Lisa Whelchel (born on May 29, 1963 in Littlefield, Texas, raised for most of her childhood in Fort Worth, Texas), is an American actress best known for her role in the television series The Facts of Life as the preppy and wealthy Blair Warner.
Whelchel was at one time a Mouseketeer. The New Mickey Mouse Club aired in syndication from 1977-1978. Although she has had other roles, her acting career effectively ended after The Facts of Life went off the air in 1988. During her role in The Facts of Life she was offered a role in the music video for the Christian singer/songwriter Steve Taylor's "Meltdown (at Madame Tussaud's)"
Whelchel, becoming a born-again Christian at the age of ten (according to her own website), has devoted her life to pursuit of Christian teachings. She writes books of anecdotes and advice that provide guidance on various topics which she feels should be handled in a manner appropriate to the teachings of Jesus. These include topics such as child rearing and motherhood. She is also a staunch advocate of homeschooling.
A storyline from The Facts of Life would have had her character be the first among the four young women to lose her virginity. She refused the part owing to her religious beliefs, and it was rewritten for the character of Natalie.
In 1984, Whelchel released a Christian pop album entitled All Because of You. While the album was a modest success (#17 on the Billboard Contemporary Christian charts) and received a Grammy nomination for Best Inspirational Album, Whelchel did not record a follow-up. Among the songs featured on the album were "Just Obey," "Cover Me Lord," and "Good Girl" ("Why be a good girl? Be a good girl!")
In recent years, Whelchel has devoted much of her time to family, the raising and home schooling of her children and Christian teachings, and is seldom seen in acting roles today. The 2001 made for TV movie The Facts of Life Reunion is a well-known exception, as Whelchel was instrumental in coordinating the project, and was very enthusiastic about participating in it. In addition, she appeared in another reunion of sorts with two of her Facts of Life co-stars (including Nancy McKeon, who was unable to participate in the movie) on The Today Show in the spring of 2006, and admitted to being "bummed out" that Kim Fields was unable to attend.
Whelchel married Steven Cauble, an associate pastor, on July 9, 1988. They have three teenaged children: Clancy, Haven, and Tucker. They reside in Argyle, Texas.
In 2004, Whelchel discussed placing a drop of hot sauce on her children's tongues as a means of discipline for lying, using language she considers inappropriate, or biting. Whelchel was quoted in the media as saying that she considers 'hot saucing' an effective punishment, and that discipline involves setting limits, which will result in pain when the limits are crossed.
In May 2006, Whelchel unwittingly appeared (along with her Facts of Life co-stars, Nancy McKeon and Mindy Cohn) on a gay and lesbian radio station called SIRIUS OutQ (where she was interviewed by gay comedian Frank DeCaro). This caused ripples of controversy through her primarily Christian fanbase, some of whom considered her voluntary appearance on the show a silent endorsement of homosexuality. Whelchel stated she did not know it was a gay station until halfway through the interview.
