Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd celebrate the 50th anniversary of the classic TV show.
LOS ANGELES — Three original “Charlie’s Angels” stars, Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd, reunited on Monday, April 6, for PaleyFest, the 50th anniversary of the classic series that dominated television from 1976 to 1981.
But one major angel was missing from the Dolby Theater stage. It’s Farrah Fawcett. Farrah Fawcett quit her role as Jill Munroe on the 1977 ABC hit after just one season and died in 2009 at the age of 62.
Rudd, 74, recalled to USA TODAY on the red carpet that he wore a shirt that read “Farrah Fawcett Minor” on his first day on set as Chris Munro, replacing the late superstar (who was performing under his married name of Major Fawcett at the time).
“We knew there was no one to replace Farrah,” Rudd said. “I made a joke of myself. I didn’t know if people would accept me. And everyone said, ‘That’s what Farrah would do.'”
Rudd said on stage that she flatly rejected three requests from creator and famous producer Aaron Spelling to appear on the show. But then Spelling proposed to Ladd the idea of playing Fawcett’s character’s sister.
“He said, ‘If you’re Farrah’s sister, you’re part of the family,'” Rudd recalled. “And I said, ‘I’m in!'”
“She stepped right in and didn’t miss a beat,” said Jackson, 77, who played Sabrina Duncan.
Smith, 80, who played Kelly Garrett for all five seasons, admitted she was disappointed to see Fawcett leave. The two remained devoted friends.
“I was sad and confused, yeah, and I knew there were a lot of people in her ear,” Smith said, referring euphemistically to the career advice Fawcett was receiving at the time.
“She will be in our memories,” Smith added, to applause from the audience. “She’s here.”
The stars recalled Fawcett’s great moments, including filming an episode in frigid Taos, New Mexico, where everyone was freezing. Jackson and Smith recalled that Fawcett disappeared and was found drinking vodka to keep warm in a small room with a gas stove and burners on full blast.
The show, hosted by TV reporter George Pennacchio, also paid tribute to other cast members who had passed away, including John Forsyth (who died in 2010 at the age of 92), best known as the voice of Charlie the Leader, and David Doyle (who died in 1997 at the age of 67), who played Charlie’s trusted assistant John Bosley.
Smith quits ‘Bond Girl’; Jackson quits ‘Kramer vs. Kramer’
Women sacrificed their careers for promises and contracts with Charlie’s Angels. Jackson was scheduled to star in the 1979 drama Kramer vs. Kramer, but ultimately declined the role due to scheduling conflicts.
“They rescheduled the movie probably four times,” Jackson said, adding that in the end, Spelling didn’t comply. The “Kramer” part is famously played by Meryl Streep. Jackson said she quit Charlie’s Angels after the third season in 1979 so as not to miss out on other meaningful projects. (Shortly thereafter, she appeared in The Scarecrow and Mrs. King, about a divorced housewife who becomes a secret agent.)
Smith turned down the opportunity to appear as a “Bond Girl” in an unspecified James Bond film, citing television contracts.
“Things happen for a reason,” Smith says. “As it should be, it will be.”
Smith also recalled being attached to an early version of the film 9 1/2 Weeks starring John Travolta. The role was ultimately given to Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger. She was also in the running for a role in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice, but was not considered.
“I didn’t understand it, and my husband regrets it,” Smith said with a laugh. “But sometimes when you read a script, it doesn’t necessarily apply to you.”
‘Charlie’s Angels’ ‘influenced’
All three actresses emphasized that appearing in the groundbreaking Charlie’s Angels was the best move they had made in their careers. As the theater’s enthusiastic crowds attested, it led to opportunities and stardom that continue 50 years later.
“I knew this show was going to be different, special, and unique,” Smith said. “Rather than being rescued from danger, three women are chasing danger. Our show was the first of its kind. It gave women permission to be independent, break out of the mold, and not be defined by men.”
“I think we made an impact,” Jackson said.
In addition to the PaleyFest event, the Paley Center will celebrate the 50th anniversary of “Charlie’s Angels” with a gala in New York City on May 14th.
“It was a real honor to be a part of the show,” said Rudd, who was used to being stopped by fans on the street. “I felt so loved. There was no way I was in a bad mood. Hearing those words always cheered me up.”
