Farrah Fawcett was an American actress and artist. A multiple
Golden GlobeThe Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
and
Emmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she first appeared as private investigator
Jill MunroeJill Munroe is a fictional character, played by Farrah Fawcett in the first season of Charlie's Angels .Jill is the sporty and athletic angel, and is seen coaching a kids' basketball team, playing tennis, swimming, bowling, skateboarding, and rollerskating on the show. Not just a tomboy, she also...
in the first season of the television series
Charlie's AngelsCharlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
, in 1976. Fawcett later appeared
Off-BroadwayOff-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
to critical approval and in highly rated and critically acclaimed television movies, in roles often challenging (
The Burning BedThe Burning Bed is a non-fiction book by Faith McNulty about battered Dansville, Michigan, housewife Francine Hughes. It was adapted to a film with screenplay by Rose Leiman Goldemberg. After thirteen years of domestic abuse at the hands of her husband, James Berlin Hughes, she set fire to the...
;
Nazi Hunter: The Beate Klarsfeld Story;
Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton StoryPoor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story is a 1987 television biographical drama starring Farrah Fawcett. The film chronicles the life of Barbara Hutton, who was one of the richest American socialite women, but was never happy. Released in two versions, as a TV miniseries and TV movie, the...
;
Margaret Bourke-WhiteMargaret Bourke-White was an American photographer and documentary photographer. She is best known as the first foreign photographer permitted to take pictures of Soviet Industry, the first female war correspondent and the first female photographer for Henry Luce's Life magazine, where her...
) and sometimes unsympathetic (
Small SacrificesSmall Sacrifices is a 1989 made-for-TV movie based on the best-selling true crime book by Ann Rule of the same name. The film is about Diane Downs and the murder and attempted murder of her three children. It stars Farrah Fawcett, Ryan O'Neal, Gordon Clapp, John Shea and Emily Perkins...
). Fawcett was a
sex symbolA sex symbol is a celebrity of either gender, typically an actor, musician, supermodel, teen idol, or sports star, noted for their sex appeal. The term was first used in the mid 1950s in relation to the popularity of certain Hollywood stars, especially Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte...
whose iconic poster, released the same year
Charlie's Angels premiered, broke sales records, making her an international pop culture
iconA cultural icon can be a symbol, logo, picture, name, face, person, building or other image that is readily recognized and generally represents an object or concept with great cultural significance to a wide cultural group...
. Her hairstyle was emulated by millions of young women in the 1970s and 1980s.
Early life
Ferrah Leni Fawcett was born in
Corpus Christi, TexasCorpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, the younger of two daughters. Her mother, Pauline Alice (née Evans; January 30, 1914 - March 4, 2005), was a homemaker, and her father, James William Fawcett (October 14, 1917 - August 23, 2010), was an oil field contractor. Her sister was Diane Fawcett Walls (October 27, 1938 - October 16, 2001), a graphic artist. She was of Irish, French, English, and
ChoctawThe Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
Native American ancestry. Fawcett once said the name "Ferrah" was "made up" by her mother because it went well with their last name; she later changed the spelling.
A Roman Catholic, Fawcett's early education was at the parish school of the church her family attended, St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in Corpus Christi. She graduated from
W. B. Ray High SchoolW. B. Ray High School is a secondary school centrally located in Corpus Christi, Texas and is part of the Corpus Christi Independent School District. The school is named in honor of the school board president, William Benton Ray. W. B...
in
Corpus ChristiCorpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, where she was voted "Most Beautiful" by her classmates in 1965. For three years, 1965–68, Fawcett attended the
University of Texas at AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, living one semester in
Jester CenterJester Center or Jester Residence Hall is a co-educational residence hall at The University of Texas at Austin, built in 1969. The residence hall was named after Beauford H...
, and she became a sister of
Delta Delta DeltaDelta Delta Delta , also known as Tri Delta, is an international sorority founded on November 27, 1888, the eve of Thanksgiving Day. With over 200,000 initiates, Tri Delta is one of the world's largest NPC sororities.-History:...
Sorority. During her sophomore year, she appeared in a photo of the "Ten Most Beautiful Coeds" from the university, which ran in
Cashbox magazine. A Hollywood publicist saw the photo, called Fawcett and over the course of a year urged her to move to Los Angeles, which she did the summer following her junior year, with her parents' permission to "try her luck" in Hollywood over the course of the summer. She did not return.
