Jan Smithers
Jan Smithers | |
|---|---|
| Born | Karin Jan Smithers North Hollywood, California[1] |
| Alma mater | Chouinard Art Institute |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1973–1987 |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 1 |
Jan Smithers (born 1949 or 1950) is a former American actress. She is best known for playing Bailey Quarters on the CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–1982).
Early life
Smithers grew up in an unpretentious middle class family in Los Angeles, California. Her father was a lawyer, while her mother was a stay-at-home mom. She has three sisters, however her eldest sister died in a car accident at age 21.[2]
Smithers first reached the public eye as a teenager when, at 16, she was profiled and featured on the March 21, 1966 cover of Newsweek seated on the back of a motorcycle.[3][2] She received offers from Hollywood agents as a result of that appearance.[2][4]
Smithers graduated from the Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California. She attended the Chouinard Art Institute which is now known as the California Institute of the Arts.[2]
Career
Jan Smithers, in her early 20s, won a role in the 1974 feature film, Where the Lilies Bloom, about a household of children surviving in the Appalachian Mountains. In 1978 she got her biggest break, landing a role on the situation comedy, WKRP in Cincinnati playing Bailey Quarters.[2]
Personal life
She was the co-lead singer of the early 1970s band Hot Cup of Friends which featured Christopher Mancini (the son of Henry Mancini).[2]
Smithers's first marriage was to Kipp Whitman from 1971 to 1972. From 1986 to 1995, she was married to actor James Brolin[2] and was stepmother to his two children from a previous marriage; together they have one daughter, Molly Elizabeth. Smithers filed for divorce from Brolin in 1995.
After living in
Television and filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Love Story | Barbara | Episode: "Beginner's Luck" |
| 1974 | Where the Lilies Bloom | Devola | Feature film |
| 1974 | When the North Wind Blows | Lady in the Zoo | Feature film |
| 1976 | Starsky & Hutch | Sharman Crane | Episode: "Running" |
| 1978 | Our Winning Season | Cathy Wakefield | Feature film |
| 1978–82 | WKRP in Cincinnati | Bailey Quarters | Main cast (86 episodes) |
| 1980 | The Love Tapes | Carol Clark | TV movie |
| 1982 | The Love Boat | Sabrina Drake | Episode: "The Spoonmaker Diamond/Papa Doc/The Role Model/Julie's Tycoon" |
| 1983 | The Fall Guy | Cynthia Caldwell | Episode: "Spaced Out" |
| 1983 | The Love Boat | Aurora Adams | Episode: "Long Time No See/The Bear Essence/Kisses and Makeup" |
| 1984 | Legmen | Sarah Turner | Episode: "Take the Credit and Run" |
| 1984 | Hotel | Lacey Grant | Episode: "Encores" |
| 1984 | The Love Boat | Carol Cooperman | Episode: "By Hook or by Crook/Revenge with the Proper Stranger/Don't Get Mad, Get Even" |
| 1984 | Finder of Lost Loves | Barbara Hensen | Episode: "Old Friends" |
| 1985 | Mike Hammer | Shia Walters | Episode: "Firestorm" |
| 1985 | Cover Up | Karen Morris | Episode: "The Assassin" |
| 1985 | Murder, She Wrote | Kathy Farrell | Episode: "Sudden Death" |
| 1985 | Comedy Factory | Barrie Shepherd | Episode: "The Columnist" |
| 1986 | Hotel | Janice Copeland | Episode: "Triangles" |
| 1987 | Mr. Nice Guy | Dr. Lisa Rayon | Feature film |
References
- ^ a b "Jan Smithers Biography". TV Guide. TV Guide. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Jones, Abigail (May 12, 2016). "An Interview With Jan Smithers, Newsweek Teen Cover Star in 1966". Newsweek. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ a b "The Teen-Agers". Newsweek. March 21, 1966. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ a b "Whatever Happened To Actress Jan Smithers". July 3, 2006. Archived from the original on June 15, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2008.
- ^ "Baby, If You've Ever Wondered: A WKRP in Cincinnati Reunion". The Paley Center for Media. June 4, 2014.
Further reading
- Vorpahl, Beverly (September 19, 1980). "'WKRP' stars: Behind the masks". Cowles Publishing Company.
External links
- Jan Smithers at IMDb
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