Kathie Lee Gifford Reveals Charlie's Angels Casting Agent Told Her She Wasn’t 'Pretty' Enough For Role; 'You're Not...'

Kathie Lee Gifford recently revealed how the casting director for Charlie's Angels insulted her by calling her not pretty enough for the role.

By Marita Pinto

Published on Jun 07, 2024 | 03:12 PM IST | 40.6K

(Image Courtesy: Instagram/ Kathie Lee Gifford)

Kathie Lee Gifford reveals she had a bad experience with a casting agent in the early days of her career. In an interview with PEOPLE regarding her most recent book, I Want to Matter: Your Life Is Too Short and Too Precious to Waste, Gifford shared her story of being turned down for not being pretty enough to star in the five seasons of ABC's Charlie's Angels television series from 1976 to 1981.

Kathie Lee Gifford recalls being insulted by Charlie's Angels casting agent

Gifford revealed that she had the flu one day when her agent called to inform her that she needed to get out of bed and get to the studio because there was an opening on the popular ABC sitcom. However, the casting director turned down the actress right away when she arrived.

Gifford revealed the casting director clearly told her, "Let me tell you right now, you’re not right for Charlie’s Angels." The actress said that when she asked why, the director told her that they were looking for a pretty girl. They were looking for someone like Jaclyn Smith: "pretty, gorgeous, gorgeous.” Gifford recalled that she was about to leave but then turned and said to them that if they were casting a cartoon, they could let her know.

Charlie's Angels popularity over the years

The initial cast of the show, which followed three women at a private detective agency in Los Angeles, included Jackson, Smith, and Farrah Fawcett. Over the years, Tanya Roberts, Shelley Hack, and Cheryl Ladd have all served as replacements. The show went on to inspire a franchise, which included the brief 2011 remake series and the popular 2002 film of the same name starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu.

Kathie Lee Gifford's work credits

Kathie Lee Gifford's career took off when she became a cast member of the brief Hee Haw spinoff Hee Haw Honeys in 1978. Early in the 1980s, she also worked as a correspondent and stand-in anchor for ABC's Good Morning America. In addition to having multiple independently published CD albums, such as 2000's The Heart of a Woman, which featured the single Love Never Fails, Gifford has made cameos in movies and television shows.

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