Classic Americana

Charlie Girl Shelley Hack

Many Americans can sing along to their favorite jingles and remember the advertisements that made an impact on their lives. When Oprah was a 20-something businesswoman, she says one commercial stood out from the rest.

In the '70s, Revlon cast all-American beauty Shelley Hack in advertisements for Charlie perfume. In the short television spot, the "Charlie girl" glides through an evening out with class and confidence. Oprah says this ad defined the woman she dreamed of becoming. "I wanted to stride like her with confidence. I wanted to be this fabulous," Oprah says.

For almost a year, Oprah's been asking her staff to track down the original footage...and they finally found it! As an added bonus, Shelley came all the way to Chicago to discuss her days as a glamorous spokeswoman.

What started as a commercial became so much more to many women. "It was a time when women were changing," Shelley says. "Women looked at [the ad] and said, 'I want to be like that.'"

After appearing in Revlon commercials, Shelley got her big break on Charlie's Angels. "I was lucky," she says. "There were two things I was in that were about making women feel a little more empowered."