20
May
Inspirational Women of the Entertainment Industry: Jillian Reynolds
by Danielle Turchiano
0 Comments | Posted by thatgirl in Amuse Me, Sit Back
A few years ago, if you drove down any of the major boulevards in Los Angeles, you were bound to run into at least one billboard featuring the three local Fox morning news anchors. Above their faces, were simple, three-word phrases in black, block text as bold as the personalities they represented: “In the news;” “In the know;” “In your face.” One guess as to which tagline Jillian Reynolds was given.
Reynolds’ larger than life personality precedes her, suggesting she blew the doors off the entertainment industry from the very first minute she deplaned from Canada. In actuality, though, Reynolds started out, like most females, just trying to get taken seriously at the desk – in professional suits and downplaying her looks. But Reynolds very quickly came to find that there was nothing right about trying to be anyone other than who she really was. Lucky for her, she found a home with a Fox affiliate (first WSVN in Miami and then KTTV at Fox) that liked her big smile and even bigger opinions.
Once “seen as just a weathergirl,” Reynolds’ refreshing honesty and fearlessness in poking fun at herself opened the door for her to do much more. Having been on Good Day LA since 1995, Reynolds soon got the itch to expand – and brand herself. Her bubbly and sometimes brash personality was put to good use on Extreme Dating and, today, is in even better use matching wits with Howie and the boys on the NFL. She never let anyone tell her she couldn’t do something.
Reynolds is a staunch proponent of animal rights and adoption. For someone who takes on so many of the superficial (style and celebrity) stories on Good Day LA, she has also found a great way to give back: by tying her own personal philanthropy into the broadcast each morning. It is because of Reynolds’ influence that Adopt-A-Pet has become the feature segment that it has, finding good, loving homes for thousands of deserving pets across the southland.
It has been said that “you can’t be a good actor if you’re afraid to make a fool of yourself,” but it is arguable that you can’t be a relatable public figure in general if you are so inhibited. Reynolds, always willing to air her personal successes—and struggles— is proof of that. She has come into viewers’ homes on Good Day LA for the past fifteen years: they eat their breakfast with her; they get their kids ready for school with her; and they grow with her.
Reynolds is often seen as loud, lavish, and flashy—someone who reflects a somewhat untouchable lifestyle. But her willingness to share bad date stories, anecdotes about her adopted Canadian parents and birthmother alike, and beaming pride about her own daughter keeps her completely grounded. She may be a woman on television, but she is just a woman first, and she never pretends to be anything more.