'WKRP in Cincinnati': Through The Years With The Cast

WKRP in Cincinnati was a favourite of 1970s and '80s TV comedy. The sitcom, set at the WKRP radio station, aired for four seasons on CBS (1978-1982) and was revived in the early '90s as The New WKRP in Cincinnati. 

Fortunately, of the show's eight main cast members, all are still with us today except for Gordon Jump and Frank Bonner. The other stars were: Gary Sandy, Howard Hesseman, Loni Anderson, Richard Sanders, Tim Reid, and Jan Smithers.

Let's take a look at the cast through the ears and find out what they're up to today.

We start things off with "Dr. Johnny Fever," the WKRP DJ who was very against disco music. Howard Hesseman played the role in all 90 episodes of the show's original run and 10 episodes of the revival series in the '90s.

Actor Howard Hesseman was still taking on film and TV roles into the 2010s. The ex-WKRP DJ's most recent gigs included guest spots on shows such as Fresh Off the Boat, Chicago Med, and Mike & Molly. Sadly, the actor passed away in 2022.

This classic WKRP four shot shows station director "Andy Travis" (back right) and DJ "Venus Flytrap" aka "Gordon Sims" (bottom left). What are stars Gary Sandy and Tim Reid up to today?

Since WKRP in Cincinnati, star Gary Sandy has mostly moved on to stage and live radio drama productions. Now 74 years old, Sandy has, however, continued to act in TV and films post-WKRP, and even had a brief run on soap The Young and the Restless in 2001. 

As for "Venus Flytrap," actor Tim Reid moved on to other well-known parts on Simon & Simon and That '70s Show after WKRP in Cincinnati's heyday. The now 75-year-old keeps busy with TV roles and was seen on shows including Grey's Anatomy and Dolly Parton's Heartstrings in 2019.

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WKRP in Cincinnati made Loni Anderson an '80s icon. As receptionist "Jennifer Marlowe," the star earned Golden Globe and Emmy nominations, later maintaining that star status during a six-year marriage to Burt Reynolds.

Today, Anderson is 75 years old and married to her fourth husband, Bob Flick. Her acting roles have slowed down somewhat in recent years, with the role of "Frances" on My Sister Is So Gay being her main credit of the 2010s.

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"Bailey Quarters" was the shy but talented journalism grad who became a reporter on WKRP. Of the main eight cast members, she appeared in the least episodes, at 86 out of 90. Where is actress Jan Smithers today?

Smithers, 71, has progressively distanced herself from the celebrity world since WKRP concluded in 1982. She didn't appear in the revival series, and hasn't acted since 1987. She also divorced her actor husband James Brolin in 1995. But Smithers did show up for the WKRP reunion in 2014 (pictured here).

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