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"There's something about childhood friends that you just can't replace." Lisa Diane Whelchel has been a part of the pop-culture landscape since she was a child. Initially starring as a Mouseketeer on the hit program, The Mickey Mouse Club (1977), Whelchel has essentially grown up in front of a video camera. Despite being an actor and entertainer since her 12th birthday, Whelchel prides herself on her versatility. Since she first made her big break in 1977, Whelchel has gone on to perform in one of the most popular television programs of all time, The Facts of Life (1979). After The Facts of Life ended, Whelchel would go on to find success in multiple industries, spanning nearly five decades! 

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Outside of her work on television, Whelchel has been working hard to make a name for herself as a writer, musician, and religious activist. Whelchel is a proud born-again Christian, and she has published ten books about her faith and her life as a mother. Whelchel's first published book was Creative Correction (2000), a non-fiction book focused on techniques for raising well-behaved children. Whelchel is a fascinating figure with depth to her work and a host of award nominations on her mantle. Lisa has even competed on one of the most intense reality shows of all time, Survivor: Philippines (2012). We haven't even begun to mention her Grammy-nominated work as a musician!

To say that there is still plenty to learn about the erstwhile actress would be an understatement.  In order to properly appreciate the legacy that Whelchel is building, we need to go back to where it all began.

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Born Again In Texas

Lisa Whelchel was born on May 29, 1963, in Littlefield, TX. Whelchel was born to Virginia Whelchel and James Whelchel Sr. Virginia went by the nickname 'Genny' and she worked as a real estate agent. James 'Jimmy' Whelchel Sr. was an electrician. Lisa would see her parents divorced in 1981 when she was just 18-years-old. Lisa has a brother named Cody Whelchel and a half-sister named Casey Justice Coleman. 

While Lisa was born in the small town of Littlefield, she would spend the bulk of her early years living in Fort Worth, Texas. She attended school at Liberty Christian Academy. During her time at Liberty Christian Academy, Whelchel would grow stronger in her faith. At the age of ten, Whelchel would proudly become a born-again Christian.  Shortly thereafter, Whelchel would get recruited by a team of talent scouts that were working on behalf of Disney Studios.

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In the blink of an eye, Whelchel would move to Los Angeles in order to start her career in the entertainment industry as a Mouseketeer on The New Mickey Mouse Club (1977). Whelchel's charisma would immediately win over Disney Studios and her career would begin to take off. Whelchel has been active in the entertainment industry ever since.

Outside of her work on stage, Whelchel would fall in love with a man named Steven Cauble. When they met, Cauble was an associate pastor at a church in Van Nuys, CA. The two would quickly tie the knot in 1988, and they would stay together for 24 years. Whelchel and Cauble would have three children together, a son named Tucker, and two daughters named Clancy and Haven. Despite the longevity of their relationship, Steven and Lisa would call things off in 2012.

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Star of Many Talents

Lisa was never the type of person to take it easy in between jobs. Starting at the age of 12, it appeared that Whelchel was destined to take over the entertainment industry. After a successful stint on The New Mickey  Mouse Club, Whelchel would star in a couple of films including The Double McGuffin (1979) and The Magician of Lublin (1979). Despite her attempts to branch out onto the silver screen, Whelchel's most successful work was always on television.

In 1979, Lisa would get the phone call that would change her life. After auditioning for a new sitcom, Whelchel would be notified that she landed a starring role on The Facts of Life (1979–1988). Lisa would land the role of Blair Warner, an ever-so-snotty child with dreams of greatness. Lisa would star on the show for nearly a decade while simultaneously building herself up as one of the biggest new stars in the industry. One notable story from her time on set came as a result of her aforementioned Christian faith. The writers of The Facts of Life had developed a storyline for Blair Warner that would involve losing her virginity. Whelchel protested the storyline due to her faith. The storyline was handed to a new character and that would be the only episode in the series that did not feature Whelchel.

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During the height of Lisa's stardom, Whelchel would turn her attention to the world of music. In 1984, Whelchel would release her first, and only, album. The record was titled All Because of You and it would reach the #17 slot on the Billboard Contemporary Christian Music charts.  Despite her musical success and work on The Facts of Life, Whelchel would have trouble maintaining her career trajectory. She would appear on a host of TV shows and made-for-TV movies, including The Facts of Life Goes to Paris (1982) and The Love Boat (1983). During this period of time, Whelchel would primarily focus her attention on her growing family. 

Finally, in 2012, Whelchel would get back on the path to stardom. On August 20, 2012, Whelchel would announce that she was competing on the reality show, Survivor: Philippines. Whelchel was one of two celebrity contestants on the show, including MLB star Jeff Kent. Whelchel would finish in second place on the show before landing the Sprint Player of the Season award. During her time on the program, Whelchel would end up contracting West Nile Virus. She took over a year to recover from the illness.

Since her time on Survivor, Whelchel has seemed content to stay outside of Hollywood's broad spotlight. Whelchel has released a proverbial bookshelf of self-help works while also spending her time working as a motivational speaker.  Whelchel's most recent publication was Speaking Mom-ese: Moments of Peace & Inspiration in the Mother Tongue from One Mom's Heart to Yours. 

Aside from her work as a writer, Whelchel has appeared as a host on several programs, including Collector's Call and The Jeff Probst Show. Whelchel has also tried her hand at producing, as she has produced two projects in the last decade. Those works were, Lisa Whelchel's Everyday Workout for the Everday Woman (2013) and Hearts of Spring (2016). Whelchel would co-star in Hearts of Spring alongside her daughter Clancy Cauble and Stargate star, Michael Shanks.

Whelchel currently does not have any major projects in development, nor has she made any announcements to the contrary. It would appear that Whelchel is finally enjoying a well-deserved break from the limelight after spending nearly fifty years working in front of a camera. Whelchel is currently not in a relationship.