6 Things You Didn’t Know About Kate Jackson, Star of ‘Charlie’s Angels’ & ‘Scarecrow and Mrs. King’
When you hear the name Kate Jackson — who was born on Oct. 29, 1948 — the first image that comes to mind is likely of her kicking butt as Charlie’s Angels leader Sabrina Duncan during her three seasons on the classic series. But Jackson had a long career before her unofficial retirement in 2009 — one that involved roles on three iconic shows, health activism and even a foray into directing.
1She Was An NBC Page
NBC’s famous page program (immortalized in the character of Kenneth the Page on 30 Rock), which allows young people who are interested in the TV business to apprentice in various departments of NBC Studios, was founded in 1933 and boasts a number of famous alums, from Gregory Peck to Ted Koppel. Among those ranks? Jackson, who worked as a page in 1969 while studying drama, one year before she was cast on Dark Shadows.
2Her First Role Was Silent
Jackson’s first professional acting gig was the role of Daphne on the 1970 season of Dark Shadows. But while Daphne ends up being an important character, she’s also, well, dead — she’s a ghost who has unfinished business with the Collins family. Due to her ethereal nature, Jackson’s initial appearances on the show were silent, though she did get dialogue (and end up playing multiple roles) as the show went on.
3She Named The Angels
Jackson was the first actor hired for Charlie’s Angels, and she helped producers shape a few aspects of it — including the name. It had originally been conceived of as a show called The Alley Cats, in which the young detectives would live in an alley and bear whips and chains (yikes). Jackson didn’t love the idea, and instead pitched that the show’s heroines be referred to as Angels, an idea that went over quite well. Jackson was also originally cast as Kelly Garrett, but found that the character of Sabrina resonated with her more.
4‘Angels’ Made Her Lose A Role To Meryl Streep
After the overwhelming success of the first season of Charlie’s Angels, Jackson was offered a number of film roles, including a lead as the mother in the 1979 divorce drama Kramer vs. Kramer. Jackson was eager to take the role, but Charlie’s producers said the show’s shooting schedule could not be rearranged to accommodate filming a movie at the same time. She had to pass on the role, which ended up going to Meryl Streep and netted her her first Oscar win. Jackson then left the show after the third season.
5She Directed Her Own Show
In 1983, Jackson came back to the small screen with the spy dramedy Scarecrow and Mrs. King, where she played an unemployed suburban mom who unintentionally becomes an international secret agent. The show, which ran for four seasons, got Jackson her second Golden Globe nomination and her first chance to live out her longtime dream of directing, during the show’s 1986 season. In a 1986 interview about the experience, Jackson says she loved directing and hoped to direct more.
6She’s A Cancer Survivor
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Scarecrow and Mrs. King ended after four seasons, not due to low ratings, but because Jackson was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 and needed to take time off to receive treatment. In 1989, she received additional cancer treatment. Jackson is outspoken about her experience and has been involved in charitable work around both cancer and heart health (she received treatment for a congenital heart condition in 1995). She received an award from the American Heart Association in 2003 to honor her activism.
1970s Fall TV
September 2023
Take a trip back to the ’70s by looking at the TV Guide Magazine Fall Preview primetime lineups.
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