Jill Whelan, who famously portrayed the Vicki Gruber on The Love Boat, has finally sailed into her real-life love story.
While her character played the captain’s sweet and innocent daughter, her personal journey post-show has been far more complex, marked by the challenging waters of two divorces.
Yet, as the saying goes, ‘third time’s a charm,’ Whelan found her soulmate in Jeff Knapp, 68, whom she married in 2017.
Celebrating Valentine’s Day at Princess Cruises’ Love by Britto restaurant, Jill opened up about how her life has blossomed since meeting Knapp.
‘We really get along so well and enjoy each other’s company so much and respect each other so much. And we make each other laugh, so we’re really, really lucky,” she told People.
She added, ‘This is not the first marriage for either one of us. It took us a minute to find the right person, but we did eventually.’
Jill Whelan, who famously portrayed the Vicki Gruber on The Love Boat, has finally sailed into her real-life love story
Jill played Vicki Stubing on the mega hit TV series Love Boat from 1978 until 1987; (pictured with her screen father Gavin MacLeod in 1979)
Reflecting on her past, the actress—who has been married twice and is a mother of three from previous relationships—shared that her experiences with two divorces taught her the importance of ‘never settling.’
Whelan also emphasized a crucial lesson: ‘You’re never going to remake somebody. You better love them exactly the way they are when they come to you.’
She continued, ‘You’ve got to be yourself when you meet somebody because if they don’t love you for who you are, then it’s a constant game of acting like somebody else. You can’t sustain that.’
The actress lived by this advice when she started dating Knapp.
‘When we started dating after both of our divorces, we both went, ‘You know what? I’m just going to be myself, and if they don’t like this self, then that’s fine. No harm, no foul, but that’s not going to be the person for me.’
She added, ‘At some point, the chickens are going to come to roost, and it is going to get sticky and ugly and complicated. It’s a lot easier to be yourself.’
The Love Boat aired from 1977 to 1986, with Jill joining the cast in 1978 as Vicki Stubing, the captain’s daughter.
In January, Jill dished to People on where her character Vicki would be today.
Yet, as the saying goes, ‘third time’s a charm,’ Whelan found her soulmate in Jeff Knapp, 68, whom she married in 2017
She added, ‘This is not the first marriage for either one of us. It took us a minute to find the right person, but we did eventually’
Jill also revealed she has big plans for 2025, but she’s ‘most excited’ about a play she’ll be doing with her Love Boat costars Ted Lange, 77, and Fred Grandy, 76; (Clockwise (from C): Gavin MacLeod, Lauren Tewes, Fred Grandy, Ted Lange, Bernie Kopell, Jill)
‘In the last episode we shot for The Love Boat, Vicki was a travel agent. I’ve always dreamed she would turn out to become a ship’s captain like her father,’ Whelan shared, reflecting on her late TV father Captain Merrill Stubing, portrayed by Gavin MacLeod.
MacLeod, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 90, famously played the captain aboard the Pacific Princess, the real Princess Cruises ship featured during the show’s run.
Jill also revealed she has big plans for 2025, but she’s ‘most excited’ about a play she’ll be doing with her Love Boat costars Ted Lange, 77, and Fred Grandy, 76.
‘It’s a true story about the life of Mary Bowers, who was an educated Black woman from the North during the Civil War. She infiltrated herself into the Confederacy to bring secrets back to help the Union win the war,’ she explained to the outlet.
