Charlie Girl and Angel

a closeup of Shelley

from a promo pic for Charlie's Angels, 1979

Shelley joined the cast of Charlie's Angels in 1979, taking over the slot left empty by Kate Jackson. She was already world-famous by then... as THE Charlie Girl, Revlon's IT girl and the glamorous version of the newly liberated woman of the 1970s. Shelley was the perfect choice for the role of Charlie's classy, independent and intellectual Angel Tiffany Welles. She was a bright young woman with a high I.Q. from upscale Greenwich, Connecticut; she had a history degree from Smith (a classy East Coast college); and, because of her Charlie endorsements, she was already one of the most recognizable faces in the world. Shelley became a bona fide Hollywood Superstar when she was cast and everyone wanted to know everything about this newly-minted Angel.

a writeup about Shelley

joining Charlie's Angels, 1979

"I couldn't believe it. What was I doing in the evening news," Shelley exclaimed at the time. "Yesterday, I was a schnook, and today I can't get across the street," she added. When she arrived in St. Thomas at the Caribbean, where her first Charlie's Angels episode was going to be shot, she was greeted by the paparazzi. "When I got off the plane, there were maybe eight million paparazzi. I looked around for Sophia Loren. It was for me. I couldn't believe it," she said astonished by the amount of attention her Angel casting was getting. "I had press people crawling in my windows," she told E! in 2002. Shelley had jumped from the Supermodel territory to rock star space overnight.

Shelley in a promo pic 

for Charlie's Angels, 1979

Knitted Triangle Top

a closeup of Shelley from a spread

for Woman's Day 101 Sweaters

You Can Knit & Crochet number 5, 1972

Shelley appeared on many magazines throughout her modeling career. In 1972, she appeared on the pages of Woman's Day 101 Sweaters You Can Knit & Crochet number 5. It was a Woman's Day Super Special Issue and it featured not just patterns but tips for fitting and finishing your creations, directions on how to knit and crochet, instructions on how to line knits and crochets. In one spread, Shelley wore the "Triangle Top," a knitted sleeveless top with a round neckline and triangle details running down the front. She wore it over a pair of matching trousers. A scarf as a headband around her head and a fancy bracelet finished her look. And Shelley looked smashing.

Shelley on a spread

for Woman's Day 101 Sweaters

You Can Knit & Crochet number 5, 1972

Angels in the Sunshine State 1

an artwork of Jaclyn Smith, Cheryl Ladd

and Shelley Hack, on the cover

of Look-In magazine, 1979

Look-In magazine was a kiddie/teen UK magazine that featured two-page comic/picture strips of the most popular television shows of the era. Subtitled as "The Junior TV Times," its first issue came out in 1971 and its final issue came out in 1994. Many popular American TV series were featured in the mag including Kung Fu, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, CHiPs, Battlestar Galactica, Mork and Mindy... and, of course Charlie's Angels.

Shelley as Tiffany Welles in Look-In mag's

Charlie's Angels comic/picture strip, 1979

From 1979 to 1980, during the airing of the 4th season of Charlie's Angels, Shelley's Tiffany Welles character was featured in the mag's Charlie's Angels comic/picture strip. Along with her co-Angels Kelly Garrett (Jaclyn Smith) and Kris Munroe (Cheryl Ladd), Tiffany solved cases for Charlie for several issues, two pages a week. Her first case debuted on November of 1979 and her final case ended on October of 1980. The mag also featured occasional writeups about Shelley as well as posters of her and the Angel team of that season.

