Archive Interview: Jaclyn Smith

Q: What happened at your audition for Charlie’s Angels?

A: I went into Aaron Spelling’s office, and it was very crowded. I wasn’t a driving, ambitious actress, feeling like I had to get this role. I just went in and had fun. Readings are never my favorite thing. I would much rather learn a scene or improvise. I knew that audition wasn’t my best moment, so I just put it out of my mind. I didn’t think there was a chance for me to get Charlie’s Angels. Then I got a call, and they said, “We’re considering you.”

Q: What did you think of the pilot script when you first read it?

A: I thought, “I like this — it’s fun.” It was something that I would have loved to have watched as a young girl. It was pure entertainment, escapism. It wasn’t Shakespeare. We had a man you didn’t see, which was a little mystery. We had David Doyle [as the Angels’ associate, John Bosley] for comic relief. And then you had us popping in and out. I thought the show had a chance. Did I think we’d be talking about it thirty years later? No, not a chance! I just thought, “This is a great opportunity. I’m going to learn from this. It’s going to propel me to the next step.” I never thought it would be what it is today.

Q: What do you think Aaron Spelling saw in you?

A: I don’t know. Aaron had a knack for knowing what people wanted to see on TV. And he was great in casting. Certainly in Charlie’s, he cast very different girls. Our personalities were different, our looks were different, but we worked together. He was great at bringing together a cohesive group of actors. We weren’t interchangeable, and I think that was part of the success — you wouldn’t want three Barbie dolls prancing around, as some people might have thought we were. We really weren’t.

Q: What are your memories of shooting that first episode?

A: Nolan Miller did our wardrobe — the clothes were very important. And Tommy Lee Jones was in the pilot. Can you believe that? I had a scene with him. He was very nervous. I just saw him in Lincoln — he was brilliant — and he was right there in the pilot. I remember riding up on this motorcycle and taking off my helmet. I’m like, “Oh my gosh, what am I doing? I can’t even ride a motorcycle!” In one night scene, we were trying to get the bad guy. We were in a swamp; it was cold. But it was totally glamorous to me. Then we shot on these beautiful sets, a grand Georgian mansion. I was nervous on the pilot. It was a whole new venture for me. But when they tested the pilot, those dials went through the roof.

Q: What was that like for you, when the show became an overnight sensation?

A: You don’t stand in line at a movie. You don’t have to make a reservation at a restaurant. But on the opposite side, you’re written about in the National Enquirer and all these rag sheets. The stories are not necessarily based on fact [and you’re wondering,] why would they print something like that? I mean, crazy things. There were stories saying that the girls didn’t get along — untrue. We got along. We — the first three — it was a bond.