Jill Whelan

Actress, Singer, Writer and Executive Producer Jill Whelan brings more than 45 years of high-energy, authentic experience to the entertainment industry, starting with her memorable appearance in Airplane and staring alongside Gavin MacLeod in The Love Boat, playing his beloved daughter Vicki Stubing. Her love of theater began at age seven when a summer musical theater program introduced her to acting. After sending her own school picture to a San Francisco Talent Agency, she did several national commercials and, at theage of 10, was cast in the national touring company of Annie as an orphan and Annie understudy but had to decline as she was cast to star in her first drama TV series, Aaron Spelling’s Friends on ABC. That same year, she filmed the classic comedy film, Airplane, and made her first appearance and subsequently was cast as a regular on The Love Boat at age 11.The Love Boat ran for 10 years (1977-1986) and afforded her the opportunity to work with hundreds of legendary performers including Frank Sinatra, Carol Channing, and Ethel Merman. Through that time, she hosted many ‘Variety Club’ telethons touring and performing with Sammy Davis Jr and Liza Minnelli. In 1987, Whelan was directed by the legendary Martin Sheen in the Emmy award-winning movie of the week, Babies Having Babies. Other television: A Christmas Tree Miracle, Celebrity Wife Swap (swapping homes with Love Boat co-star, Charo), BET’s Real Husbands of Hollywood, CBS’ The Bold & The Beautiful, and Pop TV’s Don’t Blink, Criminal Minds, Phineas and Pherb “Live and Let Drive” Battle of the Network Stars. Independent films: 6 Degrees of Hell ,Wrong Swipe, Dispatch, Girl in The Pool ,Theater: Sacramento Music Circus Sound of Music(Leisel), Annie Get Your Gun(Annie), Oklahoma;!(Laurie), King and I(TupTim), Wizard of Oz(Dorothy), Frozen or Dead(Linda);Melrose Playhouse , I’m Not Rappaport(Clara)Encore Theater; Lemon Meringue Facade- Whitefire Theater, Lady Patriot (Elizabeth Van Lew)Theater Row NYC. Whelan’s one-woman cabaret show National tour, Jill Whelan: An Evening in Dry Dock.  Jill co-executive produced and starred in the limited web series Take it from the Top, written and created by Whelan and Leah Mangum and directed by fellow “Love Boat” actor Ted Lange. The show co-stars Carolyn Hennesy, Leah Mangum, Jonathan Mangum and garnered several film festival laurels including Best TV Comedy and Best Director and best actress.  An avid home chef and Martha Stewart wannabe Jill lives in California and Arizona with her husband Jeff and are the parents of four adult sons and their two Great Pyrenees puppies Buddy and Mazie.