Jaclyn Smith, Cheryl Ladd and Shelley Hack 

in a promo pic for Charlie's Angels, 1979

A Casualty of War 1

screen captures from the telefilm

Frederick Forsyth Presents:

A Casualty of War, 1989

Shelley appeared in the first installment of the telefilm series Frederick Forsyth Presents. It was a set of six telefilms by internationally acclaimed author Frederick Forsyth; and they were all original spy thrillers. The first of them, A Casualty of War, was aired in December of 1989. The film was about the efforts of the British Intelligence to uncover an arms smuggling operation in Europe. In the film, Shelley played Monica Browne, the love interest of retired British secret service agent Tom Rowse (played by English actor David Threlfall) who was recruited to intercept an arms shipment from Libya to the IRA. But Monica had her secrets.

screen captures from the telefilm

Frederick Forsyth Presents:

A Casualty of War, 1989

Shelley said she read Forsyth's books as a young girl and found them to be "very macho, exciting Cold War stuff." In the film, she was the only American among the predominantly British cast. She laughed this off and said, "Yes, I'm the token." But she enjoyed working with her British co-stars and found their approach to their craft very interesting. The telefilm was shot in England, Germany and Yugoslavia. It was initially released on VHS and subsequently on DVD.

screen captures from the telefilm

Frederick Forsyth Presents:

A Casualty of War, 1989

The Sporting Life 4

Charlie Girl Shelley with Chaz Man Tom Selleck

in a 1980 Charlie and Chaz promo set

The Sporting Life Kit

Shelley was The Charlie Girl from 1976 to 1982; and she appeared on many promotional pics for the Revlon brand. In 1980, Charlie and it's male perfume counterpart Chaz (also by Revlon) teamed up to promote the 1980 Winter Olympics which was held in Lake Placid, New York from Feb 13 to 24 of that year. Pics of Shelley together with the then current Chaz Man Tom Selleck were taken. The Sporting Life Kit containing both Revlon Charlie and Chaz products (the perfumes, Charlie Body Silk, Charlie Body Silk After Bath Tonic and Chaz Moisturizing After Shave Balm) became available. Shelley was already a superstar by then due to Charlie's Angels; but Tom Selleck would later become famous himself via his own TV series Magnum, P.I.

Charlie Girl Shelley with Chaz Man Tom Selleck

in a 1980 promo ad for the Charlie and Chaz set

The Sporting Life Kit

Theater After Angels 1

Shelley with Meredith Baxter Birney

and Annette O'Toole in a promo pic

for the play Vanities, 1981

Immediately after leaving Charlie's Angels, Shelley was cast in the Jack Heifner three-character play Vanities. The play followed three girl friends from Texas - their friendship and demise thereof. The three-part play followed the girls as high school cheerleaders in 1963, then as college roommates in 1968, then finally as young adults in 1974. Meredith Baxter Birney and Annette O'Toole played the two other characters. The play was a record-breaking hit. It was taped and aired as part of the HBO series Standing Room Only in 1981.

Shelley in Home Box Office mag, March 1981

note: It also featured her fellow Charlie's Angel

Farrah Fawcett in the 1980 movie Saturn 3

"I guess I did get spunky," Shelley said in a 1983 interview, "I decided I was going to run my own life. I started doing theater for the first time in my life although I'd never been on stage before." Shelley received glowing reviews for her performance which surprised and impressed many of her critics and detractors as well as Charlie's Angels producer Ed Lakso (who thought she couldn't act and that casting her in Angels was a mistake). "One year after the show, I saw Shelley in the stage play Vanities, and she did a wonderful job," Lakso admitted.

Flair... with Baubles and Bags

a closeup of Shelley from a pic

for Simplicity The Fashion Magazine

for Women Who Sew, spring 1971

Simplicity The Fashion Magazine for Women Who Sew was a booklet the Simplicity Pattern Company came out with to showcase their latest patterns. The Simplicity Pattern Company had been manufacturing sewing patterns since 1927, giving fashionistas on a budget and sewing aficionados the ability to create clothes in a reliable manner. The booklet featured the latest patterns Simplicity had come up with at the time. It also showed readers what they could do with them and how to play around with them by using fabrics and trims to personalize the fashion must-haves featured in it.

