Ann Jillian facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ann Jillian
Ann Jillian at the 1988 Emmy Awards
Born	Ann Jura Nauseda (1950-01-29) January 29, 1950 (age 75) Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, singer
Years active	1960–2000
Known for	Babes in Toyland It's a Living Mae West Gypsy The Ann Jillian Story
Spouse(s)	Andrew L. Murcia ​ (m. 1978)​
Children	1

Ann Jillian (born Ann Jura Nauseda on January 29, 1950) is a former American actress and singer. She started her career as a child actress in 1960. She is well-known for playing Cassie Cranston in the 1980s TV show It's a Living.

Early Life and Acting Start

Ann Jillian and Mickey Rooney in Sugar Babies, 1979

Ann Jillian was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1950. Her parents were immigrants from Lithuania. She grew up as a Roman Catholic and can speak Lithuanian fluently.

She began acting as a child in 1960. Her first role was Little Bo Peep in the Disney film Babes in Toyland. In 1962, she played Dainty June in the movie Gypsy. She also appeared in several TV shows in the 1960s and 1970s. She was a regular on the TV show Hazel (1965-66 season). She also appeared in a 1963 episode of Twilight Zone called "Mute".

In 1983, the Young Artist Foundation gave her an award. It was called the "Lifetime Achievement" Award for former child stars. This award recognized her great work in entertainment as a young actress.

Moving to Voice Acting and Broadway

In the early 1970s, Ann Jillian started doing voice roles. She lent her voice to cartoons like Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! and Sealab 2020. At one point, she was told she was too old for young roles but too young for lead adult roles. So, she took a job at a department store and studied psychology. However, she remembered advice from Walt Disney to "keep working at your craft."

Ann Jillian married Andy Murcia, a police sergeant, in 1978. Andy later retired to help manage her career.

In the late 1970s, she performed in musical comedies. She appeared with Mickey Rooney in the play Goodnight Ladies. This led to her being cast in the Broadway show Sugar Babies in 1979. She starred alongside Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller.

Becoming Famous in the 1980s

Ann Jillian acted in more than 25 films, mostly for television. She joined the cast of the TV show It's a Living. This show aired for two seasons on ABC. After it was canceled, it became very popular when shown again in syndication. While on the show, she played Mae West in a 1982 TV movie about the star. Ann Jillian was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe award for her performance.

In 1983, she was in the movie Mr. Mom with Michael Keaton. That same year, she appeared in the miniseries Malibu. Later that year, she starred in her own TV show, Jennifer Slept Here. In this show, Ann Jillian played a ghost. Jennifer Slept Here ended in 1984. This allowed her to take a role in the miniseries Ellis Island. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role in this series.

Ann Jillian in Philadelphia, 1984

Bob Hope chose her to appear in six of his TV specials. These included two shows for U.S. troops in Beirut (1984) and Saudi Arabia (1991). She also showed her athletic skills on Battle of the Network Stars specials. In 1985, she played The Red Queen in an all-star TV musical of Alice in Wonderland.

The show It's a Living started production again in 1985. Ann Jillian was required by her contract to return to the series. She later starred in her own TV show, Ann Jillian, which aired in 1989–90. In 1994, she played a mother in the movie Heart of a Child.

Personal Life and Later Work

Family and Career Focus

Ann Jillian had her only child, a son named Andrew Joseph Murcia, in 1992. She continued to act in TV movies throughout the 1990s. However, she started acting less often in the late 1990s. She decided to focus on raising her son. She also wanted to spend more time promoting awareness about breast cancer.

Today, Ann Jillian often works as a motivational speaker. She also sings in concerts with orchestras. She sometimes writes articles for a website called TheColumnists.com. She lives with her family in the Greater Los Angeles area.

In 2015, Ann Jillian was honored by being added to the National Lithuanian American Hall of Fame.

Her Battle with Cancer

In 1985, before It's a Living started filming again, Ann Jillian was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was 35 years old at the time. She became a strong supporter for cancer research and prevention. She left It's a Living after the 1985–86 season to focus on her health. Her treatment included a double mastectomy.

Her journey with cancer was made into a popular TV movie called The Ann Jillian Story (1988). Ann Jillian played herself in the film. The movie took two years to make. Ann Jillian received her third Emmy Award nomination for her role. She also won a Golden Globe Award in 1989 for her performance in the movie.

Film and TV Roles

See also

In Spanish: Ann Jillian para niños

• List of people from Massachusetts