The next generation actress, dead at 70

Jill Jacobson, a film and television star known for her work in Star Trek: The Next Generation and the soap operas Falcon Crest and Days of our livesis dead. She was 70 years old.

Jacobson’s friend and publicist Daniel Harary confirmed the news to Black Sunday, December 15. Harary said she died Dec. 8 at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Culver Health Center after a “long illness.”

The actress, who served as a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society, revealed during an episode of The Jim Masters Show in September that she was battling esophageal cancer that “kind of took me out of the game for a while.”

“What I went through was pretty intense. You can’t function, you just can’t function,” she said at the time. “And now I’m so grateful, I just want to keep going, I want to help people. It makes me want to help people.”

Jacobson’s manager Ben Padua also confirmed the news of her death to Weekly entertainment, “We are incredibly sad to say goodbye to our beautiful, soulful, hysterically funny, elegantly sassy client, Jill Jacobson.”

“Jill was a total firebrand of an actress with comedic timing straight out of a Marx Brothers film and Hollywood glamor right out of its golden age. Jill took us on so many adventures and she was an absolute blast,” he added. “Thanks, Jill. See you in our dreams.”

Originally from Texas, Jacobson studied radio, television and film performance at the University of Texas at Austin before moving to LA to begin his acting career, per Deadline. In her earliest acting days, she appeared in films including the 1977s Nurse Sherri and Bad Georgia Road.

Jacobson appeared in several other indie comedy films during his career, including 1982’s Forbidden loveThe 1983s Baby sister and the 1984s Splash.

She also starred in a number of television roles from the 1980s to the 2000s, including a 22-episode stint as the character Erin Jones on Falcon Crest, five episodes of Days of our lives, two sections of Newhart, an episode of Quantum leap and many more.

In particular, Jacobson appeared in two different ones Star Trek series – Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — in two different guest roles.

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Most recently, Jacobson appeared in the horror anthology series Etheria in 2020. She was also known for her theater roles and stand-up comedy, performing at iconic LA venues Improv and The Comedy Store.

Caryn Richman, who starred in The new gadget along with Jacobson told Deadline that she remembered the actress as a “brilliant” comedic actress as well as a friend.

“Jill’s comedic timing was brilliant. And her enthusiasm and love of life made our time together on set a joy,” said Richman.

Jacobson’s family said in a statement, as of Deadline: “Beautiful, energetic and positive to the end, she will be deeply missed by numerous relatives, friends and her beloved dogs Benny and Kowalski.”