In 1980, after a year in the hit TV series Charlie's Angels, Shelley was ready to move on (and her character, Angel Tiffany Welles, left the Townsend Agency, deciding to stay East for a while). But Shelley was determined to make the most of the opportunities that fell on her lap as a result of her instant Angels superstardom. "I didn't want to leave Los Angeles without doing something good," she said. So, she first tackled stage (in the plays Vanities and Close Ties) and won critical praise for her efforts. Then she got the part of a lifetime... a supporting role in a Martin Scorsese film (The King of Comedy) opposite Robert De Niro. Shelley read for both Scorsese and De Niro, then went home and waited. After four months, her agent called and told her she got the part. "I had a feeling I would get it," Shelley said, "Even so, it was a nervous time. It was obviously such an important break for me - getting it would make people look at me differently." The movie was going to be shot on location in New York and New Jersey; but then production was delayed. Shelley said, "I couldn't work because I read for The King of Comedy, and got the part. The picture was delayed and I couldn't take a chance on doing anything else."
Shelley appeared on many issues of Seventeen magazine from 1964 to the 1970s. In 1967, she appeared in the magazine's December issue, in several spreads. In a spread called "Very Merry Shirts," which featured day and evening shirts that were great for the holiday season, Shelley modeled a look that was just perfect for those evening celebrations. She wore a version of what the mag called the "Paul Revere Ruffles" shirt. It was a white long-sleeved shirt with collar and adorned with ruffles (with black piping) down the front... by Macshore. She wore it over a purple Dirndl skirt and finished her look with a black sash by Calderon wrapped around her waist. She accessorized her look with earrings by Castlecliff. And Shelley looked romantic, chic and ready for those holiday night parties.
Shelley was among the celebrities who participated in the hour-long celebrity special released in 1993, Celebrity Guide to Entertaining. Spago restaurant maître d' Bernard Erpicum hosted the special along with Paula McClure. Many celebrities/stars of the era participated in the educational video. Celebrity Guide to Entertaining introduced viewers to various styles of entertaining. It featured instructions and recommendations regarding proper behavior and decorum during meals. It also included cooking tips recipes and culinary delights. Joining Shelley were Ed Begley Jr., Tony Curtis, Sarah Douglas, Terri Garr, Whoopi Goldberg, Merv Griffin, Kelly Le Brock, Michael Lerner, Dorothy Lyman, Dudley Moore, Joe Regalbuto, Steven Seagal, Rod Steiger, Jon Voight, Peter Weller and Jackie Collins. It was released in VHS format.
Shelley: When I have people for dinner, I am relaxed, confident... Is this convincing? I'm a nervous wreck. I mean, what if the dinner burns? What if my soufflé turns to soup? What if everybody hates each other? Those people you invite over, they're friends. Once they walk into your door, they're--(doorbell rings)Shelley: Guests! So you know what I do? I put everybody to work in the kitchen. After all, I'm a working mom. I'm never ready when everybody arrives anyway. Before you know it everybody's chatting, laughing, having a great time. And I can relax.(Shelley goes over to greet her guests)Shelley: Hi. Hi, mwah, long time no see.(Shelley greets and chats with her guests)(Someone hands Shelley a drink)Shelley: Thanks. People say I'm a great hostess. Ha!
Shelley was spotted by A&P supermarket heir Huntington Hartford at a debutante ball when she was just 14 years old; and he urged her to try modeling. Shelley wasn't interested at first. But then she was taught by her parents to never close doors on opportunities that came her way; so she decided to take a peek. She ended up in model agent Eileen Ford's office in New York (her mother, a former model herself, and Mrs. Ford were acquainted); and the rest is history. She became one of the top Ford Supermodels of all time and one of the first models to sign those lucrative and exclusive modeling contracts models nowadays aspire to get.
Shelley's third foray into series TV was Jack and Mike. It was about a married yuppie couple living in Chicago, trying to find time for each other amidst their busy schedules. Shelley played Jackie Shea, a star columnist at The Mirror, a widely-circulated Chicago paper. Jackie's husband, Mike Brennan, a successful restaurateur, was played by Tom Mason. The other recurring characters were: Nora Adler (Jacqueline Brookes), Jackie’s editor; Anthony Kubecek (Kevin Dunn), Jackie's assistant; Carol (Holly Fulger), the head waitress at Mike's restaurant, Brennan's Grill; and Rick Scotti (Vincent Baggetta), an attorney who appeared occasionally.
