Table of Biography
Jill Whelan is a popular actress from the United States. Jill Whelan is widely recognized and known for her role as Vicki Stubing in the television series “The Love Boat.”
Early Life
On the 29th of September 1966, Jill Whelan was born in Oakland, California, the United States of America. Currently, she is 57 years old and has a birth sign of Libra. Additionally, she is an American by nationality and practices Christianity religion.
She was born to her parents; Carol Garrett (mother) and Charles Whelan (father). She has a sister named Nancy Whelan. From an early age, she was passionate about acting and had a dream to become an actress.
Caption: Jill Whelan’s childhood photo (Source: Positively Stacey)
Jill Whelan – Education
Moving on to her academic qualification, she attended Smith School in Livermore, California until the 6th grade. During her high school days, she went to summer acting camps. She later attended the Buckley School and graduated in 1984, after spending time at Guildford College in Surrey. She also studies English Literature before returning to Los Angeles.
Professional Career
At the age of eight, she auditioned for and appeared in a local production of “The King and I” and her school picture was sent to a San Francisco Talent Agency, where she landed a series of TV commercials. Producers noticed her in an M&M commercial, and she was cast in “Friends” (1977), which was quickly canceled.
She rose to fame after she made her appearance in the soap opera “The Young and the Restless” in which she appeared along with Barbara Crampton and Michael Damian. Moreover, she was cast as Vicki, the daughter of Captain Stubing in “The Love Boat” at the age of 11. She began as a guest star on the show before becoming a series regular.
Caption: The poster of the television series, The Love Boat (Source: TV Guide)
She left acting in 1999 to work as an investigative producer for Los Angeles television station KCOP, as well as a radio show host for 1210 WPHT radio. Further, she appeared on an episode of “The Weakest Link,” a trivia game show hosted by Anne Robinson, on November 25, 2001.
Whelan competed against Mackenzie Phillips, Nell Carter, Cindy Williams, Joan Van Ark, Erin Moran, Erik Estrada, and Fred “Re-run” Berry, among others. She outlasted the competition and won $57,000 for her charity.
Continued working in the television industry
She appeared with several other cast members from the film “Airplane!” in a reunion segment on NBC’s Today Show on September 10, 2008. “Jill Whelan: An Evening in Dry Dock,” her one-woman show, made its New York City cabaret debut at the Metropolitan Room in October 2008. She appeared in the British farce “Move Over Mrs Markham” at Stage West Theatre Restaurant in Toronto, Ontario, from September to November 2011.
Whelan was set to replace Mark Thompson, who retired on August 17, 2012, after 25 years of co-hosting “The Mark & Brian Show” on KLOS in Los Angeles. However, during Thompson’s final broadcast, co-host Brian Phelps announces his departure from KLOS.
She co-hosted “The Brian and Jill Show” with Brian Phelps in 2013. They both enjoy improvisational comedy and have created hundreds of characters that they have performed on stage during improv shows and in podcast sketches. Whelan is mentioned as an actress who never had relevance in the dimension of the protagonists in “Dead Man Sliding,” the tenth episode of Sliders’ third season.
Awards
Whelan won the Young Artist Award in the category of Best Young Actress in a Drama Series for “The Love Boat” in 1983. In 1980, she was nominated for a Stinker Award for Worst Performance by a Child in a Featured Role for “Airplane!”
Net Worth 2024
As of 2023, Whelan’s net worth is estimated at around $1.5 million while her earnings and salary are still missing. She has been able to make such a sum of money through her acting career in television series and movies.
Relationship Status
On the 30th of September 2017, Jill Whelan married Jeff Knapple. However, the couple has not yet shared any kids at the moment. Currently, the couple is living happily and there is no sign of their separation.
Caption: Jill Whelan with her husband, Jeff Knapple: Famous with Kara Mayer Robinson)
In the past, Whelan was married twice. Firstly, she married Brad St. John on December 24, 1993. With the marriage, the couple has a son named Harrison St. John. However, the relationship between them could not stay long and ended in divorce in 2001. After this, she married Michael Chaykowsky on April 2, 2004. The couple has a son named Grant Chaykowsky and the couple divorced in 2014.
Till now, this talented actress has not been involved in any major controversy or scandals. Meanwhile, she has avoided such things and has maintained a clean profile.
Body Measurements
Caption: Jill Whelan clicking a photo in front of a mirror (Source: Instagram)
Whelan stands 5 feet 6 inches (1.63 m) and weighs around 55 kg (121 lbs). Meanwhile, she has a pair of blue eyes with blonde hair color. In addition, her body measurement measures 34-26-34 inches, wears a shoe size of 7 US and a dress size of 4 US.
Social Media
On her Instagram page ‘@officialjillwhelan’ there are over 9.7k followers. Likewise, there are over 7k followers on her Twitter page ‘@WhelanJill’ and over 6.5k followers on her Facebook page.