Being a beautiful woman in the entertainment industry can be a tough place to be. In the 1970s, it was arguably even tougher. The women of Charlie's Angels, for example, faced intense scrutiny, unwanted attention and harsh criticism.

Jaclyn Smith, who played Kelly Garrett in Charlie's Angels, was widely considered one of the most beautiful women on television during her time on the show. Audiences were struck by her looks both on-screen and off—but that level of attention came with a cost.

Constant judgment from viewers, interviewers and the media took a toll. According to a 1980 interview with the Ventura County Star, Smith had become a beauty standard in Hollywood... whether she wanted to or not.

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While she appreciated Charlie’s Angels and the opportunities it brought—a five-year run, film roles, international success and financial security—she was candid about the downside. "It also has been a burden personally and professionally," Smith said.

Professionally, her appearance and her role on Charlie’s Angels often limited her to glamorous, one-dimensional characters—roles where she was expected to look the part, but not necessarily bring depth. That wasn’t who Smith was.

In 1980, she took on a role in the psychological thriller Nightkill, hoping to shift that perception.

"My role in Nightkill was the most important one I’ve played. It was an emotional part, unlike my role in Angels or the woman I played in The Users. It was unglamorized and raw," Smith said. "I got to play a wide range of emotions I’ve never used on screen before."

Smith described her character as a victim living in terror, and despite the heaviness of the role, she welcomed it. It gave her the chance to prove she was more than just a pretty face and that she had range and depth, and wasn’t afraid to show it.

"Even when we have good scripts on Angels, we’re not taken seriously," Smith said. "We’re supposed to be prancing, dancing Barbie dolls. We do have some good and serious things on the show, but we’re not judged by them."

She said it was refreshing to work on a film with substance. Charlie’s Angels would always be an important part of her life, but it also placed her in a box she was eager to break out of. At the time, she believed Nightkill was the best work she had done as an actress—and a step toward being seen for more than just her beauty.