Andrew Taylor is the star player of Lincoln University's basketball team, the Lincoln Sentinels. Mike, a Lincoln U alumnus, is a huge fan of Andrew and the team. He holds a party at one of his restaurants for the team as well the school's alumni... which includes Coach Cyril Brock, the team's present coach, and Ben Galloway, a banker friend who helps Mike finance his restaurants (both are relived that the "Powell problem" is over). Jackie is introduced to the team and to Mike's school friends. Later, during one of his weekly basketball games with Mike, Cyril receives a phone call about Andrew Taylor, who is at the police station for missing a detour sign and driving the wrong way down a one way street. He asks for Mike's help with the police and Mike obliges. From the precinct, Mike rushes to meet Jackie to tell her he has to cancel their lunch date; he has to return to the police station immediately to sort out the whole Andrew Taylor thing. Jackie is disappointed but she understands. Mike says goodbye and returns to the precinct. Jackie wonders how Andrew Taylor could have made such a mistake; she had the impression that he's a very responsible boy. Jackie decides to head to Lincoln University. She wants to look into the scholastic life of Andrew Taylor. At the university, from a student, Jackie discovers that one of Andrew's professors, Prof. Powell, had been relieved of all her courses, of all her teaching classes. She goes to see Powell who refuses to talk to Jackie. After some convincing, Powell agrees to talk. She informs Jackie that the university was pressuring her to give Andrew a passing grade so he could play on the basketball team. She adds that the school lowers the entrance requirements to ensure the admission of star-athlete kids, give them full scholarships and passing grades. Unfortunately, many of them don't finish the courses and don't even graduate. She tells Jackie that the goal isn't to educate the kids but to cash in on their athletic prowess. When she flunked Andrew, she was relieved of her courses. Jackie decides to write a series of articles about Powell's predicament, and the first of which, when published, causes friction between her and Mike. Later, Mike is pressured by Cyril and Ben to stop Jackie from writing more articles about Powell (with the latter threatening to pull financing from Mike's restaurants). Jackie and Mike have a serious discussion of what to do about the situation they suddenly find themselves in.
Shelley became Angel no. 5 in 1979 when she joined the cast of Charlie's Angels. Shelley was already a Supermodel when she joined the hit TV series and was known worldwide as THE Charlie Girl in those Revlon Charlie TV commercials and print ads. She auditioned, went though a screen test, and even a personality test; but what really got her the part, it seems, was the headline "THE Charlie Girl becomes Charlie's newest Angel" which was going through Angels exec producer Aaron Spelling's head as he was choosing TV's latest cherub. Also, Shelley had good rapport with her new co-Angels Cheryl Ladd and Jaclyn Smith; plus, the three photographed really well together. When Shelley's debut episode "Love Boat Angels" aired, it topped the Nielsen ratings.
But after three episodes at the top 10, the ratings began descending to the 20s, then to the 30s. And the "disappointing" season was unfairly blamed on Shelley and everything from her acting, her attitude, her voice and even her hair were cited as the reason for the show's slip - and everybody jumped on that bandwagon. The verdict: she was let go at the end of the season. Spelling-Goldberg Productions issued the statement, "When she signed her contract for the series, Miss Hack had a personal agreement that she could review her continuation with the show at the end of her first season since series television represented an enormous change in her career and lifestyle." The statement further said, "In case Miss Hack decides not to come back next season on a regular basis, she has agreed to do several guest-star appearances on the show." (FYI: In spite of everything, in the Nielsen ratings, the fourth season of Charlie's Angels still finished within TV's top 20 shows of 1979 - which wasn't bad for a show that had been on the air for 4 seasons.)
Shelley began modeling in late 1964. Shelley was discovered by A&P supermarket heir and publisher Huntington Hartford at a debutante ball when she was just 14 years old. It was her first time to be invited to one and her mother instructed Shelley, "If any older men bother you, go powder your nose." And she kept powdering her nose all night long, because "A guy kept bothering me," Shelley said, "He kept coming up to ask, 'Have you ever thought of being a model?'" After careful consideration, and with the help of her mother (a former Conover model), she finally decided it was a better summer job than waitressing. They both went to New York to see Eileen Ford (a friend of her mother's) for representation. On September of 1964, Shelley appeared on a spread in Hartford's magazine, Show (For more, check out: The First). On November of that very same year, her face appeared simultaneously on the covers of Seventeen and Glamour magazines (For more, check out: Seventeen Cover and First Cover).
Shelley was among the celebrities who participated in the hour-long celebrity special released in 1993, Celebrity Guide to Entertaining. Spago restaurant maître d' Bernard Erpicum hosted the special along with Paula McClure. Many celebrities/stars of the era participated in the educational video. Celebrity Guide to Entertaining introduced viewers to various styles of entertaining. It featured instructions and recommendations regarding proper behavior and decorum during meals. It also included cooking tips recipes and culinary delights. Joining Shelley were Ed Begley Jr., Tony Curtis, Sarah Douglas, Terri Garr, Whoopi Goldberg, Merv Griffin, Kelly Le Brock, Michael Lerner, Dorothy Lyman, Dudley Moore, Joe Regalbuto, Steven Seagal, Rod Steiger, Jon Voight, Peter Weller and Jackie Collins. It was released in VHS format.
