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Jaclyn Smith -- Queen of the Miniseries

© Dexter Wolfe

Stunningly beautiful, feminine, graceful, intelligent; the defining adjectives are endless for Ellen Jaclyn Smith, born October 24, 1947. A Houston, Texas native born to strong steadfast parents, Jack (dentist) and Margaret Ellen Smith, has developed a remarkable acting / entrepreneurial career.

Jaclyn began at the early age of three to dream and strive to become a ballerina, but was side tracked by the stage. Attending Trinity College (San Antonio, TX) studying stage drama, which led her to New York to roles in Gentlemen Prefer Blonds, Bye Bye Birdie and West Side Story.

Her first movie appearance was at the age of twenty-two in the movie Good Bye Columbus (1969) as an uncredited model. Her next appearances were television with minor parts, The Partridge Family (1970), two episodes of McCloud (1971) and The Rookies (1972). She later performed with Robert Wagner in Switched (1975 – two episodes) and even was found on the Love Boat (1977).

Jaclyn married (1972-1975) Roger Davis (actor) shortly after she began landing minor parts in movies and television but the marriage ended after three short years.

Her beauty was noticed from her public appearances and she was soon contracted for major television commercials promoting a wide variety of products from mouthwash to shampoo.

The year that changed Jaclyn’s career was in 1976 when fellow actor Robert Wagner convinced her to try out for a role in Aaron Spellings movie Charlie’s Angels which even stared the budding actor Tommy Lee Jones. She was almost rejected by Spelling on her pilot audition but she became the Kelly Garret, orphaned beauty, and is the only angel to play a continuous role during the five-year span of the television series.

Jaclyn has been married a total of four times. Her second husband was actor Dennis Cole (1978-1981) and then to director Anthony Richmond (1981-1989) with whom she had two children Spencer Margaret and Gaston Anthony, to whom she is devoted. Her current husband is a heart surgeon, Dr. Brad Allan (married – 1997).

Jaclyn is convincing whether her role as a lawyer, mistress (George Washington – 1984), First Lady (Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy - 1981), ambassador, detective (Love Can Be A Killer – 1992), cop or a killer.

Versatility had given her the leading roles in many movie miniseries from the novels of Danielle Steel (Kaleidoscope – 1990 and Family Album – 1994) and Sidney Sheldon (Rage of Angels – 1983 and Windmills of the Gods – 1988). With numerous mini series for television, Jaclyn has been dubbed the “Queen of the Miniseries”.