‘We got that bad guy and took him down!’ Jaclyn Smith on the fun, friendship and frustration of Charlie’s Angels
Jaclyn Smith has reflected on *Charlie’s Angels* as it reaches its 50th anniversary, describing the friendships and satisfaction of playing a crime-fighting Angel, alongside the frustrations and difficulties around the show. The interview accompanies her memoir and revisits how the series shaped her career, as well as the harassment she faced at the height of her fame.
Smith, now 80, was the only original Angel to stay through the programme’s five-year run. She recalls a supportive upbringing in Texas, early ambitions to dance and a strong work ethic, while also discussing compulsive behaviour that began in childhood and still flares during stress. The article also notes her breast cancer diagnosis more than 20 years ago, which was caught early and successfully treated, and her efforts to ignore drug-taking around her in the television industry.
- Jaclyn Smith looks back on *Charlie’s Angels* at 50.
- She was the only original Angel to last the full run.
- Her memoir revisits fame, harassment and personal challenges.
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Charlie's Angels was a television series that premiered in the 1970s, following three women working as private investigators for a mysterious employer known only as Charlie. The show became a major cultural phenomenon and was significant for featuring female characters in lead action roles during an era when such casting was uncommon in mainstream television drama.
Jaclyn Smith was one of the three original Angels and the only cast member to remain throughout the show's entire five-year run. Her consistent presence made her the face most closely associated with the series during its broadcast.
The show is now recognised as a significant part of television history and regularly features in discussions about women's representation in action drama and the influence of 1970s television programming.