Jaclyn Smith Bio
Jacquelyn Ellen Smith, known professionally as Jaclyn Smith, is an American actress and businesswoman whose career has spanned more than five decades in film, television, and consumer products. She is best known for her role as Kelly Garrett on the hit television series Charlie’s Angels (1976–1981), where she was the only original female lead to remain with the show for its entire five-season run. Beyond her acting work, Smith built a successful brand empire beginning in the 1980s, launching clothing, fragrance, and home furnishings lines that helped pioneer the concept of celebrity-developed brands.
Early Life and Background
Jacquelyn Ellen Smith was born on October 26, 1945, in Houston, Texas, the daughter of Margaret Ellen Hartsfield and Jack Smith, a dentist. She grew up in Houston and graduated from Mirabeau B. Lamar High School in 1964. Her upbringing in a close-knit Texas family gave her the stability and confidence to later pursue a creative career in entertainment.
Smith majored in psychology and drama at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, but completed only a year before deciding to chase her passion for the performing arts. After leaving Trinity, she moved to New York and enrolled at the Balanchine School of American Ballet, where she received rigorous training in classical dance. This ballet training, combined with her early theatrical studies, helped shape her poise and stage presence.
Path to Acting
Smith’s career aspirations shifted toward modeling and acting when she began landing work in television commercials and print advertisements, including a campaign for Listerine mouthwash. In 1966, she auditioned for the role of Victoria Winters on the ABC daytime series Dark Shadows, though the part ultimately went to another actress. Her persistence paid off with small uncredited and supporting roles in films such as Goodbye, Columbus (1969) and The Adventurers (1970).
She built her early resume through guest spots on popular television series, including The Partridge Family, McCloud, Switch, and The Rookies. Smith also became a Breck girl for Breck Shampoo in 1971 and later joined Farrah Fawcett as a spokesmodel for Wella Balsam shampoo. She appeared in made-for-television movies such as Probe (1972) and Bootleggers (1974), steadily gaining experience and visibility in Hollywood.
Jaclyn Smith Career
Early Career (1968–1975)
Jaclyn Smith began her professional career in 1968 with small film roles and television guest appearances. Her early work included uncredited appearances and supporting parts in feature films, as well as recurring work in commercial modeling. These formative years allowed her to develop her craft and build a reputation as a reliable and charismatic performer.
During this period, Smith earned recognition through her commercial campaigns and her work in early television movies. She became a recognizable face through her Breck Shampoo and Wella Balsam advertising, which helped her transition from supporting roles to more substantial television projects. By the mid-1970s, she was ready for a breakout opportunity.
Breakthrough (1976–1981)
On March 21, 1976, Jaclyn Smith first played Kelly Garrett in Charlie’s Angels, starring alongside Kate Jackson and Farrah Fawcett as private investigators working for the mysterious Charles Townsend. The pilot was so successful that the network aired it twice and confirmed production for a full series, which formally debuted on September 22, 1976. The show became a major cultural phenomenon, and the three leads appeared together on the cover of Time magazine.
Smith remained with Charlie’s Angels for all five seasons until 1981, making her the only original Angel to stay through the show’s complete run. When Farrah Fawcett left after the first season and Kate Jackson departed after the third, Smith became the steady anchor of the series. She later reprised the role of Kelly Garrett in cameo appearances in the films Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003) and Charlie’s Angels (2019).
Notable Works and Milestones
Beyond Charlie’s Angels, Smith starred in the suspense thriller Nightkill (1980) opposite Robert Mitchum, and she played the title role in the critically acclaimed television movie Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (1981), which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film. She went on to star in a string of successful television movies and miniseries throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including Rage of Angels (1983), George Washington (1984), The Night They Saved Christmas (1984), Florence Nightingale (1985), Deja Vu (1985), The Bourne Identity (1988), Windmills of the Gods (1988), and Kaleidoscope (1990). She also played the title role in the mystery series Christine Cromwell (1989) and had a recurring role on The District from 2002 to 2004.
Jaclyn Smith Award Nominations
Jaclyn Smith earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film for her portrayal of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy in the 1981 television movie of the same name. This recognition from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association highlighted her dramatic range and helped establish her credibility beyond the action-driven role of Kelly Garrett.
Jaclyn Smith Awards Won
Jaclyn Smith received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1989, honoring her contributions to the television industry. This milestone reflected her lasting impact on American popular culture, both as a defining face of Charlie’s Angels and as a versatile dramatic actress in television films and miniseries.
Jaclyn Smith Family
Jacquelyn Ellen Smith was born to Margaret Ellen Hartsfield and Jack Smith, a dentist, in Houston, Texas. She has two children: a son named Gaston, born in 1982, and a daughter named Spencer Margaret, born in 1985, both from her marriage to filmmaker Tony Richmond. She also remained close to her former stepson, Joe Cole, who was tragically murdered in 1991 at the age of 30 during an attempted robbery, a crime that remains unsolved.
Personal Life
Jaclyn Smith has been married four times. Her first marriage was to actor Roger Davis from 1968 to 1975, followed by her marriage to actor Dennis Cole from 1978 to 1981. She married filmmaker Tony Richmond in 1981, with whom she had her two children, before they divorced in 1989. In 1997, she married Houston cardiothoracic surgeon Brad Allen, and the couple has remained together since. Smith was treated for breast cancer in 2003 and later appeared in the 2010 documentary 1 a Minute, which raised awareness about the disease.