Jill Jacobson, ‘The New Gidget’ and ‘Falcon Crest’ Television Actress, Dies at 70

Jill Jacobson, the actress who held roles roles in several Star Trek television programs as well as Falcon Crest and The New Gidget, has died. She was 70.

Jacobson died on Dec. 8 at Cedars-Sinai’s Culver West Health Center following a long illness, her friend Dan Harary told The Hollywood Reporter.

Jacobson played Erin Jones in 22 episodes of Falcon Crest from 1985 to 1987, the CBS soap opera about a wealthy California wine family. At the same time, she played Larue Wilson on The New Gidget from 1986 to 1987, a sequel to the Sally Field-led 1960s ABC soap opera about a teen surfer, Gidget.

“Jill’s comic timing was brilliant,” Caryn Richman, Jacobson’s The New Gidget co-star said. “And her enthusiasm and love of life made our time together on set joyful.”

Jacobson also appeared on two Star Trek shows — The Next Generation in 1989 and Deep Space Nine in 1996. Her other roles included Hung, Newhart, Castle, Who’s the Boss?, Quantum Leap, Crazy like a Fox, Arliss and Murphy Brown. She also had a minor part in Ron Howard’s 1984 film Splash.

In more recent years, Jacobson was a familiar face at Los Angeles’ The Improv and The Comedy Store, where she performed stand-up comedy.

Jacobson grew up in Beaumont, Texas, and Dallas, and was the daughter of Dr. Harry Jacobson and Carol Toplitz Jacobson Hornstein. She attended the University of Texas in Austin, where she received a B.S. in Radio, TV and Film Performance before moving to Los Angeles and soon being cast in the title role of cult classic film Nurse Sherri.

Jacobson was a spokesperson and award recipient for her volunteer work with the American Cancer Society. “She will be deeply missed by numerous relatives, friends and her beloved dogs Benny and Kowalski,” Harary said. A list of survivors was not immediately available.