Jaclyn Smith Says Farrah Fawcett’s ‘Shining Moment’ Was Her Openness About Cancer: ‘The Best You Got of Farrah’ (Exclusive)

Fawcett's 'Charlie's Angels' costar says the actress was "a true girlfriend"

Fifteen years after the death of Farrah Fawcett, her Charlie’s Angels costar Jaclyn Smith says the actress' "shining moment" was when she publicly revealed her diagnosis with anal cancer — launching a foundation that would fund research well beyond her death from the disease.

In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Smith describes Fawcett as "a true girlfriend" — a Texas girl who, even at her most sick, wanted to raid her friend's shoe closet.

"Even when her legs were five times their size [from the cancer treatments], she was still the ultimate girlfriend. She wanted to try on my shoes even if she didn't feel well," Smith, 78, recalls with a laugh.

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Fawcett's ability to remain optimistic and fun even under the most dire circumstances was a quality Smith says she long admired.

"That's rare. Girlfriends — when they’re true girlfriends — rally around and hold each other up. And thats what happened. Really at the end of her life, I was the closest to her," Smith says. "I admired her courage, her spirit, her relentless drive to make a difference."

Upon receiving her diagnosis, Fawcett made decision to go public with her cancer news — ultimately launching The Farrah Fawcett Foundation to raise money for research and education. The actress died in June of 2009 at 62 years old.

"This wasn't just a private fight — she bared her soul," Smith, who will co-chair the foundation's annual gala on Oct. 24, 2024 in Dallas, adds of Fawcett. "She opened up her soul for everyone's inspection. And who would have dreamed that the foundation has come so far?"

As part of its work, the foundation collaborates with other organizations including Stand Up To Cancer to create research teams dedicated to HPV-related cancers. It has raised millions of dollars to date.

Smith explains that, prior to Fawcett's very public cancer journey, many didn't really realize HPV could cause cancer — and that it didn't have to be a taboo discussion.

"I think it was her shining moment," Smith says. "It was the best you get of Farrah."

Related: Jaclyn Smith Says She, Farrah Fawcett and Kate Jackson Were 'Just Girls Having Fun' on Charlie's Angels (Exclusive)

She continues: "She didn't want to just be a pinup. Yes, she sold more posters than anybody in the history of posters … but she was also a sculptor, a gourmet cook. She was somewhat of a homebody."

And even amid her very public cancer treatments — which were chronicled in a 2009 documentary called Farrah's Story, which focused on the final two years of her life — Fawcett never lost touch with who she was.

"I think when I respected her most was at the end of her life," Smith says. "She didn't feel sorry for herself. She never lost her humor. I found that amazing. Going through all the pain that she did — and believe me, she did ... But she was a positive person. Even down to the end."

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