Jan Smithers (born July 3, 1949) is an American former actress, model and singer. She is best known for playing Bailey Quarters on the CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–1982).
Jan Smithers | |
|---|---|
| Born | Karin Jan Smithers[1] July 3, 1949[2] |
| Alma mater | Chouinard Art Institute |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1973–1987 |
| Known for | |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 1 |
Early life
editSmithers grew up in a middle-class family in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. 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.[3]
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.[4][3] She received offers from Hollywood agents as a result of that appearance.[3][5]
Smithers graduated from the Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California.[6] She attended the Chouinard Art Institute which is now known as the California Institute of the Arts.[3]
Career
editSmithers made her mark as a successful fashion model before embarking on an acting career.[6]
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.[3]
Personal life
editShe was the co-lead singer of the early 1970s band Hot Cup of Friends which featured Christopher Mancini (the son of Henry Mancini).[3]
Smithers's first marriage was to Kipp Whitman from 1971 to 1972. From 1986 to 1995, she was married to actor James Brolin[3] 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 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada "for a few years", she returned to California.[5] In June 2014, Smithers attended a reunion of surviving WKRP in Cincinnati cast members hosted by the Paley Center for Media.[7]
Television and filmography
edit| 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
edit- ^ a b "Jan Smithers Biography". TV Guide. TV Guide. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ Merrill, Brian (2006). On This Date: A Day-By-Day Look At Historical Events. Lulu.com. p. 127. ISBN 9781430305019.
- ^ a b c d e f g Jones, Abigail (May 12, 2016). "An Interview With Jan Smithers, Newsweek Teen Cover Star in 1966". Newsweek.
- ^ "The Teen-Agers". Newsweek. March 21, 1966.
- ^ a b "Whatever Happened To Actress Jan Smithers". July 3, 2006. Archived from the original on June 15, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2008.
- ^ a b Sells, Joel (May 28, 2024). "21 Fascinating Facts About Jan Smithers". Archived from the original on June 3, 2024. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
- ^ "Baby, If You've Ever Wondered: A WKRP in Cincinnati Reunion". The Paley Center for Media. June 4, 2014.
Further reading
edit- Vorpahl, Beverly (September 19, 1980). "'WKRP' stars: Behind the masks". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Cowles Publishing Company.
External links
edit- Jan Smithers at IMDb