Shelley: When I have people for dinner, I am relaxed, confident... Is this convincing? I'm a nervous wreck. I mean, what if the dinner burns? What if my soufflé turns to soup? What if everybody hates each other? Those people you invite over, they're friends. Once they walk into your door, they're--(doorbell rings)Shelley: Guests! So you know what I do? I put everybody to work in the kitchen. After all, I'm a working mom. I'm never ready when everybody arrives anyway. Before you know it everybody's chatting, laughing, having a great time. And I can relax.(Shelley goes over to greet her guests)Shelley: Hi. Hi, mwah, long time no see.(Shelley greets and chats with her guests)(Someone hands Shelley a drink)Shelley: Thanks. People say I'm a great hostess. Ha!
After finishing her schooling, Shelley signed on full-time at her modeling agency, Ford Models Inc., and became one of the highest-paid Supermodels in the United States... booking countless fashion spreads, print and TV ads, as well as magazine covers including Glamour, Mademoiselle and Vogue. In 1974, she appeared on the pages of Glamour's December issue. In the spread called "Season Specials To Top Pants and Skirts," she modeled the prettiest tops for that holiday season that had a special hand-worked feeling... all of which had lace, crochet or beautiful openwork details (trivia: the photos used in the spread were taken by Shelley's then boyfriend Steen Svensson). Shelley wore a super sheer sweater set (a tank plus a cardigan) by Campari over a melon-colored rib knit pencil skirt by Rose Hips. A scarf by Baar & Beards and a bracelet by Red Cobra accessorized her look. And Shelley looked gorgeous, chic, and ready for to celebrate the holidays.
Shelley's third foray into series television was Jack and Mike in 1986. The show explored the life of journalist Jackie Shea (played by Shelley) and restauranteur Mike Brennan (played Tom Mason), a married couple with busy careers trying to make their marriage work. The yuppie phenomenon exploded in the 1980s when more and more women began entering the workforce, climbing up the corporate ladder and holding positions previously held exclusively by men in past generations. The other cast members were: Nora Adler (Jacqueline Brookes), Jackie’s editor; Anthony Kubecek (Kevin Dunn), Jackie's assistant; Carol (Holly Fulger), the head waitress at Mike's restaurant, Brennan's Grill; and Rick Scotti (Vincent Baggetta), an attorney who appeared occasionally. The series was filmed on location in Chicago, Illinois.
During her tenure as a Supermodel, Shelley appeared on the covers and pages of many magazines - as well as their booklets and specials. In 1965, she appeared on the pages of Ingenue magazine. Ingenue was an American magazine that featured articles, fictional stories and fashion spreads that catered to teenage girls. In Ingenue's April 1965 issue, Shelley appeared in a spread called "The English Look." The spread was about how boys reacted to The English Look.. a beauty trend that was growing in popularity during the era. A picture of Shelley sporting the popular look (taken by renowned photographer Francesco Scavullo) was shown to fifty boys for their reactions; and ten out of ten boys loved her look. Her eyes, lips, hair and overall soft look left an impression on the boys. Her no make-up make-up look was created with Yardley cosmetics; and her hair was styled by David Crespin of the Chatham, a favorite of New York models. That same year, Shelley appeared on the cover of Ingenue's March issue (For more, check out: Scavullo, 1965) as well as the cover of Ingenue Magazine's Guide To Teen Beauty (For more, check out: Teen Beauty 1965).
Shelley was THE quintessential Charlie Girl and was Revlon Charlie's image model from 1976 to 1982. Charlie was one of the first mega-successful American lifestyle brands in the world. The phenomenal success of the brand was due largely to Shelley's unforgettable image. Because of Shelley, everybody in the world wanted to be a Charlie Girl. In 1980, she appeared in an ad promoting "The Charlie Color-Go-Round" compact and perfume set. It was a promo set (worth $35.00) that was available for only $7.00 with any Charlie Collection purchase. The promo set contained an easy-to-carry compact that housed 4 eye shadows, 2 blushes and 2 lip glosses... all in great Charlie facemaker colors. It also included a 6 oz. bottle spray of Charlie concentrated perfume. The ad promoted Revlon's Charlie Colorlights as well. Charlie Colorlights were three new groups of shimmering colors for the eyes, cheeks, lips and nails (called Soft Red Colorlights, Rosy Colorlights and Magenta Colorlights), that could put anyone's face at its best, day or night. And, of course, Shelley was featured in the ad, Charlie Girl gorgeous as always.