Early career
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Fawcett appeared in television commercials for consumer products, starting with her selection as a Breck Girl for
Breck ShampooBreck Shampoo is an American brand of shampoo that is also known for its Breck Girls advertising campaign.In 1930 Dr. John H. Breck, Sr. of Springfield, Massachusetts, founded Breck Shampoo. In 1936, son Edward J...
, and moving on to other products including
NoxzemaNoxzema is a skin cleanser marketed by Alberto-Culver. Alberto-Culver bought the rights to the brand in 2008 from Procter & Gamble and now owns and operates the line of skin-care products...
face cleanser,
Ultra BriteUltra Brite is an American toothpaste and tooth-whitener marketed by Colgate-Palmolive in the United States. Ultra Brite gained popularity during the 1970's with a commercial that stated, "Ultra Brite gives your mouth...[bling]...sex appeal!" It was introduced as an imitator of Maclean's adult...
toothpaste,
Wella BalsamWella is a German company, and one of the world’s leading cosmetics suppliers. Founded in 1880 by Franz Stroher, with its headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany, the company is represented in over 150 countries....
shampoo, and the 1975
Mercury CougarThe Mercury Cougar is an automobile which was sold under the Mercury brand of the Ford Motor Company's Lincoln-Mercury Division from 1967 to 2002. The name was first used in 1967 and was carried by a diverse series of cars over the next three decades. As is common with Mercury vehicles, the Cougar...
. Beginning in 1978, after achieving television stardom, she developed her own brand of hair care products, marketed by
Fabergé-History:The American oil billionaire Armand Hammer collected many Fabergé pieces during his business ventures in communist Russia in the 1920s. In 1937, Armand Hammer’s friend Samuel Rubin, owner of the Spanish Trading Corporation which imported soap and olive oil, closed down his company because...
, for which she appeared in a series of commercials and print ads.
Fawcett's first television series appearance was a guest spot on
I Dream of JeannieI Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
in the 1968–1969 season, followed by guest appearances in
Owen Marshall: Counselor at LawOwen Marshall, Counselor at Law is an American legal drama, jointly created by David Victor and former law professor Jerry McNeely, that starred actor Arthur Hill. The series was broadcast on ABC from 1971 to 1974...
and
The Partridge FamilyThe Partridge Family is an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career. The series originally ran from September 25, 1970 until August 31, 1974, the last new episode airing on March 23, 1974, on the ABC network, as part of a Friday-night lineup...
. She later appeared in
The Six Million Dollar ManThe Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a former astronaut with bionic implants working for the OSI...
with
Lee MajorsLee Majors is an American television, film and voice actor, best known for his starring role as Colonel Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man and as Colt Seavers in The Fall Guy ....
, which first aired in 1974,
The Dating GameThe Dating Game is an ABC television show that first aired on December 20, 1965 and was the first of many shows created and packaged by Chuck Barris from the 1960s through the 1980s...
, and several episodes of
Harry O alongside
David JanssenDavid Janssen was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Dr. Richard Kimble in the television series The Fugitive , the starring role in the 1950s hit detective series Richard Diamond, Private Detective , and as Harry Orwell on Harry O.In 1996 TV Guide...
.
She appeared in a bit part on the critically panned movie
Myra BreckinridgeMyra Breckinridge is a 1970 American campy comedy film, based on Gore Vidal's 1968 novel of the same name, the film was directed by Michael Sarne, with Raquel Welch in the title role. It also starred John Huston as Buck Loner, Mae West as Leticia Van Allen, Farrah Fawcett, Rex Reed, Roger Herren,...
in 1970. Her next movie appearance was on the well-received science-fiction movie
Logan's RunLogan's Run is a 1976 science fiction film based on the novel of the same name by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. It depicts a dystopian future society in which population and the consumption of resources are managed and maintained in equilibrium by the simple expediency of killing...
in 1976.
In 1976,
Pro Arts Inc.Pro Arts Inc was a poster company founded in Ohio, USA that would create the top selling poster in the world, the Farrah Fawcett swimsuit poster. The poster sold over 12 million copies but the company couldn't survive and in a controversial series of events the company filed for Chapter 11...
