‘The Love Boat’ star credits her mother for never getting arrested in Hollywood

Jill Whelan embarked on a journey to Hollywood stardom – and thanks to her mother, she survived treacherous waters.

The actress, who played Vicki Stubing on the hit sitcom “The Love Boat,” told Fox News Digital that she credits her mother, Carol Garrett, with helping her navigate her fame as a child star.

“My mother was incredible,” the 58-year-old said. “She never forgot that she was a parent before she became a momager.” And I largely attribute the fact that I wasn’t arrested to my mother.”

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Jill Whelan played Vicki Stubing opposite her TV father Gavin MacLeod (Captain Merrill Stubing) in ‘The Love Boat’. (Everett Collection)

“I’m still scared of her at 84,” Whelan chuckled. “She’s still wielding a big stick. (But) I think, in terms of any kid in the industry… a lot of parental responsibility is why they are, or aren’t able to be a to lead a fairly normal life.”

Jill Whelan grew up in the public eye. (ABC Photo Archive/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

Whelan knew exactly how to thank the matriarch. As a Celebrations ambassador for Princess Cruises, Whelan has taken her family on cruise vacations around the world, People magazine reported. According to the outlet, she and her stepfather also spent quality time together aboard a Princess cruise during New Year’s 2024 before his death.

Looking back, Whelan admitted that she found fame at a time when social media didn’t exist. It meant less pressure on the young star’s shoulders.

“My mother was incredible. She never forgot that she was a parent before she became a momager. And I attribute a lot of the fact that I didn’t get arrested to my mother.”

–Jill Whelan

Jill Whelan and her mother Carol attend the Young Musicians Foundations fourth annual Celebrity Mother/Daughter Fashion Show on March 28, 1985 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

“Puberty for millions of people is super fun,” she joked. “But I would say, when it comes to navigating (fame), thank God there was no internet or social media back then. Today we are in an industry where people are interested in what (celebrities) are doing in their private lives.

Jill Whelan told Fox News Digital that her “Love Boat” castmates kept her out of trouble. (ABC Photo Archive/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

Whelan also credited the cast of “The Love Boat” for guiding her along the way.

The sitcom, which aired from 1977 to 1987, told the romantic and often comedic stories of the passengers and crew of the Pacific Princess. Although initially scorned by critics, the series proved immensely popular, lasting nine seasons and spawning several TV movies.

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Jill Whelan is an ambassador for Princess Cruises Celebrations. More than forty years after her last visit to Australia, Whelan returned to the country to celebrate love at sea aboard the Royal Princess. (Rocket Weijers/Getty Images for Princess Cruises)

“My greatest joy is being able to talk about the relationship we all had together,” Whelan reflected. “And part of that was the way they trained me… Gavin MacLeod and Bernie Kopell… had been in the industry for a long time. And so by the time ‘Love Boat’ came out, they were the senior members …and they had a lot of experience and they set the tone for the rest of us in terms of how we should act as actors, and how lucky we were to be working actors.

Barbara Rush and Gavin MacLeod, circa 1978. (ABC Photo Archive/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

“We never let that be forgotten,” Whelan continued. “I think that was one of the biggest lessons they taught us, besides the classic ‘Show up early, know your lines and hit your target.’ These are some of the most basic rules, but many people forget or don’t necessarily consider them important.

“The industry has changed so much… because of unscripted TV shows. A lot of people want to be in the industry to be famous, and they forget that it really is a craft just like anything else… It’s a trade. ” art form. And that is what we as actors have to remember above all. I think that’s the biggest lesson they taught me.”

“The Love Boat” aired from 1977 to 1987. (ABC Photo Archive/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

Even after the series ended, the cast remained “incredibly close,” Whelan noted. MacLeod, who died in 2021 at the age of 90, was “like a father to me.”

“If it wasn’t for ‘The Love Boat,’ I would never have been anywhere,” she said. “They gave me the opportunity to travel the world and get to know different cultures and different people… (I) feel so proud to be able to have so much appreciation for people all over the world.”

Jill Whelan in ‘The Love Boat’, circa 1983. (ABC Photo Archive/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

And Whelan’s castmates weren’t the only ones who taught her valuable lessons growing up in the public eye. “The Love Boat” was known for featuring more than 500 celebrities, including numerous legends from Hollywood’s golden era, the Los Angeles Times reported.

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The cast of “The Love Boat” maintained a close bond over the years. (Princess Cruises)

“There were a few guests that surprised me, but not in a way that I feel comfortable talking about,” she said. “But what I would say is that some of the guys who were the biggest stars, the legends, like Olivia de Havilland, Ginger Rogers or Ethel Merman, were the ones who I thought would be untouchable, but probably some of them were them.” the most modest, most generous. And that, I think, was the biggest surprise. It seemed like the bigger a legend they were – Andy Warhol, for example, the more approachable and likable they were.

Ginger Rogers and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. are seen here in a 1979 episode of ‘The Love Boat’. (ABC Photo Archive/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

Whelan said the cast has reunited many times over the years — and that won’t change anytime soon.

“Imagine getting together with all your high school friends,” she said. “…You’ve had so many shared experiences that no one else can understand except that core group of yours. With us it’s kind of like that. We have our inside jokes, we have our private jokes, we know each other’s preferences, none of which we like what we are comfortable with and what we are not comfortable with.”

Princess Cruises has launched the Sun Princess, which is described as ‘the most modern and luxurious ship in the fleet’. (Princess Cruises)

Whelan also revealed that “The Love Boat” gave her a deep appreciation for cruising. Today, Princess Cruises is making waves with the debut of the Sun Princess, which is described as “the most modern and luxurious ship in the fleet.”

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According to reports, there was an increase in the popularity of cruises after the show’s premiere in 1977. Between 1978 and 1979, there were reportedly 1.2 million international cruise ship passengers. In 1986 there were 4.5 million passengers.

Before his death, MacLeod was a TV pitchman for Princess Cruises. In 2022, the reality series “The Real Love Boat” premiered, in which singles attempted to find love aboard a Princess Cruises ship.

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Between 1978 and 1979, there were reportedly 1.2 million international cruise ship passengers. In 1986 there were 4.5 million passengers. (ABC Photo Archive/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

“Even before ‘The Love Boat,’ I grew up on a sailboat,” Whelan explains. “So for me, the ocean has always been a big part of my life. It just feels organic to… celebrate the ocean and all it has to offer.”

From left: Fred Grandy (Gopher Smith), Ted Lange (Isaac Washington), Gavin MacLeod (Captain Merrill Stubing), Bernie Kopell (Dr. Adam Bricker) and Lauren Tewes (Julie McCoy). (Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Photo Archive/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images)

“I think everyone initially saw cruising as sacrosanct and only for the super-rich,” she said. “So as it became more accessible to everyone, and as soon as people started cruising more, the industry turned back to the art form and what people fantasized about. And then they started creating more of those experiences.”

Jill Whelan and Gavin MacLeod attend Clayton Kershaw’s 7th Annual Ping-Pong 4 Purpose at Dodger Stadium on August 8, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. MacLeod died in 2021. He was 90. (Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images for Kershaw’s Challenge)

As an adult, Whelan has led a successful acting career. And today, she has a lot of advice she would give to her younger self.

“I would tell her to trust her instincts and block out the noise,” Whelan said. ‘Whatever anyone says, whatever you hear, none of it is reality. You know who you are, and you are enough just the way you are.”