Kathie Lee Gifford has opened up about one of the harshest moments of her early career. Long before becoming a television star, she auditioned for ‘Charlie’s Angels‘, hoping to land a major role.
Instead, she walked away after being told she simply was not “pretty” enough, but the rejection only made her more determined to succeed.
Kathie Lee Gifford Reveals The Brutal ‘Charlie’s Angels’ Audition
Kathie Lee Gifford recently looked back on her failed audition for ‘Charlie’s Angels‘, where she believed she was being considered to replace Kate Jackson after the actress left the series following season 3 in 1979.
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Speaking to PEOPLE, Gifford recalled getting an urgent call from her agent. “My agent called me and said, ‘You’ve got to get down to Aaron Spelling Productions. They want to see you for Charlie’s Angels,'” she said. Although she had the flu, her agent insisted, saying, “‘You’ve got to, Kathie.’“
When she arrived, however, the meeting quickly took a disappointing turn. Gifford said the casting agent looked her over and immediately dismissed her. “[She] looks me up and down, and she goes, ‘You’re not right for Charlie’s Angels.’” When Gifford asked why, she said the agent replied, “We’re looking for a pretty girl. And, well, you’re not Farrah [Fawcett]. You’re not Jaclyn Smith gorgeous. That’s what we’re looking for.’“
Instead of letting the comments crush her, Gifford found a way to respond with humor. “I started to laugh inside because it got meaner and meaner. I opened the door to leave, and I went, ‘When you’re casting a cartoon, let me know!’ And I thought, ‘I’m going to be just fine in this business.’“
Gifford Admits Hard Work Mattered More Than Rejection
Looking back, Gifford said what hurt the most was not losing the role but the unnecessary cruelty. She spoke about the painful memory in a 2024 interview with PEOPLE, admitting that the casting agent’s behavior stayed with her for years. “I started to see, first of all, what a bitch she was. What an unnecessary bitch she was. She didn’t say ‘Sorry, honey, have a nice life. You’re not what we’re looking for.’ She had to be cruel. She had to be the exact opposite of what my dad taught me to be.”
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She added, “The fact that I remember her name to this day is because she was so cruel.” The rejection did not stop Gifford from building a successful television career. She had already landed her big break on Name That Tune in 1977, and she continued to pursue opportunities despite facing harsh criticism during auditions.
In another memorable experience, Gifford recalled a casting agent telling her she was “the worst actress I have ever seen.” Even so, she refused to let those opinions define her future. “You just can’t let other people define you,” Gifford said. “I never was the prettiest at a casting call. I never had the best body. I never was the best singer or actress, but I had the hardest work ethic of everybody, and I made people laugh, even on auditions. And it served me very, very well.”
While Gifford never joined Charlie’s Angels, the series went on to become a television classic.
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