Lisa Whelchel was one of the ‘80s most beloved beauties with big blonde hair and a stunning smile. When she appeared on the ABC special Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes, viewers were stunned by her current appearance. Audiences took to social media to remark on how Whelchel seemingly hasn’t aged.
What an amazing performance from #theFactsOfLife cast tonight on #LiveInFrontOfAStudioAudience! ❤️ @jimmykimmel @MindyCohn @LisaWhelchel @KimVFields pic.twitter.com/ecnnFyDDPc
— ABC (@ABCNetwork) December 8, 2021
The special brought two reenactments of classic sitcoms to life. Some of the most famous actors of today appeared in the iconic roles and some of the original stars showed up as well. Whelchel, of course, played Blair on The Facts of Life. For the special, the role was taken on by Jennifer Aniston. On her Instagram, Whelchel said she was “humbled, honored and happy” about the casting.
The special also featured Kathyrn Hahn as Jo and Kevin Hart as Arnold, along with exciting guest appearances from Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Snoop Dogg. However, for many fans, 58-year-old Whelchel really stole the show.
Whelchel is a mother of three and a grandmother of two. Seeing Whelchel on your screen again may have made you want to ask for her skin-care routine. However, she mostly chalks it up to getting lucky. “I wish I could say that I have some kind of skin-care or beauty routine,” Whelchel told Yahoo Lifestyle in 2020. “The truth is, I have great genes. My mom looks young, my grandmother looked young, so I just inherited the young genes.”
She did note that having a bit of extra weight has actually been beneficial as she aged. “I’ve struggled with weight all my life, but it’s come in handy in the later years,” said Whelchel. “Because if you carry a few extra pounds, you don’t have as many wrinkles. They just kind of fluff out a little bit.”