Who was the voice of Charlie in "Charlie's Angels"?
Last updated: February 6, 2025
Everyone knows about Kelly, Sabrina, and Jill taking assignments from the mysterious Charlie Townsend through that crackling speakerbox. The voice became iconic, appearing in every episode of "Charlie's Angels" from 1976 to 1981, but viewers never saw Charlie's face on screen. During the show's original run, who actually voiced the unseen Charlie?
Who was the voice of Charlie in "Charlie's Angels"?
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The answer is: John Forsythe
John Forsythe landed the role of Charlie without ever setting foot on the "Charlie's Angels" set, thanks to a late-night Friday emergency call from producer Aaron Spelling. The first episode needed to get to ABC by Monday, but they needed a new actor for Charlie's voice. Forsythe showed up at the studio in his pajamas and a topcoat, recorded his lines, and made television history.
The arrangement was pretty sweet for Forsythe, who only had to pop into a sound studio to take a few minutes to record his lines and then got to go grab lunch at the network commissary. Meanwhile, the Angels worked grueling 15-hour days (not counting the hours needed for hair and makeup). The producers went all in on maintaining Charlie's mystery. Forsythe was purposely left off the credits during the show's initial run, adding to the intrigue of the unseen millionaire. He managed to keep his sweet gig going through all five seasons, recording his lines separately and never crossing paths with any of the Angels during filming.
It might seem like easy money, and that would be because it was. He became one of television's highest-paid actors on a per-hour basis. While the Angels were becoming household names, Forsythe was turning his Charlie money into a serious horse racing hobby, serving on the board of directors at Hollywood Park Racetrack. And really, that sounds like something Charlie would've done too.