'Facts of Life' star Geri Jewell on returning to 'Deadwood,' overcoming addiction and counting on faith
.Geri Jewell skyrocketed to fame on 'The Facts of Life,' becoming the first person with a visible disability in a hit prime-time TV show
LOS ANGELES – There have been rumblings of a "Facts of Life" reboot in the works, but could it happen?
Geri Jewell, who rose to fame in the beloved series, recently spoke to Fox News and said the show "has surprises coming up," but noted she couldn't "say anything else."
She also gave us a taste of what her character, Geri Tyler, would be up to today, which may or may be a bit of foreshadowing.
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“She would be a nightclub owner,” Jewell told us while attending the Hollywood Museum Celebrates the 55th Anniversary of "Gilligan's Island" event. “She got tired of doing standup comedy and she decided to run a nightclub and hire standup comics.”
Actress Geri Jewell attends the L.A. premiere of HBO's 'Deadwood' at The Cinerama Dome on May 14. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)
Jewell, 63, adds that she’s beyond thrilled that people still love and appreciate the show today. “Oh gosh. The '80s!” she exclaimed, with a proud grin, adding that "The Facts of Life" is “a cult show” and is still attracting new generations of fans on MeTV.
"The first episode that I ever did was the most special to me because it was so surreal."
And though she’s gone on to do other work, like playing Rose on "The Young and the Restless" and Jewel in HBO's edgy Western, "Deadwood," it’s still the thing she’s most recognized for.
“I've done a lot of roles since 'Facts of Life' but I'm mostly known for that show. I just came off the 'Deadwood' movie and most people on the street know me from 'Facts of Life,'” she proclaims.
"Cousin Geri Returns" Episode 10 -- Geri Jewell as Geri Tyler, Charlotte Rae as Mrs. Edna Ann Garrett. (NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
Jewell has many fond memories on "The Facts of Life" set but there’s one in particular that stands out. “The first episode that I ever did was the most special to me because it was so surreal. And I remember we were filming it a week before Christmas cause I had a Walkman and I was playing John Denver Christmas music on break. And the episode that I did aired on Christmas Eve, 1981,” she recalls.
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The actress says there was so much love and support on the set and even though it was her first big project, everyone was eager to show her the ropes. And she definitely made some friends along the way.
Geri Jewell as Geri Tyler. (NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
“A lot of the girls were in class during the day cause they had to go to school and then they’d rehearse in the afternoon. It was just a real supportive wonderful cast to work with and I became very close to Lisa Whelchel."
"We became roommates and friends in real life -- not cousins but friends,” she explains with a laugh.
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