Jan Smithers (born 1949 or 1950) is a former American 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] 1949 or 1950 (age 74–75)[2][3] |
| Alma mater | Chouinard Art Institute |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1973–1987 |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 1 |
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.[5] She attended the Chouinard Art Institute which is now known as the California Institute of the Arts.[2]
Career
Smithers made her mark as a successful model before embarking on an acting career. She appeared in many magazine spreads and caught the attention of industry insiders with her talent and natural beauty.[5]
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 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada "for a few years", she returned to California.[4] In June 2014, Smithers attended a reunion of surviving WKRP in Cincinnati cast members hosted by the Paley Center for Media.[6]
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
Further reading
- Vorpahl, Beverly (September 19, 1980). "'WKRP' stars: Behind the masks". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Cowles Publishing Company.
External links
- Jan Smithers at IMDb