Iconic 'Star Trek' and 'Who's the Boss' Actress Dead Aged 70 After Battling 'Long Illness' and Cancer as Family Pay Tribute: 'Beautiful, Energetic and Positive to the End'
Star Trek actress Jill Jacobson passed away after a long battle with illness and esophageal cancer as tributes pour in.
Dec. 16 2024, Updated 5:12 a.m. ET
Legendary Star Trek actress Jill Jacobson has died aged 70 after battling a long illness.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the U.S star, who appeared in several other popular TV series during her distinguished career, had been recovering from esophageal cancer over the past two-and-a-half years.
Jacobson helped fellow cancer sufferers after becoming a volunteer spokesperson for the American Cancer Society.
She passed away at Culver West Health Center in Culver City, California, as confirmed by close friend and publicist Dan Harary.
In an emotional statement, he wrote: "Beautiful, energetic, and positive to the end, she will be deeply missed by numerous relatives, friends, and her beloved dogs Benny and Kowalski."
Jacobson also starred in Who's the Boss?, Party Down, House of Usher, Quantum Leap, Sledge Hammer!, Crazy Like a Fox, Arli$$ and My Sister Sam.
Speaking about her previous cancer battle, Jacobson said: "(The cancer) kind of took me out of the game for a while."
She added: "What I went through was pretty intense. You can't function, you just can't function.
"And now I'm so grateful, I just want to keep going, I want to help people. It makes you want to help people."
Jacobson started her career in the 1970s, playing small roles in a series of movies.
She got her big break in 1985 when she played Erin Jones on the soap opera Falcon Crest, plus Larue Wilson on eight episodes of The New Gidget from 1986–1987.
The actress appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, playing Vanessa and Aroya respectively.
But her most notable roles came via the sci-fi series, appearing in Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1989 and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in 1996, playing Vanessa and Aroya respectively.
Jacobson's colleague Caryn Richman, who she worked with on the Gidget reboot, praised her late peer personally and professionally.
She said: “Jill’s comic timing was brilliant and her enthusiasm and love of life made our time together on set joyful."
Some of her notable works also included Who's the Boss?, Party Down, House of Usher, Quantum Leap, Sledge Hammer!, Crazy Like a Fox, Arli$$ and My Sister Sam.
Jacobson's movie career included stints in 1984 Ron Howard hit Splash, which co-starred Tom Hanks, 1989's The Jigsaw Murders and the 2020 comedy Reality Queen! which starred Denise Richards.
Jacobson final project Merrily, currently under production, is set to release next year.
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The star also worked as a volunteer spokesperson for the American Cancer Society — and received awards for her contributions.
Speaking of her work helping fellow sufferers, she said: "Now I'm so grateful, I just want to keep going, I want to help people.
"It makes you want to help people."
Jacobson's final project Merrily, currently under production, is set to release next year.
The actress, whose parents were Dr. Harry Jacobson and Carol Toplitz Jacobson Hornstein, split time in her childhood between the Texas cities of Beaumont and Dallas.
She was a student at the University of Texas in Austin and graduated with a Radio, TV and Film degree prior to relocating to Los Angeles, where she debuted in the titular role on the 1977 horror film Nurse Sherri.
In addition to her acting ventures, Jacobson was also an accomplished stand-up comic, becoming a regular at venues in Los Angeles such as The Comedy Store and The Improv.
