Jan Smithers | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1973–1987 |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 1 |
Jan Smithers is a former American actress. She is best known for playing Bailey Quarters on the CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–1982).
Life and career
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.[1] She received offers from Hollywood agents as a result of that appearance.[2][3] 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 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, she now lives in Ojai, California.[3] In June 2014, Smithers attended a reunion of surviving WKRP in Cincinnati cast members hosted by the Paley Center for Media.[4]
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
- ↑ Jones, Abigail (May 12, 2016). "Newsweek Staffers Remember the 1966 Cover Story on Teens". Newsweek.com. Newsweek. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
- 1 2 3 Jones, Abigail (May 12, 2016). "An Interview With Jan Smithers, Newsweek Teen Cover Star In 1966". Newsweek.
- 1 2 "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". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Cowles Publishing Company.
External links
- Jan Smithers at IMDb