“Charlie’s Angels” star Kate Jackson has revealed why she made the decision to walk away from her flourishing Hollywood career in order to settle down on a farm in Virginia—where she spent her time focusing on being a committed mother, rather than an A-list actress.
Jackson, 77, who made a very rare public appearance at PaleyFest in Los Angeles earlier this month, when she marked the 50th anniversary of “Charlie’s Angels” alongside her co-stars Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd, later opened up to People about what it was like to return to the spotlight after so long.
The former actress, who adopted her son, Charles, in 1995, 14 years after “Charlie’s Angels” came to an end, explained that she had transitioned into more directing by that time—but felt that she couldn’t focus on being a “good mom” to her son while also balancing on-screen projects.
“I didn’t think I could be a good director and a good mom at the same time, and if I’m not a good mom, it really doesn’t matter what else I do well,” she explained. “So I just walked away from everything.”
Jackson explained that, initially, the industry kept trying to lure her back—but when she repeatedly said “no” to jobs, the offers eventually dried up, leaving her free to focus on motherhood.
“Charlie’s Angels” star Kate Jackson (right) has reflected on leaving Hollywood behind to become a full-time mom because she couldn’t be a “good director and a good mom at the same time.” (Harry Langdon/Getty Images)
During the “Charlie’s Angels” 50th Anniversary Celebration panel, the star noted that she found it difficult to balance her booming career with motherhood, noting that her struggles to do it all ultimately led to her screen hiatus. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
“I didn’t take jobs and after, I don’t know, three or four years, they stopped asking. But my life was busy and full and I loved it. I loved everything about being a mom,” she shared.
“I wanted to be the best mom I could possibly be, and that felt like the way to do it.”
Jackson began appearing on TV in 1970, when she starred in the soap opera “Dark Shadows.”
She then appeared on “The Rookies,” before getting her breakout role as Sabrina Duncan in “Charlie’s Angels,” which ran from 1976 to 1981.
After becoming a household name, Jackson decided to try directing.
She directed the 1980s series “Scarecrow and Mrs. King,” which she also starred in.
“We shot all night. I got home real early in the morning, and my son was very little,” she said, noting that she “loved” it.
Jackson confessed that she is “glad” she took a step back from acting to focus on being a full-time mom.
However, now that her son—who was born in 1982—is grown, she is ready to get back into the industry.
“I’m ready to go back,” Jackson said.
The 77-year-old actress opened up about the reason behind her industry exit alongside co-stars Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd at PaleyFest LA 2026. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
“I realized that I really couldn’t be a good director and a good mom at the same time. And I thought, ‘If I’m not a good mom, it really doesn’t matter what else I do well,’” Jackson—who adopted son Charles in 1994—explained. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Jackson also told the outlet that she came up with the name “Charlie’s Angels,” but producer Aaron Spelling never credited her. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Since quitting the industry, Jackson has also laid down roots in Virginia.
“I love being in Virginia, and I really enjoy the farm. I’ve got chickens, a couple of horses. Most of it’s woods, but it’s 128 acres and it’s beautiful and it’s quiet and peaceful. It’s a good place for me, and I love being in the mountains. I still get to ski, but I shouldn’t,” she told People.
However, now that she is looking to return to the hustle of Hollywood, Jackson noted that she is open to new opportunities.
“I’m in California now and going to see what happens and if there are things to do, if there’s work to be had, acting or directing,” Jackson explained.
Directing was “really fun,” she added, and it was something she is “pretty darn good at.”
Jackson also told the outlet that she came up with the name “Charlie’s Angels,” but that producer Aaron Spelling never credited her.
“I was looking down … while he was telling me the story of ‘The Alley Cats,’ thinking, ‘That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard in my life. What’s going to happen when I look up? Is my top lip going to stick to my teeth or am I going to be smiling?'” Jackson said.
When Spelling stopped, Jackson insisted, “I don’t like that much.”
“Aaron pointed at my pink revision pages and said, ‘Well, what’s that? Have you got something?'” she explained. “I said, ‘Well, yeah.’ He said, ‘Let’s hear it.’ I stood up, and I didn’t know how to start, so I said, ‘OK, once upon a time…’ The rest is history.”
She noted that an oil painting hanging in Spelling’s office of three angels inspired her to come up with the name.
Jackson added that she was “never credited or paid.”
“I never heard of the words ‘intellectual property,’ and I thought in order to copyright something, you had to actually have the money to produce it,” she said. “But I’m still proud to have been part of it. I’m proud to have had an idea that kind of set the world on fire for a while. It was fun.”
