Jackson spoke with journalist George Pennacchi during a panel alongside colleagues Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd at PaleyFest LA 2026, discussing the balance between career and motherhood, and then explained how this led to her acting hiatus. "I realized I couldn't be a good director, actress, and good mother all at the same time. Then I thought, 'If I'm not a good mother, nothing else I do well really matters.'" Jackson adopted her son Charles in 1995, and he was born in 1982. She began her acting career in 1970 with a role on the series "Dark Shadows." Jackson then starred in the crime drama "The Rookies" before taking on the role of Sabrina Duncan in the series "Charlie's Angels," which aired for five seasons from 1976 to 1981. Jackson ventured into directing in 1986 for the series "Scarecrow and Mrs. King." She stated that she is glad she decided to put her career on pause to focus on full-time parenting, but claims she is now ready to return to her career.