Shelley in a spread

for Simplicity The Fashion Magazine

for Women Who Sew, spring 1971

In the spread called "Flair... with Baubles and Bags," Shelley modeled Simplicity Pattern 8854, a sleeveless pantjumper with a lowered round neckline, a front zipper closing and roomy straight legs. She wore it with a black long-sleeved turtleneck rib knit top and matching footwear. A fancy belt and hairclip finished her look. Around her shoulder was The Bag, which had a roomy pouch and a wide strap. It could also be worn around the waist if preferred. And Shelley looked fab as always.

Shelley in a pic

for Simplicity The Fashion Magazine

for Women Who Sew, spring 1971

Quite A Whirl

Shelley in a promo pic for Charlie's Angels, 1979

Shelley became Angel #5 in 1979 when she joined the cast of Charlie's Angels. Her character, Tiffany Welles, was a classy Boston-bred (originally Connecticut-bred) policewoman who was the daughter of one of Charlie's oldest friends. She was chosen from among a bevy of beautiful actresses which included Priscilla Presley, Kim Basinger, Michelle Pfeiffer, Connie Sellecca and Shari Belafonte. In May of 1979, Bond Girl Barbara Bach was announced as the newest Angel. But it was quickly retracted and Shelley was announced as Charlie's newest Angel, with the approval of not just producers Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg but of incumbent Angels Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd as well.

writeups about Shelley

in Charlie's Angels from Remind 2023

When Shelley joined the cast of the phenomenal Angels series, many reporters and paparazzi photographers rushed to get a picture of her and talk to her. Her casting was was a huge deal and was even mentioned in the evening news. "I couldn't believe it. What was I doing in the evening news," Shelley exclaimed at the time. "Yesterday, I was a schnook, and today I can't get across the street" is how Shelley described her sudden rise to Hollywood superstardom. "It has been quite a whirl," she added. When she arrived in St. Thomas at the Caribbean, where her first Charlie's Angels episode was going to be shot, she was greeted by the paparazzi. "When I got off the plane, there were maybe eight million paparazzi. I looked around for Sophia Loren. It was for me. I couldn't believe it," Shelley said astonished by the amount of attention her Angel casting was getting. "I had press people crawling in my windows," she told TV Tales: Charlie's Angels in 2002.

Shelley in a promo pic for Charlie's Angels, 1979

Summery and Fabulous

a closeup of Shelley

wearing Simplicity Pattern 9879 

from Simplicity Home Catalog

Spring/Summer 1972

Shelley has appeared on many spreads for many catalogs from the late '60s to the mid-'70s. Many Supermodels at the time appeared in the most popular catalogs as well such as Cheryl Tiegs, Beverly Johnson, Patti Hansen and Shelley Smith, just to name a few. Many models who eventually became actresses also appeared in the same catalogs like Veronica Hamel, Erin Grey, Kim Basinger and Pam Dawber. 

Shelley in a spread

for Simplicity Home Catalog

Spring/Summer 1972

Shelley appeared on the pages of the the Simplicity Home Catalog Spring/Summer 1972 issue. She appeared in a spread that featured two patterns. Simplicity Pattern 9879 was a mini-dress and bag combo. The simple-to-sew dress had a Mandarin collar and patch pockets. A pattern for a simple round snap-fastened shoulder bag was also included. A matching headscarf and open-toed footwear finished her look. Simplicity Pattern 9880 was a short jumpsuit and mini wrap-skirt combo. The sleeveless short jumpsuit had a front zipper, a high round neckline, contrasting collar and an optional belt. The mini wrap-skirt had a drawstring cord at the waistline that could be tied into a bow on the side. Shelley wore a casual hairstyle and went barefoot. In both outfits, Shelley looked summery and fabulous.

