Celebrity Nooz: Cheryl Ladd

Cheryl Ladd (Actress) - Charlie's Angels

Updated: 7/05/22

Name: Cheryl Ladd

Birth Name: Cheryl Jean Stoppelmoor

Born: July 12, 1951 in Huron, South Dakota, USA

Claim To Fame: Cheryl Ladd is an American actress, singer, and author best known for her role as Kris Munroe in the ABC television series Charlie's Angels, whose cast she joined in its second season in 1977 to replace Farrah Fawcett-Majors.

Family Life: In 1973, Ladd married fellow actor David Ladd, with whom she had a daughter, Jordan. She took his surname as her own, which she kept after their divorce in 1980. She then married music producer Brian Russell in 1981 and has a stepdaughter, Lindsay Russell.

Info: Ladd is the second daughter of Dolores, a waitress, and Marion Stoppelmoor, a railroad engineer.

Is of German and English descent.

Was a High School cheerleader.

After high school, she traveled with the band The Music Shop before settling in Los Angeles in 1970.

Ladd came to Hollywood in 1970 to begin a career in music (she was known as "Cherie Moor" when she was the singing voice of Melody on Hanna-Barbera's Josie and the Pussycats animated series, and she also sang on the 1970 album of the same name).

In 1978, a listener wrote into Casey Kasem's "American Top 40" radio show, requesting a long-distance dedication (a weekly feature) to Cheryl, asking her to his high school prom. She personally telephoned the boy with her regrets and he thought it was his friends playing a prank. The song in question, Cheryl's "Think It Over", peaked at #36.

Ladd took advantage of her new-found popularity to further her musical career, guest-starring in musical-comedy variety series and specials, performing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl XIV in January 1980.

Released albums Josie and the Pussycats, Cheryl Ladd, Dance Forever, Take a Chance and You Make It Beautiful. She had a top-40 Billboard Hot 100 single and a gold record.

Ladd is a celebrity ambassador for the child abuse prevention and treatment non-profit Childhelp.

Trivia: Ladd originally came to Hollywood to begin a career in music (she was known as "Cherie Moor" when she was the singing voice of Melody on Hanna-Barbera's Josie and the Pussycats animated series, and she also sang on the 1970 album of the same name).

Was considered for the role eventually played by Meredith Baxter on Family (1976), which is how she came to producer Aaron Spelling's attention for Charlie's Angels (1976).

Ladd's big acting break came in 1977, when she was cast in the ABC television series Charlie's Angels, replacing star Farrah Fawcett, who left the show after only one season to pursue a movie career.

On her first day on the set of Charlie's Angels, Ladd wore a T-shirt that read "Farrah Fawcett Minor".

To make the transition easier for audiences, producers cast Ladd as Fawcett's character's younger sister, Kris, instantly making her a part of the "Angels family".

In the years to come, this practice of replacing Angels became a common event for the show. However, Ladd remained a part of the main cast for four seasons, until the show's cancellation in June 1981.

In various interviews, she reportedly never got along with Kate Jackson during their two years together in Charlie's Angels (1976).

Notoriously hard to get along, Ladd also did not like Shelley Hack and was the catalyst behind both women quitting the show.

While starring in the highly rated Charlie's Angels, Ladd took advantage of her newfound popularity to further her musical career, guest starring in musical-comedy variety series and specials, performing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl XIV in January 1980, and releasing three albums. She had a top-40 Billboard Hot 100 single and a gold record.

In 1978, a listener wrote into Casey Kasem's "American Top 40" radio show, requesting a long-distance dedication (a weekly feature) to Ladd, asking her to his high school prom. She personally telephoned the boy with her regrets and he thought it was his friends playing a prank. The song in question, Cheryl's "Think It Over", peaked at #36.

In 1996, Ladd published a children's book titled The Adventures of Little Nettie Windship.

In September 2000, Ladd starred on Broadway, taking over the title role from Bernadette Peters in a revival of Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun. She played the role until January 2001, when Reba McEntire took over.

In 2005, she published Token Chick: A Woman's Guide to Golfing With the Boys, an autobiographical book which focused on her love of golf.

On April 17, 2010, Ladd, along with her co-angel Jaclyn Smith, accepted the 2010 TV Land Pop Culture Award for Charlie's Angels.

Where Are They Now: Ladd is still a prominent player on film and television. Recently, she starred in the drama film A Cowgirl's Song. Hopefully, we'll see more from Ladd in the near future.

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