JILL WHELAN
Jill Whelan's love of theatre began at the young age of 7 when a summer theatre program introduced her to acting. She then performed in many musical theatre productions and was California Little Miss. After sending her own school picture to a San Francisco Talent Agency, she did a number of national commercials and, at the age of 11, starred in her first T.V. series. After her show ended, she filmed "Airplane" and has been a guest on a number of T.V. shows. She then landed the role of "Vicki" on the "Love Boat," which ran 10 years. Throughout that time she also starred in many musical productions during her hiatus, and hosted many "Variety club" telethons. Jill was directed by the legendary Martin Sheen in the Emmy award winning movie of the week, “Babies Having Babies”. Jill has had the honor working with hundreds of legendary performers like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Carol Channing, Ethel Merman and many others! Jill worked with Nancy Reagan as her national spokesperson for the First Lady’s "Just Say No!" anti drug campaign. Jill has sung at the White House for two presidential administrations, both Reagan and the Bush. After the Love Boat ended Jill attended college in England at Guilford. Jill then moved to New York to do theater. After doing several off Broadway productions, Jill felt it was important to learn the “other side” of the business. She started a career as a producer at Madison Square Garden, where she was producing legendary concerts such as the MTV Birthday tribute to Bob Dylan, the ESPY’S, Harry Conic Live at the Paramount, and many more. It was during this time Jill met her present husband Michael. Jill and Michael became friends, but it would be another 13 years before they would marry. Jill met and married her first husband after leaving the Garden. When she was close to the birth of her first son, Jill moved back to California to be near her family. After Harrison was three it was time to go back to work. Jill began to work on the daytime soap opera “The Young and the Restless”. When that job ended, Jill began to realize that with a new child she needed to find a job that was more stable with set hours. Jill has always loved news and headlines, so she began to work at a local news station as an assignment desk assistant. Jill worked her way from the bottom job up to an investigative producer. After four years at KCOP in Los Angeles, Jill decided to leave the station after their news department became ‘infotainment’ rather than ‘news’. Jill moved back east to marry Michael, and they now have a new son together named Grant who was born July 1st, ’06. Between the two of them, Jill and Michael have three boys – Michael II, Harrison, and Grant. Presently Jill lives in the Delaware valley with her family and currently hosts an edgy Hollywood gossip/news show on The Big Talker 1210am in Philly. Jill also has a very successful acting studio for children and adults in Bucks County and Philadelphia where she teaches improv comedy, scene study, film, television and commercial acting. Since giving birth to her latest child Jill has returned to her acting and singing career and is starring in a one woman show that she co-wrote and produced called-Jill Whelan An Evening in Dry Dock.....a night of trash-talk about celebrities she's worked with! Jill has been performing her show off Broadway in NYC, up and down the east-coast, and is available for bookings through www.jillwhelan.com !!