a closeup of Shelley

wearing Simplicity Pattern 9880

from Simplicity Home Catalog

Spring/Summer 1972

Critical Acclaim

a closeup of Shelley from a 1980 promo pic

Shelley was cast as Tiffany Welles in Charlie's Angels in 1979; and everyone was so excited to see THE Charlie Girl become a Charlie's Angel. But by 1980, she had moved on. She signed a one-year contract with the show which had a three-year option; and she opted to leave the show and move on to other things after a year. "I never expected to be there more than a year and I wasn't," Shelley told TV Tales: Charlie's Angels in 2002. "So I did my year and I moved on," she added, "That was just fine. That was plenty for me." But the publicity jump start she got from Charlie's Angels made her a Hollywood superstar nonetheless and she was considered one of the glamourous new luminaries of Tinseltown. Also, she was determined to make something of her big break. She immediately jumped into theater-acting via the play Vanities by Jack Heifner, alongside Meredith Baxter-Birney and Annette O' Toole. Staged at the Westside Playhouse in Los Angeles, the play was filmed on stage for HBO's Standing Room Only. "I don't know how I got the guts to go right into a play immediately after leaving the series," Shelley said. But her gamble paid off. Shelley won a critical acclaim for her role.

Shelley and Star War's Harrison Ford, by then Hollywood's

new luminaries, in a spread from the Japanese

fan magazine Roadshow, November 1980

The Finishing Touch 14

screen captures from the film feature

The Finishing Touch, 1992

In 1992, Shelley starred in the big screen thriller The Finishing Touch. She played Hannah, a divorced detective who had to work on a case with her detective husband then fell with one of their suspects. Dynasty star Michael Nader played her ex-husband Sam Stone and future The Mummy star Arnold Vosloo played the suspect, artist Mikael Gant. This was one of Shelley's sexiest roles because it involved her in a love scene with Vosloo. But for the topless scenes, she used a body double.

screen captures from the film feature

The Finishing Touch, 1992

The film was about a divorced couple (Sam and Hannah Stone), both detectives, who had been assigned to the same case - find out who has been killing beautiful women in L.A., filming the deed and selling the footage as snuff films. Two suspects come up, a known criminal and a well-renowned artist (Mikael Gant). As Sam and Hannah further investigate the case, their former marital problems surface, clouding their judgement. And Gant would come between them. The film is available on VHS and was released under the title L.A. Ripper in Germany.

screen captures from the film feature

The Finishing Touch, 1992

The Sporting Life 3

Charlie Girl Shelley with Chaz Man Tom Selleck

in a 1980 Charlie and Chaz promo set

The Sporting Life Kit

Shelley was The Charlie Girl from 1976 to 1982; and she appeared on many promotional pics for the Revlon brand. In 1980, Charlie and it's male perfume counterpart Chaz (also by Revlon) teamed up to promote the 1980 Winter Olympics which was held in Lake Placid, New York from Feb 13 to 24 of that year. Pics of Shelley together with the then current Chaz Man Tom Selleck were taken. The Sporting Life Kit containing both Revlon Charlie and Chaz products (the perfumes, Charlie Body Silk, Charlie Body Silk After Bath Tonic and Chaz Moisturizing After Shave Balm) became available. Shelley was already a superstar by then due to Charlie's Angels; but Tom Selleck would later become famous himself via his own TV series Magnum, P.I.

Charlie Girl Shelley with Chaz Man Tom Selleck

in a 1980 promo ad for the Charlie and Chaz set

The Sporting Life Kit

Becoming an Actress in 1978

Shelley in an informal promo pic, 1978

Shelley was one of the hottest new actresses on the scene in 1978. By that time, she was already a highly-paid Supermodel and was recognized by everyone as The Charlie Girl. She was currently transitioning from modeling to acting. The year before, she had done a cameo in the Academy Award winning film Annie Hall where she appeared in a scene with no other than director/star Woody Allen himself. By then, she was also being considered by long-time James Bond films producer Cubby Broccoli to play Bond girl in the latest Bond installment Moonraker. And she was currently, a first time leading-lady in the film If Ever I See You Again. The hot and busy model-turned-actress was in L.A. doing the talk shows to promote the film. 

