“Charlie’s Angels” actress Jaclyn Smith, 80, is opening up about her television past in a whole new way.
Smith shared behind-the-scenes secrets of the ABC series with People Magazine, and revealed some surprising details about filming the iconic 1970s police drama. Decades after hanging up her “Charlie’s Angels” badge, the TV icon reflected on the unexpected truths behind making television history.
Jaclyn Smith Said Fought to Be Paid The Same as ‘Charlie’s Angels’ Castmates
In a new interview with People Magazine, Jaclyn Smith said she was unsure of the success of the female-led police series when it first debuted in 1976. She didn’t know if an audience was ready for three female leads, but the show instantly turned her and co-stars Farrah Fawcett and Kate Jackson into overnight superstars.
“We were just three girls hoping to find an audience, and boy, did we find an audience,” she joked.
However, despite the show’s success, when she was initially hired, Smith claimed she was offered less pay than both Jackson and Fawcett. Jackson was earning $10K per episode, Fawcett was offered $5,000 and Smith was only offered $3,000.
Smith doubled down via her agent, saying she would walk away from the role if she didn’t at least match Fawcett’s salary. She told People, “I was probably a little more aggressive about that than today. I don’t know where that business sense came from, but it was there, I guess, from my daddy. He would always say, ‘Have a backup plan. Really think things out.’”
Jaclyn Smith’s New Book is Called ‘I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie’
In a People Magazine excerpt from Jaclyn Smith’s new memoir, “I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie,” the actress shared private details about her rise to fame. The TV legend pulled back the curtain on the intense pressure, instant tabloid scrutiny, and backstage reality of starring in one of the biggest pop culture phenomena of the 1970s.
“I’d been close to extreme fame while working with stars like R.J. and Dennis Weaver. But this was something else. It was fantasyland,” the Hallmark movie star explained.
“Everything was thrown at our feet, all because of the characters we played on TV. While I enjoyed it, I also wondered, Can this really be happening? Do we deserve this? Is it going to last? It was all a bit shocking for a girl from Houston who thought that she was going to end up opening a ballet school for kids. But I guess some things are just meant to be.”
She concluded, “From the outside, people see the glamour and riches of fame, and there was plenty of that. But when you’re on the inside, you feel a strange disconnect. You’re still the same person you were before you became a household name. You have the same feelings, the same stresses, the same ups and downs. As a celebrity, you’re constantly judged. You try to fulfill everyone’s expectations, and there is a lot of pressure to that.”
Jaclyn Smith’s memoir, “I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie,” is currently available wherever books are sold.
For me she was the classic beauty. And I loved her character