1st, 2003. His death apparently occurred about 1-1/2 hours before the opening night curtain of Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" (performed by "The Actors Co-op") in which he was due to play the title role. Members of his company found him in his locked car, a victim of a heart attack. David had appeared in just two preview performances. The show's opening night was canceled as there was no understudy for his role and members of the company simply shared stories of Schall on that night.