Shelley in an informal promo pic, 1978

Fast & Easy Pattern

a closeup of Shelley from a spread

on the Butterick catalog, 1979

Shelley appeared on many pattern catalogs, brochures and pattern packages during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1979, she appeared on Butterick catalog's November issue. In one spread, she wore Butterick's Fast & Easy Pattern Number 5658 - a misses' coat and belt. It was a very loose-fitting lined wrap coat below mid-knee in length. It had a pointed collar, patch pockets, dropped shoulders and full length sleeves with topstitch trim. It also had a self-tie belt. Under it, she wore a white cowl turtleneck knee-length dress and matching boots. Gold earrings and a matching bag finished her look. And Shelley looked downright chic and utterly gorgeous.

Shelley in a spread for the Butterick catalog, 1979

Fashionably Ready for Class

a closeup of Shelley from the cover

of Simplicity School Catalog's

Fall-Winter 1972 issue

Shelley appeared on many spreads and catalogs for Simplicity. The Simplicity Pattern Company is the leading manufacturer of sewing patterns and sewing pattern guides which are distributed throughout the world. They have been manufacturing sewing patterns since 1927 and have allowed fashionistas on a budget and sewing aficionados to create clothes in a reliable manner. Aside from patterns and pattern guides, they've come out with pamphlets, books, booklets, magazines and pattern packages. Shelley appeared on the cover of Simplicity School Catalog's Fall-Winter 1972 issue. On the cover, she wore pattern number 5204, which was for a misses' bias skirt, vest, and pants set. Shelley wore the lined vest (with front button closing, a V-shaped neckline, slits in the side seams and flaps) over the pants (with a back zipper closing and turn  back cuffs). She wore a sweater underneath the vest and finished her outfit with matching footwear. A hair clip, brooch and fancy bracelet accessorized her look. And Shelley looked fashionably ready to attend her classes.

Shelley on the cover of Simplicity School Catalog's

Fall-Winter 1972 issue

Playing Modern Women

Shelley on the cover of Neighbors mag, 1984

Shelley has been cast in many roles of women in charge of their own lives... of women of the modern era. As a Supermodel, she was known as THE Charlie Girl - a gorgeous, glamorous version of the modern liberated woman. She was then cast as hard-hitting reporter Janette Clausen in the telefilm Death Car on the Freeway. She became a Hollywood household name via her role as police officer turned private detective Tiffany Welles in Charlie's Angels. She then played the liberated artist Mary in the Jack Heifner play Vanities. In Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy, she played Cathy Long, the pleasant but firm talent coordinator of a television talk show superstar. In the TV movie Found Money, she played Leslie Phillips, another tough TV reporter. In the TV series Cutter to Houston, she played ambitious surgeon Dr. Beth Gilbert. She was later cast as public defender Christine Sullivan on the second season of TV series Night Court but she opted out of the role at the last minute. Then in the telefilm Single Bars Single Women, she played Frankie, a truck stop waitress immersing herself in the currently changing dating scene. "We're in the midst of this big sexual revolution," Shelley told Neighbors mag of the evolving gender roles in the 1980s in Oct of 1984. "If anything, women have more sense of direction. They say, 'We want this and we're heading toward it,'" she added.

a writeup about Shelley from Neighbors mag, 1984

Designer Wardrobe from Max

a closeup of Shelley from a Max cigarettes

Fashion-stakes promo ad, 1976

Shelley appeared in a promo ad for the Max cigarettes' Fashion-stakes of 1976, a contest for Max customers. Max was a brand of 120mm cigarettes marketed to women (note: cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health) and was popular in the 1970s. The Fashion-stakes had as a designer wardrobe worth approximately $8,000 as prize for five lucky winners. The winners were going to be flown to New York for a stay at the exclusive Regency Hotel where they would personally select an outfit from each of the featured exciting and prominent American designers of the era - John Anthony, Stephen Burrows, Calvin Klein, Kasper for Joan Leslie and Ralph Lauren. Luxurious furs from Alixandre were also going to be given out to the lucky winners. In the promo ad, Shelley modeled an outfit by Ralph Lauren. And, as always, she looked sensational.

