‘Charlie’s Angels’: Which Cast Members of the Original ’70s Show Are Still Alive?
Charlie’s Angels and its cast was a phenomenon in the 1970s. The TV series ran for five seasons from 1976-1981. It was produced by Aaron Spelling, who also created hits such as The Love Boat, Dynasty, Beverly Hills 90210, and Melrose Place.
The show was immensely popular with viewers but got mixed reviews from critics. Some called it “Jiggle TV” because it emphasized the sex appeal of its female cast.
Which Charlie’s Angels cast members are still alive?
What was ‘Charlie’s Angels’?
“Once upon a time, there were three little girls who went to the police academy; and they were each assigned very hazardous duties. But I took them away from all that, and now they work for me. My name is Charlie!”
This was the opening of Charlie’s Angels.
Farrah Fawcett (Jill Munroe), Jaclyn Smith (Kelly Garrett), and Kate Jackson (Sabrina Duncan) played the Angels. They worked as private detectives for the Charles Townsend Agency. Their boss Charlie was never seen but spoke to the Angels over a speakerphone to give them their cases. David Doyle played John Bosley, who helped the Angels during their assignments.
Fawcett left the show after the first season and was replaced by Cheryl Ladd, who played Jill’s younger sister Kris Munroe.
Charlie’s Angels came to the big screen in 2000 with a brand new cast. Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu starred as three new Angels with Bill Murray as John Bosley. A sequel called Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle was released in 2003.
The next installment didn’t materialize until 2019 and starred Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska.
What happened to the original ‘Charlie’s Angels’?
Jaclyn Smith, now 77 years old, is the only original Angel to have a cameo role in both Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle and the 2019 version of Charlie’s Angels.
After the series ended, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress for the title role in the TV film Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. She went on to star in numerous TV movies and series for years. In 1985 she launched a collection of women’s apparel for Kmart.
Smith has been married four times and has two children. She battled breast cancer in 2003.
Kate Jackson followed Charlie’s Angels with a starring role in Scarecrow and Mrs. King from 1983-1987. She then starred in the short-lived series Baby Boom and the film Loverboy and continued to act throughout the years.
74-year-old Jackson battled breast cancer twice. She has been married three times and adopted a son in 1995.
Cheryl Ladd was a singer as well as an actor. After her Angels role was over, she performed the National Anthem at the Super Bowl in January 1980 and released three albums. She has appeared in more than 30 made-for-TV movies, on Broadway, and published two books.
In 2022, 71-year-old Ladd was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. She has been married twice and has one daughter.
David Doyle died in 1997 from a heart attack at 67. After Charlie’s Angels, he was the voice of Grandpa Lou Pickles on the Nickelodeon animated series Rugrats from 1991 until his death. He also acted on the stage.
Doyle was married twice and had one daughter.
Farah Fawcett was a breakout star
Then there was Farrah Fawcett, the early breakout star from Charlie’s Angels. The actor left the hit series after the first season but reappeared as a guest star six times. She went on to show the world she was not just a sex symbol when she starred in TV movies such as Extremities, The Burning Bed, and Small Sacrifices. Her roles earned her critical acclaim as well as award nominations.
Fawcett was married once to actor Lee Majors and had a long-term relationship with actor Ryan O’Neal. The couple had one son together.
The actor was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006. She died from the disease in 2009 at the age of 62.
Who was the voice of Charlie?
John Forsythe was the voice of Charlie Townsend throughout the entire series and the first Charlie’s Angels movie, although he was uncredited during the series. Forsythe thought it would add mystery to the role that way.
When his role as Charlie was over, he went on to star as Blake Carrington on the hit series Dynasty for five seasons in the 1980s.
Forsythe died at 92 years old in 2010 due to complications from pneumonia after a yearlong cancer battle. He was married three times and had three children, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
