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Jaclyn Smith was born in Houston, Texas on October 26, 1945. From a young age she loved dancing; she was 3 years old when she put on her first pair of dancing shoes.
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It wasn't long before her fate found her. In high school, her drama teacher inspired her to try stage acting. Her passion was still dancing, so when she graduated from Trinity University, she moved to New York City to make it as a ballerina. While her dancing career didn’t take off, she soon became a successful model due to her striking looks...
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After turning down the role of Victoria Winters on the ABC series Dark Shadows, Smith was offered a job as a “Breck girl” for Breck Shampoo. She continued doing commercial work, eventually teaming up with future co-star Farrah Fawcett as a spokeswoman for Wella Balsam shampoo.
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In 1976, Smith was offered the chance to star in an TV pilot for an ABC show called Charlie’s Angels. Not surprisingly, it was a smash hit. For five seasons, Smith played investigator Kelly Garrett, earning the distinction of being the only Angel to last for the entire duration of the show’s stent.
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Smith has since appeared in over 50 films and TV shows, including cameos in NBC’s 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' and the 2015 Hallmark movie 'Bridal Wave.' In 2003, Smith was diagnosed with breast cancer. Doctors had found a small lump on her left breast, but thankfully it was detected early through a routine mammogram.
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"When I heard that news, I panicked," she told 'The New York Daily News' in a 2012 interview. “The word ‘cancer’ is what stood out. That’s a word I didn’t even like to say. It was very surreal. I couldn’t get a grip on it,” she said. “I think my first words were, ‘Will I be here for my children?‘”
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During that tough time, Smith found comfort from her former co-star Kate Jackson, who had also battled and beat breast cancer. But good news weren't long in coming.
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fter her doctors notified her with good news — the cancer had not spread to her lymph nodes — she opted for a lumpectomy and eight weeks of chemotherapy. “I’m here, and I’m so grateful,” Smith said. “The experience made me so aware of living life right."
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Today, Smith is not only an established actress but also a talented businesswoman. Her fashion line was sold at Kmart for 36 years before she relaunched her collection in collaboration with Nordstrom Rack in 2022 and HSN in 2023.
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She also has her own line of home decor and has designed fabrics for Trend since 2007. As if that wasn’t enough, she even has her own line of wigs in partnership with Paula Young, and a self-entitled a beauty line. Talk about a quadruple threat!
When Jaclyn Smith burst onto TV screens in 'Charlie’s Angels' in 1976 as the beautiful and savvy private investigator "Kelly Garrett," millions of viewers had their hearts stolen by the fresh-faced young actress.
And over the last four decades, the now 78-year-old has remained as lovely and talented as ever becoming not only an acclaimed actress but an inspiration.