Shelley in a promo ad

for Max cigarettes Fashion-stakes, 1976

The Finishing Touch 13

screen captures from the film feature

The Finishing Touch, 1992

In 1992, Shelley starred in the big screen thriller The Finishing Touch. She played Hannah, a divorced detective who had to work on a case with her detective husband then fell with one of their suspects. Dynasty star Michael Nader played her ex-husband Sam Stone and future The Mummy star Arnold Vosloo played the suspect, artist Mikael Gant. This was one of Shelley's sexiest roles because it involved her in a love scene with Vosloo. But for the topless scenes, she used a body double.

screen captures from the film feature

The Finishing Touch, 1992

The film was about a divorced couple (Sam and Hannah Stone), both detectives, who had been assigned to the same case - find out who has been killing beautiful women in L.A., filming the deed and selling the footage as snuff films. Two suspects come up, a known criminal and a well-renowned artist (Mikael Gant). As Sam and Hannah further investigate the case, their former marital problems surface, clouding their judgement. And Gant would come between them. The film is available on VHS and was released under the title L.A. Ripper in Germany.

screen captures from the film feature

The Finishing Touch, 1992

The Sporting Life 2

Charlie Girl Shelley with Chaz Man Tom Selleck

in a 1980 Charlie and Chaz promo set

The Sporting Life Kit

Shelley was The Charlie Girl from 1976 to 1982; and she appeared on many promotional pics for the Revlon brand. In 1980, Charlie and it's male perfume counterpart Chaz (also by Revlon) teamed up to promote the 1980 Winter Olympics which was held in Lake Placid, New York from Feb 13 to 24 of that year. Pics of Shelley together with the then current Chaz Man Tom Selleck were taken. The Sporting Life Kit containing both Revlon Charlie and Chaz products (the perfumes, Charlie Body Silk, Charlie Body Silk After Bath Tonic and Chaz Moisturizing After Shave Balm) became available. Shelley was already a superstar by then due to Charlie's Angels; but Tom Selleck would later become famous himself via his own TV series Magnum, P.I.

Charlie Girl Shelley with Chaz Man Tom Selleck

in a 1980 promo ad for the Charlie and Chaz set

The Sporting Life Kit

Hot and New Actress in 1978

Shelley in an informal promo pic, 1978

Shelley was one of the hottest new actresses on the scene in 1978. By that time, she was already a highly-paid Supermodel and was recognized by everyone as The Charlie Girl. She was currently transitioning from modeling to acting. The year before, she had done a cameo in the Academy Award winning film Annie Hall where she appeared in a scene with no other than director/star Woody Allen himself. By then, she was also being considered by long-time James Bond films producer Cubby Broccoli to play Bond girl in the latest Bond installment Moonraker. And she was currently, a first time leading-lady in the film If Ever I See You Again. The hot and busy model-turned-actress was in L.A. doing the talk shows to promote the film. 

Shelley in an informal promo pic, 1978

Matti of Lynne Design 2

a closeup of Shelley from a spread

on the Butterick catalog, 1979

Shelley appeared on many pattern catalogs, brochures and pattern packages during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1979, she appeared on Butterick catalog's November issue. In one spread, she wore Butterick pattern number 5677 - a semi-fitted misses' dress. It was a dress with a round neckline, front neckline slit, a blouson bodice and a back zipper. It had a gathered below-the-knee skirt. It had full length sleeves that gathered into contrasting cuffs. It had a contrasting neckline and armhole band trim and a contrasting self-tie  belt. It was a design by Matti of Lynne, a popular label at the time. A matching watch and a matching set of earrings finished her look. And Shelley looked chic and fab.

Shelley in a spread for the Butterick catalog, 1979