To leave a successful television series is no easy feat. When Farrah Fawcett left the hit show, Charlie’s Angels, in 1977, viewers were shocked. Though Fawcett had only been on the show for one season, she had become an integral part of the series. In turn, the show had skyrocketed to fame because Fawcett was one of the stars. It seemed to be the best of both worlds, which only accentuated surprise during Fawcett’s departure.

However, Fawcett’s life was not so glamorous as the series portrayed. During a 1979 interview, the actor admitted that she left the series in order to grow as an actor.

“I left Charlie’s Angels because I felt creatively stifled,” Fawcett said during an interview with The Dallas Times Herald. The series had become an international hit, which seemed to be a double-edged sword. Yes, Fawcett was famous, but the bigger the series grew, the less in control she felt.

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“I think what has bothered me the most was all of the merchandising,” said the actor. “Things over which I had no control: the bedsheets and things like that. I didn’t like any of that, but there wasn’t much that could be done about it.”

Fawcett returned to the series in a guest capacity, finding that it allowed her more freedom than being a regular cast member ever did. “Now, when I go back to Charlie’s Angels, it is much better,” said the actor. “I have a chance to work with the writers on the script and the director. I can treat it like a business. I could not do that before.”