Shelley starred in her very first TV movie Death Car on the Freeway back in 1979. She played television reporter/news anchor Janette Clausen who was investigating a series of vehicular accidents and murders involving female motorists by a psychopathic driver who became to be known as "The Freeway Fiddler". The film also starred George Hamilton, Peter Graves, and Barbara Rush. In supporting roles were Frank Gorshin, Dinah Shore, Abe Vigoda, and Morgan Brittany. It was directed by stuntman-turned-director Hal Needham who also directed Smokey and the Bandit and The Cannonball Run. The movie has the right balance of action, drama and suspense. Plus, it has great action scenes due to director Hal Needham being a stuntman himself. The movie has been released in VHS format in different countries.
Shelley appeared on many issues of Seventeen magazine from 1964 to the 1970s. In 1967, she appeared in the magazine's December issue, in several spreads. In a spread called "Dirndl Doll," which featured the little-girl look via pretty rounded skirts and tiny jackets, Shelley modeled a look that was just perfect for that Christmas season. She wore a pink candy-plaid, mandarin-collared jacket with silver buttons over a slightly-ballooned miniskirt, both in the same fabric, both by Outer Ltd. She finished her look with a pair of tights by Trimfit and footwear by Patinos. Earrings by Accessocraft, a hat by Adolfo II, a pair of white gloves by Kayser, and a matching handbag by Kadin accessorized her look. And Shelley looked every inch like a pretty doll come alive.
Shelley was among the celebrities who participated in the hour-long celebrity special released in 1993, Celebrity Guide to Entertaining. Spago restaurant maître d' Bernard Erpicum hosted the special along with Paula McClure. Many celebrities/stars of the era participated in the educational video. Celebrity Guide to Entertaining introduced viewers to various styles of entertaining. It featured instructions and recommendations regarding proper behavior and decorum during meals. It also included cooking tips recipes and culinary delights. Joining Shelley were Ed Begley Jr., Tony Curtis, Sarah Douglas, Terri Garr, Whoopi Goldberg, Merv Griffin, Kelly Le Brock, Michael Lerner, Dorothy Lyman, Dudley Moore, Joe Regalbuto, Steven Seagal, Rod Steiger, Jon Voight, Peter Weller and Jackie Collins. It was released in VHS format.
Shelley: When I have people for dinner, I am relaxed, confident... Is this convincing? I'm a nervous wreck. I mean, what if the dinner burns? What if my soufflé turns to soup? What if everybody hates each other? Those people you invite over, they're friends. Once they walk into your door, they're--(doorbell rings)Shelley: Guests! So you know what I do? I put everybody to work in the kitchen. After all, I'm a working mom. I'm never ready when everybody arrives anyway. Before you know it everybody's chatting, laughing, having a great time. And I can relax.(Shelley goes over to greet her guests)Shelley: Hi. Hi, mwah, long time no see.(Shelley greets and chats with her guests)(Someone hands Shelley a drink)Shelley: Thanks. People say I'm a great hostess. Ha!
After finishing her schooling, Shelley signed on full-time at her modeling agency, Ford Models Inc., and became one of the highest-paid Supermodels in the United States... booking countless fashion spreads, print and TV ads, as well as magazine covers including Glamour, Mademoiselle and Vogue. In 1974, she appeared on the pages of Glamour's December issue. In the spread called "Season Specials To Top Pants and Skirts," she modeled the prettiest tops for that holiday season that had a special hand-worked feeling... all of which had lace, crochet or beautiful openwork details (trivia: the photos used in the spread were taken by Shelley's then boyfriend Steen Svensson). Shelley wore a soft melon-colored long-sleeved tank top trimmed with fine lace by Miss Ingenue. She wore it over a similar colored rib knit pencil skirt by Rose Hips and finished it with a belt by Jose Cotel. A pin by DeBare Saunders and bracelets by Catherine Stein accessorized her look. And Shelley looked gorgeous, chic, and ready for to celebrate the holidays.
Shelley starred in her third TV series Jack and Mike in 1986. The series was initially called Jackie O'Shea as it was going to be a star vehicle for Shelley. Series producer David Gerber believed in her talent and star power so much that he wanted to give her her own TV series. Shelley was going to play the title role, a woman journalist who had a supportive husband waiting at home - kind of like a reverse gender role thing which was a fresh idea in the 1980s.
Shelley appeared in many ads and commercials for many different products and companies during her tenure as Supermodel. One of them was for Avon. Avon is a company that sells cosmetics, skin care, perfume, personal care products, and jewelry. Some of the most well-known Avon brands are Imari, Far Away, and Sweet Honesty. Shelley appeared in many print ads, catalogs and commercials for Avon. In 1977, she appeared in ads for Avon's Firm & Natural. It was a hair spray that was guaranteed to hold up... even in the rain. It left the hair natural-looking while keeping a long-lasting hold. It came in a pump spray that was more economical, once for ounce. Plus, it had a clean, fresh herbal scent that didn't compete or overpower colognes and perfumes (For more, check out: Relax and Just Relax). Shelley appeared in a couple of Firm & Natural ads and was absolutely gorgeous in them.
