Jaclyn Smith, the legendary star of Charlie’s Angels, announced on Thursday that she will be publishing her first memoir, titled I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie. The 80-year-old actress will chronicle her rise to fame, with a special focus on her time portraying Kelly Garrett, one of the iconic female detectives at the Townsend Agency. The book will also offer behind-the-scenes stories from the groundbreaking show, which premiered 50 years ago in September 1976 and ran until June 1981. Smith starred in all five seasons alongside costars Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, Cheryl Ladd, Shelley Hack, Tanya Roberts, and actors David Doyle and John Forsythe.
In addition to her acting career, Smith has had a successful run as a fashion designer and entrepreneur, partnering with K-Mart to create one of the first celebrity clothing lines. Before Charlie’s Angels, she was a Broadway dancer and a model, appearing in commercials for brands like Max Factor and Breck Shampoo. Smith has also faced personal challenges, including battling breast cancer, all while raising two children and balancing her acting and business ventures.
According to the press release, I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie will be an “intimate, honest and down-to-earth” account of her life, providing a glimpse into both the glamour and challenges of Hollywood in the 1970s. The memoir is set for release on September 8, 2026, from Gallery Books and is available for preorder now.
The announcement comes as Smith, Ladd, and Jackson are set to reunite on stage for the first time in decades to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Charlie’s Angels. The live event will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on April 6 at 7:30 PM, with presale tickets available to Paley Members and Citi Cardmembers, including access to premium seating at PaleyFest LA 2026. Their last public appearance together was at the 1992 People’s Choice Awards honoring producer Aaron Spelling.
Charlie’s Angels became a cultural phenomenon for its portrayal of smart, independent women in power. Ladd, who joined the series in 1977 as Farrah Fawcett’s character’s younger sister, Kris Munroe, stayed with the show until its cancellation in 1981. Smith, meanwhile, remained the only actress to appear in all 110 episodes. She later reprised her role in the 2003 Charlie’s Angels film starring Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz, as well as in the Elizabeth Banks-directed reboot, which struggled at the box office.
Beyond Charlie’s Angels, Ladd built a career in film and television with roles in Purple Hearts (1984), Millennium (1989), Poison Ivy (1992), Permanent Midnight (1998), and Unforgettable (2017). She also pursued music, performing the National Anthem at Super Bowl XIV in 1980 and releasing three albums. Ladd has been married twice, first to actor David Ladd, with whom she has a daughter, Jordan, and later to music producer Brian Russell, with a stepdaughter, Lindsay.
Kate Jackson, who played Sabrina Duncan on Charlie’s Angels until 1979, also had an extensive career in television, starring in Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1983–1987) and appearing in TV films like Quiet Killer (1992), Empty Cradle (1993), and the remake of Satan’s School for Girls (2000). Her film credits include Making Love (1982) and Loverboy (1989). Jackson’s personal life included high-profile relationships with actors Edward Albert, Nick Nolte, and Warren Beatty, as well as marriages to Andrew Stevens and Tom Hart. She later married New York businessman David Greenwald but divorced in 1984, and had other notable relationships, including with dermatologist Arnold Klein.
Smith’s memoir promises to offer an intimate look at the wild, glamorous, and often challenging era of 1970s Hollywood, as well as the legacy of one of television’s most influential shows, seen through the eyes of the woman who remained its constant star.