, pitched the idea of a poster of Fawcett to her agent, and a photo shoot was arranged with photographer Bruce McBroom, who was hired by the poster company. According to friend Nels Van Patten, Fawcett styled her own hair and did her make-up without the aid of a mirror. Her blonde highlights were further heightened by a squeeze of lemon juice. From 40 rolls of film, Farrah herself selected her six favorite pictures, eventually narrowing her choice to the one that made her famous. The resulting poster, of Farrah in a one-piece red bathing suit, was a best-seller; sales estimates ranged from over 5 million to 8 million to as high as 12 million copies. Fawcett, generally acknowledged as a shrewd businesswoman, retained ownership of the image and made millions of dollars on sales of the poster alone.
Charlie's Angels
On March 21, 1976, the first appearance of Fawcett playing the character
Jill MunroeJill Munroe is a fictional character, played by Farrah Fawcett in the first season of Charlie's Angels .Jill is the sporty and athletic angel, and is seen coaching a kids' basketball team, playing tennis, swimming, bowling, skateboarding, and rollerskating on the show. Not just a tomboy, she also...
in
Charlie's AngelsCharlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
was aired as a movie of the week. Fawcett and her husband were frequent tennis partners of producer
Aaron SpellingAaron Spelling was an American film and television producer. As of 2009, Spelling's eponymous production company Spelling Television holds the record as the most prolific television writer, with 218 producer and executive producer credits...
, and he and his producing partner thought of casting Fawcett as the "golden girl" Jill because of his friendship with the couple. The movie starred
Kate JacksonKate Jackson is an American actress, director, and producer, perhaps best known for her role as Sabrina Duncan in the popular 1970s television series Charlie's Angels...
,
Jaclyn SmithJacquelyn Ellen "Jaclyn" Smith is an American actress and businesswoman. She is best-known for the role of Kelly Garrett in the television series Charlie's Angels, and was the only original female lead to remain with the series for its complete run...
and Fawcett (then billed as
Farrah Fawcett-Majors) as private investigators for Townsend Associates, a detective agency run by a reclusive multi-millionaire whom the women had never met. Voiced by
John ForsytheJohn Forsythe was an American stage, television and film actor. Forsythe starred in three television series, spanning four decades and three genres: as single playboy father Bentley Gregg in the sitcom Bachelor Father ; as the unseen millionaire Charles Townsend on the crime drama Charlie's...
, the Charles Townsend character presented cases and dispensed advice via a speakerphone to his core team of three female employees, whom he referred to as "Angels." They were aided in the office and occasionally in the field by two male associates, played by character actors David Doyle and
David Ogden StiersDavid Ogden Stiers is an American actor, director, vocal actor, and musician, noted for his roles in Disney movies, as well as his performances in the television series M*A*S*H as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III and the science fiction drama The Dead Zone as Reverend Gene Purdy...
. The program earned a huge Nielsen rating, leading the network to air it a second time and approve production for a series, with the pilot's principal cast except David Ogden Stiers.
The Charlie's Angels series formally debuted on September 22, 1976. Fawcett emerged as a fan favorite in the show, and the actress won a
People's Choice AwardThe People's Choice Awards is an American awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. The show has been held annually since 1975 and is voted on by the general public. The People's Choice Awards air on CBS and are produced by Procter & Gamble and Survivor magnate Mark Burnett...
for
Favorite Performer in a New TV Program.
In a 1977 interview with
TV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
, Fawcett said: "When the show was number three, I thought it was our acting. When we got to be number one, I decided it could only be because none of us wears a bra".
Fawcett's appearance in the television show boosted sales of her poster, and she earned far more in royalties from poster sales than from her salary for appearing in
Charlie's Angels. Her hairstyle went on to become an international trend, with women sporting a "Farrah Do" or "Farrah Hair." Iterations of her hair style predominated American women's hair styles well into the 1980s.
Fawcett left
Charlie's Angels after only one season and
Cheryl LaddCheryl Ladd is an American actress, singer and author. Ladd is best known for her role as Kris Munroe in the television series Charlie's Angels, hired amid a swirl of publicity prior to its second season in 1977 to replace the departing Farrah Fawcett-Majors...
replaced her on the show, portraying Jill's younger sister
Kris MunroeKristine "Kris" Munroe is one of six female fictional private detectives in the 1976-1981 television series Charlie's Angels. She was portrayed by Cheryl Ladd. She worked for the Townsend Agency for four seasons of the show's entire five season run, taking the place of her big sister Jill when she...
