Who is Jaclyn Smith? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Jacquelyn Ellen Smith

Age: 78 Years, 78 Year Old Females

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Brad Allen (m. 1997), Anthony B. Richmond (1981-1989), Dennis Cole (1978-1981), Roger Davis (1968-1975)

father: Jack Smith (born Jacob Kupferschmidt)

mother: Margaret Ellen (née Hartsfield)

children: Gaston Richmond, Spencer Margaret Richmond

Born Country: United States

Jewish Actresses Actresses

Height: 5'7" (170 cm), 5'7" Females

Ancestry: Russian American, British American, Irish American

Notable Alumni: Trinity University

City: Houston, Texas

U.S. State: Texas

More Facts

education: Trinity University

Recommended For You

Recommended Lists:

Childhood & Early Life

Jaclyn Smith was born on October 26, 1945, in Houston, Texas, to Margaret Ellen Hartsfield and Jack Smith. She completed her high school graduation in 1964, from the Mirabeau B. Lamar High School in Texas.

After graduating from school, she enrolled at the Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas. However, she left the university after a year to pursue ballet at the ‘Balanchine School of American Ballet’.

Continue Reading Below

Recommended Lists:

Actresses Who Are In Their 70s

Women Film & Theater Personalities

American Film & Theater Personalities

American Female Film & Theater Personalities

Career

Jaclyn Smith started her modeling career by appearing in TV and print ads for ‘Breck’ hair-care products in 1971. She also modeled for the ‘Listerine’ mouthwash. She then became a model for ‘Wella Balsam’ shampoo.

Her first uncredited acting role was in the movie ‘Goodbye, Columbus’ (1969). In 1970, she appeared in an episode of the series ‘The Partridge Family’ before making her movie debut in ‘The Adventurers’.

Jaclyn received her first recurring role in the TV show ‘McCloud’ (1973 – 1975). Her second recurring role came in the series ‘Switch’ (1975). Jaclyn Smith then landed the iconic lead role of Kelly Garrett in the TV series ‘Charlie’s Angels’ (1976 – 1981).

At this point in her career, it was becoming clearer that her future was in TV as mainstream movie offers were rare to come by. However, in 1979, she turned down the offer to star in the Bond movie ‘Moonraker’ due to scheduling conflicts.

In 1981, she delivered a critically acclaimed performance in the TV movie ‘Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy’. Jaclyn Smith then starred in the cult TV hit movie, ‘Rage of Angels’ (1983) and in the sequel ‘Rage of Angels: The Story Continues’ (1986).

In the next few years, she had recurring roles in TV series like ‘The Bourne Identity’ (1988) and ‘Christine Cromwell’ (1989 – 1990). She also starred in several TV movies, including, ‘Cries Unheard: The Donna Yaklich Story’ (1994) and ‘Married to a Stranger’ (1997).

In 2002, she landed the lead role of Vanessa Cavanaugh in ‘The District’ (2002 – 2004). She also reprised the role of Kelly Garret in ‘Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle’ (2003).

Thereafter, she has been seen in TV series like, ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ (2010), ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’ (2012), and the TV movie ‘Bridal Wave’ (2015).

A successful entrepreneur, she launched her own collection of women’s apparel in association with ‘Kmart’ in 1985. She would later collaborate with ‘Kmart’ again to launch the ‘Jaclyn Smith Today’ line of home décor. She also launched her ‘STYLE’ line of wigs in September 2008.

Recommended Lists:

Scorpio Women

Major Works

Jaclyn Smith is most popular for her portrayal of Kelly Garrett in the ABC TV series ‘Charlie’s Angels’ (1976 – 1981). She was the only female lead to play the character for all five seasons of the top ‘Nielsen’ rated show. ‘Charlie’s Angels’ became a pop-culture phenomenon and generated massive revenue in merchandise sales. These included bubble gum cards, fashion dolls bearing Smith’s likeness, school supplies, toys vans, etc.

Jaclyn Smith’s second iconic role was in the TV movie ‘Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy’ (1981). Her portrayal of Jacqueline Kennedy earned her a ‘Golden Globe’ nomination in 1982.

Family & Personal Life

Jaclyn Smith’s first marriage was to actor Roger Davis. It lasted from November 29, 1968 to January 15, 1975 and ended in a divorce

Her second marriage was to actor Dennis Cole. This union too ended in a divorce and they were were married from October 29, 1978 to July 23, 1981.

Jaclyn Smith married filmmaker Anthony Richmond on August 4, 1981. The couple had two children together, Gaston Richmond (born March 19, 1982) and Spencer Margaret (born December 4, 1985). The marriage ended in a bitter divorce in 1989, with Smith paying US $4 million for sole custody of her children.

Jaclyn Smith has been happily married to heart surgeon, Brad Allen since October 11, 1997. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 and successfully fought the disease.

Jaclyn Smith Biography