There are many celebrities who share the same last name, but does that mean they’re all related? Jill Wagner and Lindsay Wagner are both part of the entertainment industry, but a last name may be all they have in common.
Despite similar career choices and sharing the same last name, Jill Wagner and Lindsay Wagner are not related.
Let’s take a deeper look into both of their lives and careers to see what common points they share, and also what sets them apart.
Similar Paths
Lindsay Jean Wagner was born in 1949, while Jill Wagner was born some years later on the 13th of January 1979.
Lindsay is not Jill’s mother, and in fact Jill lost her mother not long after she was born. She was raised by her US Marine father, David Wagner, and paternal grandmother Roberta Wagner.
Lindsay became a model in Los Angeles before she shot to stardom in 1976 as Jaime Sommers in The Bionic Woman, a science-fiction TV series. She was in her late 20s at the time.
Jill’s career followed a similar route, having worked as a model after attending the Barbizon Modeling and Acting School. She found herself featured in some well-known publications like Stuff Magazine and FHM magazine, in addition to several ads for TV, like Ford.
She then pursued a career in acting, appearing on MTV’s Punk’d in 2003, before landing a spot on science-fiction show Stargate Atlantis between 2007 and 2008.
Several similarities can already be noted between Jill and Lindsay’s careers – they both started out as models, and scored roles on popular sci-fi TV shows.
Another possible reason for confusion surrounding their relation could be their similar looks.
During her rise to fame, Lindsay was a young woman in her 20s with mousy brown hair, petite nose, and light colored eyes.
Jill’s appearance isn’t that different, with similar hair, eyes, and face shape.
It’s easy to see how people can confuse the two actresses, based on these countless similarities – not to mention their same surname.
Let’s explore more about their career similarities, and differences.
Jill’s Rise to Fame
Jill truly started gaining recognition when she landed the role as co-host on America’s Wipeout in 2008, a game show where people compete to get through a series of challenges through an obstacle course.
She co-hosted the show from seasons 1 through 4, then again on seasons 6 and 7, totaling 65 episodes.
Following Wipeout, she kept nabbing roles on many TV shows from 2010 and beyond.
In 2015, she acted in her first Hallmark television film, Autumn Dreams. This would soon become a regular occurrence as she has starred in over 14 films as of 2020.
Lindsay’s Status as a TV Icon
After discovering success in the late ‘70s, Lindsay continued acting, but mainly in television miniseries and films.
Her acting career has spanned almost five decades. Moving into the 2000s, she still appeared on series within the sci-fi genre, like Warehouse 13 from 2010 to 2014 and Alphas in 2011.
This is where another similarity between the two actresses comes into play, as Lindsay began taking roles in Hallmark television films as well.
Her first one was a drama in 2005, called Thicker than Water. Next was The Thanksgiving House in 2013, Eat, Play, Love followed that in 2017, and Mingle All the Way came out in 2018.
Now, Lindsey is greatly passionate about holistic living and healing. She began studying it as a teen after she discovered that it helped her heal from ulcers that were stress-induced.
“It was just such a profound experience for me that I wanted to learn more and it began a life of study for me,” she said in 2012. “My whole life I’ve been studying this. It’s been my real passion.”
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