Annabel Schofield

Annabel Schofield, the Welsh-born model and actress who graced the covers of international fashion magazines before captivating American television audiences on "Dallas," died February 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. She died after fighting cancer at the age of 62.

Born September 4, 1963, in Llanelli, Wales, Schofield came of age during one of British fashion's most electric eras. Signing with Take Two Agency in London, she stepped into a city crackling with the energy of the New Romantics, punk's tail end, and designers like Vivienne Westwood.

Her modeling career flourished as she appeared on the covers of hundreds of fashion magazines like Vogue and starred in ads for Yves Saint Laurent, Versace, Rimmel, and Revlon. One moment above all lodged her in the cultural memory of a generation: a television commercial in which she leaned from a convertible and asked, "Excuse me, are those Bugle Boy jeans you're wearing?"

Schofield relocated to Los Angeles and pivoted toward acting. In 1988, she landed a recurring role as Laurel Ellis in "Dallas," portraying a British painter's model opposite Larry Hagman's J.R. Ewing across 12 episodes of the show's eleventh season. Film roles followed throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, including appearances in "Solar Crisis" and "Exit in Red." She also moved behind the camera, taking production roles on studio features including "The Brothers Grimm" and "Doom."

In 2010, Schofield founded Burbank-based Bella Bene Productions, through which she developed commercials, music, and fashion projects as an executive producer. In 2013, she published a novel drawn from her years in the fashion and entertainment worlds, titled "The Cherry Alignment."

Melissa Richardson, owner of Take Two Agency, remembered her warmly. "She was the forerunner of Take Two - without her, we could never have made it as we did. She was funny and real and beautiful and down to earth. She never changed from the sweet little 17-year-old Welsh girl I first met."

By Legacy News Staff

(Image: Paul Harris/Getty Images)