‘Charlie’s Angels’ at 50: Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith & the Stars Who Made It Iconic
There’s a reason young women still pose for group photos shoulder-to-shoulder with prayer-like finger guns pointed skyward, even if they weren’t born when the original incarnation of Charlie’s Angels ended its five-season run in 1981. The Aaron Spelling-produced series about a trio of gorgeous female detectives working for an unseen boss was such a ratings smash in its 1976 TV-movie debut that it became a near-instant pop culture phenomenon, surviving multiple cast rotations, spawning numerous big-screen remakes and more.
Though critics dismissed the crime drama as “jiggle TV,” the adventures of Jill Munroe (Farrah Fawcett), Sabrina Duncan (Kate Jackson) and Kelly Garrett (Jaclyn Smith) , and later Kris Munroe (Cheryl Ladd), Tiffany Welles (Shelley Hack) and Julie Rogers (Tanya Roberts) , gave viewers of both genders plenty of eye candy, plus female TV heroes who could be feminine and sexy while dominating in male-oriented fields. Women of all ages styled their hair in Fawcett’s voluminous waves or Jackson’s sophisticated bob.
Magazines and posters of them flew off store shelves, with Fawcett’s perky swimsuit pinup being one of the most iconic posters of all time. Still, the show’s stars clamored for better scripts, leading Fawcett to stay for just one season and Jackson for three before both left to pursue other roles. “When the show was No. 3, I figured it was our acting,” Fawcett once said of the show that made her and her fellow Angels household names. “When it got to be No. 1, I decided it could only be because none of us wear a bra.”
In honor of its 50th anniversary, let’s take a look at the stars behind the show.
Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett was just 29 years old when she lit up TV screens in 1976 on Charlie’s Angels. Cast as Jill Munroe, the athletic, smart and stylish private investigator, Fawcett quickly became the breakout star. Her look, especially her now-iconic feathered hairstyle, sparked a national trend, and her red swimsuit poster became one of the bestselling posters of all time.
With her dazzling smile and a playful yet tough screen presence, Fawcett brought a perfect blend of charm and California cool to her character that helped turn the show into a cultural phenomenon. Even after stepping away from the main cast, she returned for several guest appearances, solidifying her role as a defining face of the series.
Jaclyn Smith
Jaclyn Smith was 30 years old when she began portraying Kelly Garrett on Charlie’s Angels, the only Angel to remain with the show for its entire five-season run. A trained ballet dancer and model, Smith had limited acting experience before landing the role, mostly appearing in commercials and small TV parts.
As Kelly, she played the calm, intelligent and emotionally grounded member of the team. “I was the one who believed in upholding the contract. I loved [executive producer] Aaron Spelling,” Smith told us about staying for the show’s entire run. “I felt the show opened the door for us in so many different areas. It was meant to be for me. I was grateful for the show. I learned a lot from the show.” Smith’s understated elegance and consistency made her a fan favorite.
Kate Jackson
Kate Jackson was 27 years old when she stepped into the role of Sabrina Duncan on Charlie’s Angels in 1976. Before joining the show, Jackson had solid acting experience with notable roles on television, including The Rookies, which helped her bring a sense of professionalism and depth to her character. Sabrina was portrayed as the highly intelligent, resourceful and analytical leader of the Angels, which balanced the show’s mix of action and glamour. Her combination of brains and confidence made Sabrina a memorable and essential part of the trio’s chemistry, helping to define the show’s appeal during its early success.
Cheryl Ladd
Cheryl Ladd joined the cast for the second season, replacing Farrah Fawcett and starring as her younger sister Kris Munroe, and remained until the series’ end. Ladd, now 74, said in an interview that some of her growing pains surrounded being a working mother with such a busy schedule. She explained, “[I] was doing four years of Charlie’s Angels with 28 episodes a season. Then on my hiatus, supposedly my rest time, I was doing movies of the week and variety shows. I had a 2-year-old daughter [Jordan Ladd, now 50, who has an acting career of her own] and I was spinning like a clock. I missed so many times with my daughter.”
Shelley Hack
Connecticut-born Shelley Hack started out modeling at age 16 and was on the cover of numerous fashion magazines, from Elle and Mademoiselle to Seventeen and Vogue. She also had quite a love affair with Charlie — first as the face of Charlie perfume and then as one of his Angels.
Hack joined the series in Season 4 (1979-80), replacing Kate Jackson, as Tiffany Welles, a sophisticated and intelligent former Boston police officer who brought a more refined presence to the team. Following her one and only season on Charlie’s Angels, Hack continued acting throughout the 1980s and ’90s, later serving as executive producer on a number of TV movies, while also promoting numerous political and social causes.
Tanya Roberts
Tanya Roberts joined Charlie’s Angels in its fifth and final season playing Julie Rogers, a tough, street-smart former model to replace Shelley Hack. Unlike previous Angels, Julie had no law enforcement background, giving the team a fresh and edgy dynamic. The casting change was an attempt to revitalize the show’s declining ratings after an extensive nationwide search by producers.
Though the series ended shortly after her arrival, Roberts gained widespread recognition from the role. She later starred as a Bond girl in 1985’s A View to a Kill and found renewed popularity in the 1990s and ’00s as Midge Pinciotti on That ’70s Show. Tragically, Roberts passed away in January 2021 at the age of 71 from a severe urinary tract infection that led to sepsis.
David Doyle
John Bosley, the charming, slightly bumbling, but endlessly dependable right-hand man to the mysterious Charlie Townsend and his Angels, was brought to life by David Doyle, who appeared in all five seasons of Charlie’s Angels. Doyle brought a warmth, wit and his signature raspy voice, along with a deep appreciation for his character’s knack for getting tangled up in the Angels’ adventures.
After the series ended in 1981, Doyle stayed active in television, film and voice work for the rest of his career, making frequent guest appearances on popular TV shows throughout the 1980s and 1990s — including Fantasy Island; Murder, She Wrote; The Love Boat; and General Hospital. He was only 67 and active in the industry voicing Grandpa Lou Pickles on Rugrats when he died of a heart attack.
John Forsythe
He’s one of the most recognized faces and voices on television, even though you never got to see his face on the series or in the two Charlie’s Angels movies (2000 and 2003). In a career spanning 60 years, John Forsythe is best known for his Dynasty role as Blake Carrington and for voicing the millionaire Charlie Townsend, who ran the Townsend Detective Agency, only directing his female angels via a Western Electric speakerphone. Throughout the series’ five-season run, Forsythe never set foot on a set; he recorded his lines at the studio.
In an interview with Larry King, he shared, “That was the easiest and best job any actor has ever had. We used to knock them off in about 15 minutes down in the bowels of 20th Century Fox. … They paid me about $600 or $700 a week for it, but I did it because Aaron Spelling was my friend and he had some difficulty with an actor that had to be replaced because of a drinking problem … so I did it.”
This originally ran in the Special Limited Edition of Charlie’s Angels TV Guide Puzzler issue. Tanya Fedak and Barb Oates are contributing writers. You can purchase it at the link below.
LIMITED ISSUE: CHARLIE's ANGELS
TV Guide Puzzler
Charlie’s Angels 50th Anniversary Collector’s Issue – a trivia and puzzle magazine featuring rare photos and fascinating interviews!
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