Details on Why Farrah Fawcett Was Only in One Full Season of 'Charlie's Angels'

Although some might remember Farrah Fawcett as being an integral part of Charlie's Angels for a long time during its years of success in the 1970s and early '80s, actual fans of the series know better. Sure, she was part of the show in its early days, but she left after Season 1. Given the show's continued success until its cancellation and finale in 1981, why did Farrah Fawcett leave Charlie's Angels?

She didn't go on to have a huge career on the big screen, but Farrah did get a lot of work in other TV shows and on TV movies, which were very much of the time back in the day. She was also cast in serious roles, which might have been one reason for her decision to leave Charlie's Angels after just one season.

According to the TV network MeTV, in 1979, Farrah told The Dallas Times Herald that she left Charlie's Angels because she felt "creatively stifled." She also didn't like all of the merchandising that came with the show and its fans, and she didn't have a say in any of the decisions. Later, Farrah returned for a handful of guest star episodes, but she never joined the cast in a full-time capacity.

Mike Pingel, who was, at one time, Farrah's assistant, spoke to Closer Weekly about her reasons for stepping back from Charlie's Angels despite its quick success as a comedy action TV series. He explained that she wanted to be known for more than the show, and that she was bigger than the hair, smile, and everything else that went into her character.

"When you're on a hit show, that's what you're identified by," he told the outlet. "And all the Angels, at one point or another, didn't want to talk about Charlie's Angels, because they wanted to be recognized for what they were doing then, or their current roles, or their nominations, and so was Farrah at the time. And it's hard when you're on the number one show, and it's a worldwide phenomenon."

After Farrah left Charlie's Angels, she got some of those serious roles that she was seemingly after. According to her IMDb, she starred in the crime-thriller TV movie The Red-Light Sting and the drama The Burning Bed a few years after she left Charlie's Angels. She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2003 for her role in the show The Guardian.

In 1990, she received a Primetime Emmy nomination for the Lifetime two-part miniseries Small Sacrifices. Although Farrah still dipped her toes in comedy following her Charlie's Angels exit, her variation of movie and TV roles, and even a voice acting role or two, helped her showcase a range of talent that, it seems, was her goal for a long time.