Jillian appeared in more than 25 films, mostly for television.
Though she had nearly two decades' worth of film and television credits already, she first came to national prominence in the 1980s' series It's a Living, a sitcom that elevated Jillian to sex symbol status in 1980.
She was last to be signed onto this series and received last place billing.
The sitcom aired for two seasons on ABC before being cancelled due to low ratings and was sold into syndication for the burgeoning cable television market.

Toward the end of her time on the series for the ABC run, she portrayed Mae West in a 1982 made-for-television film.
The supporting cast included James Brolin, Piper Laurie and Roddy McDowall.
Jillian was nominated for a lead actress Emmy and Golden Globe for her performance.

In 1983, she appeared in the John Hughes movie Mr. Mom with Michael Keaton and Teri Garr.
The same year, she appeared in the miniseries Malibu, starring Kim Novak, Eva Marie Saint and James Coburn.
That fall she starred on her own sitcom, Jennifer Slept Here, in which she played a ghost in a variation on The Ghost & Mrs. Muir.
By this time, It's a Living had become a surprise success in syndication.

Jennifer Slept Here ended in 1984, enabling her to take a role in the miniseries Ellis Island, co-starring Richard Burton, Faye Dunaway, Ben Vereen and Liam Neeson.
Dunaway and Vereen were nominated for Golden Globe Awards, and Jillian and Burton were nominated for Emmy Awards.

Bob Hope selected her to appear in six of his television specials, including two entertaining U.S. troops stationed in Beirut (1984) and Saudi Arabia (1991).
She displayed her athletic abilities on three Battle of the Network Stars specials and a Circus of the Stars special and appeared in the charity extravaganza Night of 100 Stars.
She guest starred in television specials for Don Rickles (1986) and David Copperfield (1987) and was on the dais at The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast for Mr. T (1984).

In 1985, she played The Red Queen to Carol Channing's White Queen in an all-star television musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.
The same year, the producers of It's a Living made the relatively unheard-of decision to resume production of the series, by then three years off the air, for first-run syndication, and Jillian was contractually obligated to return to the series.

In 1994, she played the mother of an unborn child with a heart defect in Heart of a Child.
Jillian appeared in more than 25 films, mostly for television. Though she had nearly two decades' worth of film and television credits already, she first came to national prominence in the 1980s' series It's a Living, a sitcom that elevated Jillian to sex symbol status in 1980. She was last to be signed onto this series and received last place billing. The sitcom aired for two seasons on ABC before being cancelled due to low ratings and was sold into syndication for the burgeoning cable television market.
Toward the end of her time on the series for the ABC run, she portrayed Mae West in a 1982 made-for-television film. The supporting cast included James Brolin, Piper Laurie and Roddy McDowall. Jillian was nominated for a lead actress Emmy and Golden Globe for her performance.
In 1983, she appeared in the John Hughes movie Mr. Mom with Michael Keaton and Teri Garr. The same year, she appeared in the miniseries Malibu, starring Kim Novak, Eva Marie Saint and James Coburn. That fall she starred on her own sitcom, Jennifer Slept Here, in which she played a ghost in a variation on The Ghost & Mrs. Muir. By this time, It's a Living had become a surprise success in syndication.
Jennifer Slept Here ended in 1984, enabling her to take a role in the miniseries Ellis Island, co-starring Richard Burton, Faye Dunaway, Ben Vereen and Liam Neeson. Dunaway and Vereen were nominated for Golden Globe Awards, and Jillian and Burton were nominated for Emmy Awards.
Bob Hope selected her to appear in six of his television specials, including two entertaining U.S. troops stationed in Beirut (1984) and Saudi Arabia (1991). She displayed her athletic abilities on three Battle of the Network Stars specials and a Circus of the Stars special and appeared in the charity extravaganza Night of 100 Stars. She guest starred in television specials for Don Rickles (1986) and David Copperfield (1987) and was on the dais at The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast for Mr. T (1984).
In 1985, she played The Red Queen to Carol Channing's White Queen in an all-star television musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. The same year, the producers of It's a Living made the relatively unheard-of decision to resume production of the series, by then three years off the air, for first-run syndication, and Jillian was contractually obligated to return to the series.
In 1994, she played the mother of an unborn child with a heart defect in Heart of a Child.
Ann Jillian