Why Charlie's Angels Star Kate Jackson Left Hollywood & What She's Been Doing Since

There's no denying that actress Kate Jackson was a bona fide '70s icon. Starting in 1976, Jackson was the top-billed star of the original "Charlie's Angels" TV series, leading the initial trio that also consisted of Jaclyn Smith and the late great Farrah Fawcett. However, the show's lineup changed quite a bit over its five-season run. Fawcett famously left after one season, and Jackson similarly bowed out after Season 3 wrapped up in 1979. What's more, Jackson's early departure from "Charlie's Angels" somewhat foreshadowed her later career choices, as she ended up walking away from Hollywood entirely in the in the 2000s, even as her former co-stars continued acting. So, what made her pack it in, and what has she been up to since?

Well, fame comes at a price. According to the woman herself, the never-ending attention that began with the massive popularity of "Charlie's Angels" simply became too much to deal with after a while. "We lost our privacy, totally. We just absolutely totally lost every bit of privacy. And then, to make it worse, those horrible tabloids," Jackson told People regarding her experience.

Since then, she added, the issue has only evolved. "I don't understand social media. I mean, I don't get it. All I want is a little privacy. And I don't understand why people are so fond of taking their picture and telling the world where they are at this very moment, doing this thing. I don't get it," Jackson added. She's probably happy, then, that she decided to leave Hollywood shortly before social media became as ubiquitous as it is today.

In retrospect, it's pretty obvious that, by the time the 2000s rolled around, Kate Jackson had one foot out the door as it pertains to Hollywood. Not counting an unsold pilot called "Arly Hanks" in 1993, her final leading role in a TV series was in the short-lived 1988 sitcom "Baby Boom," which was based on a 1987 film that starred fellow '70s it girl, Diane Keaton. From that point on, most of her credits consisted of one-off guest appearances in various established shows, as well as a handful of made-for-TV movies. To that end, her final credited performance came in an episode of the popular police procedural "Criminal Minds" in 2007.

However, while Jackson keeps a low profile these days, she did join former "Charlie's Angels" co-stars Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd for a 50th anniversary celebration event in April 2026, with side-by-side photos making it clear how much they'd changed since their time on the show. During the event, Jackson opened up about leaving her acting career — as well as her fledgling directing career — in order to focus on spending time with her son, whom she adopted in 1995. "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,'" she said (via People).

Speaking exclusively to People, Jackson also explained that she's spent her more recent years living on a farm in the mountains of Virginia. "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," Jackson explained. That being said, she also confessed that Hollywood might just tempt her back. "Creative people need to be creative," she said.