Ann Jillian went from a Disney child star to a ’80s sitcom favorite, even portraying her own battle with cancer on screen.
Then, at the height of her career, she walked away from Hollywood.
The actress, who won a Golden Globe in 1989 for the TV movie “The Ann Jillian Story,” recently appeared on the podcast “Famous with Jacy Dawn Valeras” to discuss leaving showbiz at the peak of her career.
“I’ve been out of it for a while,” said the 76-year-old. “I’ve been out of it for a good reason. I gave birth to my one and only son when I was 42, and I took that seriously too.
“Now, maybe somebody out there can do this, and good for them,” she said, speaking about balancing both motherhood and fame.
“I love that they can. For me, I recognize that I cannot. Since I like to focus on what I do, I cannot do all things at the same time.
“I can, over the course of a lifetime — the life that the good Lord has given me — I can do everything that I want to do, but not all at the same time. Ultimately, if you try to do it all at the same time, something is going to suffer because your focus is going to go away from one thing.
“And I was determined at my age, at 42, that it was more likely going to be my only son,” Jillian added.
The actress got her start as a child star whose stage name was given to her by Walt Disney himself before she starred in 1961’s “Babes in Toyland.”
Just a year later, she appeared in 1962’s “Gypsy” alongside Natalie Wood and Rosalind Russell.
Jillian successfully grew up in the public eye and went on to star in the TV series “It’s a Living” from 1980 to 1986. In 1985, Jillian was diagnosed with cancer at age 35, which she fought — and won.
“I felt that I had a great career,” she explained. “When I left the industry, so to speak, it was after my son was born … I had to be there to put him to bed. But then he had to grow roots. He had to go to school. And I thought about this.
“I thought, ‘I don’t want to be a thousand miles away if he gets a boo-boo. I don’t want to be a thousand miles away when he wants to talk about something just terrible that happened at school or just wonderful that happened at school.’
“I want to be there to see him get his first communion,” she said. “I don’t want to be in front of a camera somewhere when it’s time for him to have his first communion.
“So, basically, I hung up my dancing shoes, so to speak, and said, ‘Nope, nope, this is the most important role I have to play right now, and that’s being a mom.’
“I’m sure I made some mistakes along the way,” Jillian continued. “But I learned an awful lot, too. And I had the privilege with my husband and God of bringing life into the world and raising a young man who is now an international tax attorney.
“He’s handsome. He’s witty. He could have been an actor because he’s got a mind like a steel trap, his delivery is way better than mine ever was and he has a great voice. And I wouldn’t trade that for the world, for the time that I was gone.”
Over the years, Jillian has been selective in choosing gigs that won’t keep her far away from her family. Her last appearance was in a 2000 episode of “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
“I love my industry,” Jillian told the outlet. “I love what I did during the time that I was in that industry. I loved the job that I had and was thankful for it. I was really thankful … I find it remarkable when I look at it now.”
In 2021, Jillian spoke to Fox News Digital about how many people viewed her as a sex symbol during her time on “It’s a Living.”
“Well, it didn’t bother me,” Jillian said at the time. “I took it more as [the public] appreciated my looks. And that was fine with me. When you look good, you feel good. And that’s how I felt.
“I certainly don’t approve of some of the things that have happened over the years [in the industry],” she said.
“I support women standing up for themselves. But if you ask me specifically how I felt about that title back then, then I have to be very honest with you. And the truth is, I felt quite honored that people liked the way I looked, and I pleased their eyes. I was fine with that.”
Jillian also noted that faith kept her grounded in Hollywood.
“Some might say it’s not a normal childhood to go into a studio in front of cameras,” she said.
“That’s true. But from a young age, I was taught that it was just playing pretend. I just got paid for it. And playing pretend is very childlike, and it made me happy. I was never forced. I did it because I loved it. And I think that made the difference.”
