Maggie Wheeler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maggie Wheeler
Wheeler in 2013
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1982–present
Spouse(s)	Daniel Wheeler ​ (m. 1990)​
Children	2

Maggie Wheeler (born Maggie Jakobson) is an American actress. She is famous for playing Janice on the popular TV show Friends from 1994 to 2004. You probably know her for Janice's famous catchphrase, "Oh! My! God!". She also played the character Anita on the show Ellen.

Besides acting, Maggie is also a talented singer, songwriter, and choir director.

Early Life

Wheeler grew up in New York City. Her mother, Barbara, was a writer, and her father, John Jakobson, was a member of the New York Stock Exchange. She was raised in a secular Jewish family, which means they identified with Jewish culture but were not religious. She went to The Calhoun School in New York City.

Acting Career

First Roles and Voice Acting

In the 1980s, Maggie started her career doing voice acting for cartoons. In the animated series SilverHawks, she was the voice for many of the female characters, including the villain Melodia and the hero Steelheart. She also worked on other cartoons like Karate Kat.

Becoming Famous on Friends

Maggie Wheeler is most famous for her role as Janice on the TV show Friends. Janice was known for her unique laugh and her on-and-off relationship with the character Chandler Bing. Although she was a guest star, she appeared in 19 episodes, with at least one appearance in every season of the show.

Many people thought she first tried out for the part of Monica Geller, but she has said this isn't true. She was invited to audition specifically for the role of Janice.

Other TV Shows and Movies

Wheeler also had a recurring role on another popular sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond. She played Linda, a friend of the main character, Debra Barone. She almost got the main role of Debra, but actress Patricia Heaton was chosen instead.

She has appeared in many other TV shows, including:

• Seinfeld
• The X-Files
• Drake & Josh
• How I Met Your Mother
• Will & Grace

In 1998, she acted in the Disney movie The Parent Trap as Marva Kulp Jr., one of the camp counselors. She has also done voice work for many animated movies and shows. She was the voice of Odile in Barbie of Swan Lake and Trinette on the animated show Archer. In 2011, she guest-starred on the Disney Channel show Shake It Up as the mother of Dina Garcia.

Music and Workshops

Maggie Wheeler loves music. She is one of the founders of the Golden Bridge Community Choir in Hollywood. This is a special choir because anyone can join without an audition. The choir performs concerts to raise money and help people in their community and around the world.

She also travels to schools, universities, and community centers to lead workshops that teach people how to sing and use their voices.

Personal Life

Maggie has been married to Daniel Borden Wheeler, a sculptor, since 1990. They have two children together.

Selected Filmography

Here are some of the movies and TV shows Maggie Wheeler has been in.

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Maggie Wheeler para niños