- Marcia Strassman, Welcome Back Kotter, TV, 1975-1979. Jackson and Farrah Fawcett were among the auditioners for Julie Kotter but NBC didn’t think the public woupld believe either one was wed to Gabe Kaplan. Say what, cried Strassman. “And you think I do look like Gabe Kaplan’s wife? Thanks a lot!”. The following year, Fawcett and Jackson became became two of Charlie’s Angels, for five and four years respectively – and buried Kotter in the ratings. But then, so did the girls’ Kotter, Facts of Life, the longest running TV series with an all female cast, 1979-1988.
- Lynda Carter, Wonder Woman, TV, 1975-1979. The 1972 Miss World USA (!) reigned supreme over such starry rivals as the previous, 1973 WW tele-film star, Cathy Lee Crosby. Plus Angie Bowie (David’s first wife), Joanna Cassidy and all three Charlie’s Angels: Farrah Fawcett. Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith. Carter was soon on $1m a year while Debra Winger, at 20, refused her own spin-off series as was her sister, Wonder Girl.
- Julie Christie, Heaven Can Wait, 1977. With Warren Beatty, you never knew which came first. The project. Or the latest lover. They always merged. Leslie Caron in Promise Her Anything, 1965.; Julie Christie, McCabe and Mrs Miller, 1979, and, of course,Shampoo, 1974.; Diane Keaton, Reds, 1979;; Isabelle Adani, Ishtar, 1985’Madonna, Dick Tracy, 1985. ‘and finally the actress he wed, Annette Bening, in Bugsy, 1991. He took so long getting Heaven ready for shooting that his leading lady went, as in life, from Caron to Keaton before he went back to the best of ‘em all, La Christie – the film’s saving grace,” he said. Also in the mix for Betty Logan were Kate Jackson and Mary Steenburgen. Dustin Hoffman always said: : “If Warren had stayed a virgin, he’d be known as the best director in the world.”
- Meryl Streep, Kramer v Kramer, 1979. Dustin Hoffman wanted his lover to play his wife. Producer Aaron Spelling refused to let her out of Charlie’s Angels ate – where she was known as Hate Jackson. Streep won a support Oscar. And Kate remained a TV actress throughout her career. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
- Jaclyn Smith, Charlie’s Angels, TV, 1979-1980. No audition was necessary The jigglevision series was structured around Kate after greatly impressing producer Aaron Spelling when starring in his 1973 tele-flick, Satan’s School For Girls. Spelling used many of her ideas, title included – so much better, she insisted, than… Alley Cats! Hence, she was allowed to choose her own role. Spelling saw her as Kelly, but Kate preferred Sabrina … even if there was no time to re-write theo pener to more favour her. Jigglevision? “When the show was #3, I figured it was our acting,” said fellow angel Farrah Fawcett. “When it got to #1,i t could only be because none of us wears a bra.”
- Kate Mulgrew, Star Trek: Voyager, TV, 1995-2001.
- Kelly Lynch, Charlie’s Angels, 2000. A new producer called Drew Barrymore bought the movie rights and invited the original TV angels – Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith – to make guest cameos. Fawcett agreed (if she could be Charlie) and Jackson wanted to play Vivian Wood – Sam, Rockwell’s business partner at Knox Enterprises. But John Forsythe agreed to reprise Charlie’s phone calls and Wood went to Lynch after Melanie Griffith passed.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 7