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).
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 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]
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]