Lisa Whelchel on George Clooney & If Her ‘Facts of Life’ Character Would Have Had “A Lot of Plastic Surgery” (Exclusive)
Lisa Whelchel is best known for her time as Blair Warner on The Facts of Life, which ran on NBC from 1979 to 1988, as well as her years as a cast member of The Mickey Mouse Club, which aired from 1977 to 1979. But there’s a lot more to Whelchel, who is now hosting the sixth season of her MeTV series Collector’s Call. She’s a singer whose 1987 LP All Because of You reached #17 on the Billboard Contemporary Christian Music charts (but lost a Grammy to Donna Summer). She’s a writer.
And, as she tells ReMIND‘s Mike Pingel, she has a lot to say about her time working on The Mickey Mouse Club, her experiences acting with George Clooney, and where Blair Warner might be today.
Wikipedia
What was your most challenging or favorite acting role?
Lisa: Oh well, I wouldn’t call Collector’s Call acting, but it is probably one of my favorites. Just because it’s so easy for me, it feels like I’m just showing up and having a conversation and it’s being filmed and I’m getting paid. That’s kind of a nice job.
But I would also say Mickey Mouse Club was fun. We got to film at Disneyland and Disney World, and so you can’t beat that as a kid. Being in a parade, riding down Main Street and giant mouse ears. You know what, 12-year-old doesn’t want to do that?
Then Facts of Life, getting to go to work with three other girls that are like sisters. And then they bring George Clooney in — just this hot, fun guy. What a way to live and make a living.
Embassy Pictures/Everett Collection
Did you think George would become who he became after the show?
No, no. I mean, he was cute, and he was fun. But, I mean, he is aged like a fine wine, not only his acting, but it also just his looks and he’s really grown. I just really respect who he is in this world.
What would you think Blair would be up to today?
Probably a lot of plastic surgery, a lot of fillers. She would probably be on Ozempic. I mean, she would just be trying to hold it all together, even though that age is a fast train, it’s hard to outrun, but she’d be doing her best.
Lisa, you’re gorgeous. What is your regiment? You look like you walked off the set of The Facts of Life.
You know, to be honest, I know this is silly, but I do have good genes. My mom looks young, but I also carry about another extra 20 pounds, but I think that actually kind of spreads out the wrinkles. There is a positive to that and I’m not joking. I think there is something. People that are really thin — as much as I’d love to be really, really, really thin — I do think that it shows age a little bit more easily.
Do you see any of your Mickey Mouse Mouseketeers?
I do; as a matter of fact, Julie Pikarski, who was on The Mickey Mouse Club and was also in the first season of The Facts of Life, is part of my game club, and we meet once a month. She and I and two other women, my husband cooks for us, and we play games. We all just recently started taking Mahjong classes. Yes, I see her often.
Walt Disney/ Courtesy: Everett Collection.
What games do you play?
Mahjong right now, I’ve always had a game club. It’s wherever I’ve lived. It’s a way for me to be intentional and stay connected with my friends. I have a whole closet of board games.
Let’s talk about your LP “All Because of You,” is it ever going to be released digitally or on limited LP/CD?
I don’t think so. I don’t think there’s a big market for that right now.
Well, my best friend Brian was talking about having an argument with his other friend about who had the better album, Lisa or Madonna.
Wow. That’s an incredible company. Tell him. Thank you for letting me be in that company.
Brian said Madonna and his friend said Lisa, Lisa, Lisa!
Tell Brian his friend is my favorite friend!
What’s next for Lisa?
Well, I am currently writing a book and it’s a different book than the one I’ve written. In the past, I’ve written a bunch of faith-based books. The tentative title is Don’t throw the Baby Jesus Out with the Bath Water, so it does certainly have my faith as part of it, but not in an evangelical context as the others had been.
The sixth season of Collectors’ Call is now airing, with all new episodes airing every Sunday night on MeTV at 6:30pm ET.
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August 2021
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