Farrah Fawcett's Angels Honored at Emmys—Jaclyn, Kate, Cheryl

At the 2026 Emmy Awards, the original trio of “Charlie’s Angels”—Jaclyn Smith, Kate Jackson and Cheryl Ladd—returned to the stage for a special 50‑year anniversary tribute. The reunion celebrated the cult‑classic series that launched in 1976 and aired until 1981.

In the midst of applause, all three actresses paid homage to their late co‑star Farrah Fawcett, who had passed away in 2009.

## The Emmy Tribute

“I would like to acknowledge someone not standing with us tonight, and that’s my friend Farrah Fawcett,” Smith said, adding that Fawcett is “here with us in everyone’s collective memory.” Jackson followed, calling the late actress “the shiniest angel of all.” Ladd closed the tribute by noting that Fawcett’s “iconic poster” featuring her in a red swimsuit “lives in the minds and the garages of many a man.” The three stars stood side by side onstage, each holding a single rose that was passed between them as the audience sang a rendition of the show’s theme song.

The moment, broadcast live to millions of viewers, highlighted both the enduring legacy of the series and Fawcett’s lasting influence on pop culture.

## Background & Context

“Charlie’s Angels” ran for five seasons between September 1976 and June 1981, starring three police academy‑trained private detectives who were directed by a hidden boss named Charlie. The character was never seen; instructions came .

The show became known for the trio’s daring assignments and their revealing outfits, a style that gave rise to the term “jiggle TV.” Smith, 80, Jackson, 77, and Fawcett were the original Angels; after one season, Fawcett departed and was replaced by Ladd, 75.

The series was produced by Aaron Spelling and co‑created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts for ABC.

Smith’s memoir, *I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie*, offers an inside look at the production, revealing that Jackson helped devise the idea of a faceless boss and that she felt “owed both an acknowledgment and a piece of the profit as a creator.” Producers, however, reportedly disagreed with her claim.

## What People Are Saying

Smith’s book also details tension on set, describing Jackson as a “complex person” whose anger “could get the best of her.” She recounts an incident in which Jackson, “savvy and skilled, and at times downright silly,” once “flew into a fury over some slight” on the series.

“She climbed behind the wheel of her motor home, with me by her side, and just drove it in circles around the lot, over and over,” Smith wrote. She added that Jackson felt “a lot of resentment” toward the show. Earlier this year, Jackson voiced her annoyance that the actresses saw no money from the series’ numerous merchandise releases.

“All that merchandising, somebody got rich off of it; it wasn’t the three of us! They’ll have to figure that one out; some attorney can figure that out,” she told *Page Six* exclusively at the 2026 Paley Center Honors. “Yeah, funny thing,” she added in that interview.

Smith also noted that Jackson had difficulty accepting Ladd when she first joined the cast, suggesting that Jackson might have felt “that no one could take her place.” These remarks highlight lingering grievances over creative credit and financial distribution.

The Emmy ceremony’s tribute serves as a public reminder of Fawcett’s iconic status and the enduring appeal of a show that redefined television in the late 1970s. While the actors celebrated their shared history, their comments also shed light on unresolved disputes that have lingered behind the.

As the three Angels stand together onstage, their performance underscores both a nostalgic homage and an implicit call for recognition of the contributions they made to a landmark television franchise.