Jan Smithers — Biography
Jan Smithers grew up as one of four daughters in Woodland Hills, a pleasant neighborhood nestled in California's San Fernando Valley, just north of Los Angeles. Her father practiced law. During her time at Taft High School, where she pursued her passion for art, Smithers had a car accident. Swerving to evade another vehicle, she collided with a utility pole, resulting in a scar on her chin that remains with her.
A couple of years following the incident, a Newsweek journalist named David Moberg interviewed Smithers for an article focusing on the average American teenager of the 1960s. Photographer Julian Wasser captured an image of her joyfully riding on the back of a friend's motorcycle. This seemingly carefree photograph graced the cover of the March 21, 1966 edition of the magazine. This exposure opened doors to opportunities in commercial advertising while she was still engaged in her art studies at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia.
After several years of acting work, Smithers landed the part of Bailey Quarters, a sweet but reserved character, in the 1978 CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. The show centered on the inner workings of a radio station in the Midwest. Following the series' conclusion, she continued to act sporadically. In 1987, she married actor James Brolin. She became a stepmother to his two sons and later welcomed a daughter with Brolin. Their marriage concluded in 1995.
A couple of years following the incident, a Newsweek journalist named David Moberg interviewed Smithers for an article focusing on the average American teenager of the 1960s. Photographer Julian Wasser captured an image of her joyfully riding on the back of a friend's motorcycle. This seemingly carefree photograph graced the cover of the March 21, 1966 edition of the magazine. This exposure opened doors to opportunities in commercial advertising while she was still engaged in her art studies at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia.
After several years of acting work, Smithers landed the part of Bailey Quarters, a sweet but reserved character, in the 1978 CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. The show centered on the inner workings of a radio station in the Midwest. Following the series' conclusion, she continued to act sporadically. In 1987, she married actor James Brolin. She became a stepmother to his two sons and later welcomed a daughter with Brolin. Their marriage concluded in 1995.
