Threesome proposal during Hawaii flight
Jacqueline Smith describes in her memoir how Tanya Roberts suggested a threesome involving Smith, Roberts and Roberts' husband Barry Roberts. The conversation occurred while the cast flew to Hawaii to film episodes for the fifth and final season. Roberts and her husband maintained an open marriage and had previously invited others to swing with them. Smith declined the invitation, citing her traditional views on marriage formed during her upbringing. She viewed the arrangement as complicated and likely to cause emotional harm. Smith found Roberts' honesty about her sexuality brave and a sign of self-knowledge. She wrote that the world consists of all kinds of people with all kinds of passions and noted that her own perspective on marriage was traditional, based on the values with which she was raised. The choice seemed complicated to her, with high chances of hurting feelings. Actor David Doyle, who played John Bosley, overheard the entire exchange from a seat behind them. After Roberts left for the restroom, Doyle asked Smith whether she needed salt and gestured toward the bathroom. Smith recorded her confusion at the remark in the book, writing that she was puzzled when he said to add a pinch of salt and pointed toward the toilet. Roberts, who died in 2021, joined the series in its final season as Julie Rogers.
One million dollar Hustler offer declined
The three lead actresses each received an offer of one million dollars from Hustler magazine to pose nude. Smith states that the cast rejected the proposal. Additional advertising contracts worth six figures were also presented, yet the women set boundaries they chose not to cross. Smith notes that the sudden success placed them on magazine covers and in tabloids almost overnight, creating both excitement and disorientation. When the series premiered in September 1976, life changed forever for Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jacqueline Smith. From one day to the next they found themselves on the cover of every magazine and every tabloid. The public reaction arrived like a tidal wave of magazine articles, crowds and the shock of being recognized in places where no one had known their names before. It was both intoxicating and disorienting. Smith writes that one begins to understand how quickly the world can overtake you. The cast had never imagined such immediate and permanent changes to their daily routines. They refused the Hustler offer even though many opportunities arrived once the show succeeded.
Farrah Fawcett final meeting and letter
Smith devotes sections of the memoir to Farrah Fawcett, her co-star in the first season. Fawcett died of cancer in 2009 at age 62. Smith recalls their last encounter and a moving letter Fawcett wrote near the end of her life. The account emphasises the personal bond that continued after the series ended. In an interview with USA TODAY, Smith reflects on this final meeting and the touching letter her longtime friend sent toward the end of her life. The memoir covers all the Angels, with particular attention to the relationships that lasted beyond the show. Smith writes about the entire cast and highlights the connections that remained strong long after production wrapped. She notes that these personal reflections form a significant part of the book alongside the production stories.
Only Angel across all five seasons
Smith played Kelly Garrett and remained for the entire run of the series from 1976 to 1981. Kate Jackson left after season three and Cheryl Ladd replaced Fawcett beginning in season two. Tanya Roberts joined in the final season as Julie Rogers, replacing Shelley Hack and starring alongside Smith and Cheryl Ladd. Roberts later played geologist Stacey Sutton opposite Roger Moore in the 1985 James Bond film A View to a Kill and experienced a career revival as Midge Pinciotti on That '70s Show. Smith later reflected that the original concept centred on three women rather than three men and that the cast maintained a supportive, sisterly dynamic throughout production. She told People that the idea was original and different because it featured three women investigators. The women stood by one another and shared a sisterly relationship that Smith describes as beautiful. She stresses that friends are very important because they support you in many situations. Smith was the sole cast member present for every season.
Impact of instant recognition
Smith writes that public recognition changed daily routines permanently once the show entered the top ten. Simple activities such as grocery shopping became impossible without being identified. She describes the reaction as a tidal wave of articles, crowds and attention that arrived faster than the cast had anticipated. From one day to the next, she knew she could no longer go to the supermarket without being recognized as Jacqueline Ellen Smith. This had changed irrevocably. The cast were simply three girls who hoped to find an audience and found far more than an audience. They were offered many things once the series became a hit, yet they refused offers that crossed their limits. The sudden fame brought both opportunities and challenges the women had not foreseen when the series first aired. Smith adds that the overnight shift to constant visibility affected how they moved through public spaces and interacted with strangers.
Frequently asked questions
What book does Jacqueline Smith discuss these events in?
She covers the incidents in the memoir titled I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie, released in 2026.
Did Tanya Roberts and her husband have an open marriage?
Smith states that Roberts and Barry Roberts maintained an open marriage and extended invitations to others.
How much did Hustler offer each actress?
The magazine offered one million dollars to each of the three lead actresses for nude photographs.
Which actress remained for every season of Charlie's Angels?
Jacqueline Smith was the only original cast member present across all five seasons.
What was the cast's reaction to sudden fame?
Smith describes the recognition as both intoxicating and disorienting, with immediate changes to everyday life.
