Jillian Wheeler
| Jillian Wheeler (Je Wheeler) | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Jillian Lee Wheeler |
| Also known as | Je Wheeler, J Wheeler, Jillian Lee Wheeler |
| Born | May 25, 1991 |
| Origin | St. Charles, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | Indie Rock/Pop/Electronic |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, actress |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Website | jillianwheeler.com |
Jillian (Je) Wheeler (born May 25, 1991 in St. Charles, Illinois), also known as "Je Wheeler", is an American singer-songwriter and actress currently residing in Berlin, Germany. She is most notable for portraying Sara Markum in the 2003 film, Mystic River. She graduated from Northeastern University in 2012 and worked as a Video Consultant for Smart Destinations. She currently works as a freelance international photographer, videographer, and travel writer and continues to write and perform music.
Music career
Wheeler has released several recordings. In 2003, she released an EP titled Test of Time at the age of twelve. A year later she released "Attention". After being signed under Whiz Kidz Records in 2005, Wheeler spent several months in Los Angeles, California, recording a full-length album entitled Beautiful Things. She spent the following summer slated in on the 2005 Camplified tour, and went on to participate in several Radio Disney Tours. She took a hiatus from her solo career when Whiz Kidz Records dissolved in 2006 and focused on learning instruments and writing, and was active in several musical projects. During her time at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, she released two digital albums - "Bus Rides Home" in 2009 and "Lion" in 2011. She released a new Electro/Pop album recorded in Berlin called "On the Rocks" in the summer of 2016.
Early on, Jillian participated on a Radio Disney tour and in many Radio Disney events in the Northeast. She has opened for artists such as Hilary Duff, JoJo, Aaron Carter, Skye Sweetnam, Bowling for Soup, Jordan Knight and many others. Most recently, she played small venues in Europe and Asia. She has performed at many music festivals, in clubs, theaters and arenas such as the Boston Garden, Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Whittemore Center at the University of New Hampshire and the Mohegan Sun Arena.
Acting career
Wheeler began acting at the age of six in commercials and theater productions. Her first role was a local theater production of Annie, followed by regional and equity productions, including Into The Woods, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Annie Warbucks, The Music Man, The Sound of Music and School House Rock. Wheeler made her debut at the San Jose Repertory Theater in the play By The Bog of Cats starring alongside Holly Hunter, for which she was awarded a Dean Goodman Choice Award for Supporting Actress. She was then cast in the world premier of The Mandrake Root alongside Lynne Redgrave. In addition to national and regional commercials, Jillian's film credits include Mystic River,where she played Sean Penn and Laura Linney's daughter, Osmosis Jones, The Legend of Lucy Keyes, and Little Erin Merryweather. [1] Jillian was an active cast member on World Family's Zippy and Me and Disney's World of English, from 1999 to 2004, which is distributed predominantly in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. She shifted her main focus to music in 2005, but continues to participate in both feature and independent acting projects.
Personal life
Je Wheeler grew up in Windham, New Hampshire, but spent much of her youth in Boston, Massachusetts, New York, New York, San Jose, California, and Los Angeles, California while pursuing her career in music and acting. She became interested in video production at a young age, and focused on video production and communications while attending Salem High School (New Hampshire) and Northeastern University (Massachusetts).