. Numerous explanations for Fawcett's precipitous withdrawal from the show were offered over the years. The strain on her marriage due to her long absences most days due to filming, as her then-husband
Lee MajorsLee Majors is an American television, film and voice actor, best known for his starring role as Colonel Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man and as Colt Seavers in The Fall Guy ....
was star of an established television show himself, was frequently cited, but Fawcett's ambitions to broaden her acting abilities with opportunities in films have also been given. Fawcett never officially signed her series contract with Spelling due to protracted negotiations over royalties from her image's use in peripheral products, which led to an even more protracted lawsuit filed by Spelling and his company when she quit the show.
The show was a major success throughout the world, maintaining its appeal in syndication, spawning a cottage industry of peripheral products, particularly in the show's first three seasons, including several series of bubble gum cards, two sets of
fashion dollFashion dolls are dolls primarily designed to be dressed to reflect fashion trends. They are manufactured both as toys for children to play with and as collectibles for adult collectors. The dolls are usually modeled after teen girls or adult women, though child, male, and even some non-human...
s, numerous posters, puzzles, and school supplies, novelizations of episodes, toy vans, and a board game, all featuring Fawcett's likeness. The "Angels" also appeared on the covers of magazines around the world, from countless fan magazines to
TV Guide (four times) to
Time Magazine.
The series ultimately ran for five seasons. As part of a settlement to a lawsuit over her early departure, Fawcett returned for six guest appearances over seasons three and four of the series.
In 2004, the television movie
Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Charlie's Angels dramatized the events from the show with supermodel and actress
Tricia HelferTricia Janine Helfer is a Canadian actress and former model, best known for her roles as Number Six in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, "Carla" on Burn Notice, and FBI Special Agent Alex Rice on Dark Blue, as well as for hosting the first season of Canada's...
portraying Fawcett and
Ben BrowderRobert Benedic "Ben" Browder is an American actor and writer, best known for his roles as John Crichton in Farscape and Cameron Mitchell in Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
portraying
Lee MajorsLee Majors is an American television, film and voice actor, best known for his starring role as Colonel Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man and as Colt Seavers in The Fall Guy ....
, Fawcett's then-husband.
Dramatic roles
In 1983, Fawcett won critical acclaim for her role in the
Off-BroadwayOff-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
stage production of the controversial play
Extremities(This article is about the off-Broadway play. For the 1986 film, see Extremities (film)Extremities is a play by William Mastrosimone that was first performed off Broadway in 1982...
, written by
William MastrosimoneWilliam Mastrosimone is an American playwright and screenwriter from Trenton, New Jersey. He attended high school at The Pennington School and received a graduate degree in playwrighting from Mason Gross School of the Arts, a part of Rutgers University....
. Replacing
Susan SarandonSusan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...
, she was a would-be rape victim who turns the tables on her attacker. She described the role as "the most grueling, the most intense, the most physically demanding and emotionally exhausting" of her career. During one performance, a stalker in the audience disrupted the show by asking Fawcett if she had received the photos and letters he had mailed her. Police removed the man and were able only to issue a summons for
disorderly conductDisorderly conduct is a criminal charge in most jurisdictions in the United States. Typically, disorderly conduct makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to "disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain areas. Many types of unruly conduct may fit the definition of disorderly conduct, as such...
.
The following year, her role as a battered wife in the fact-based television movie
The Burning BedThe Burning Bed is a non-fiction book by Faith McNulty about battered Dansville, Michigan, housewife Francine Hughes. It was adapted to a film with screenplay by Rose Leiman Goldemberg. After thirteen years of domestic abuse at the hands of her husband, James Berlin Hughes, she set fire to the...
earned her the first of her four
Emmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nominations. The project is noted as being the first television movie to provide a nationwide 800 number that offered help for others in the situation, in this case victims of domestic abuse.
It was the highest-rated television movie of the season.
In 1986, Fawcett appeared in the movie version of
ExtremitiesExtremities is a 1986 film starring Farrah Fawcett, Alfre Woodard, Diana Scarwid and James Russo. It was adapted from the successful, yet controversial, 1982 off-Broadway play by William Mastrosimone. Farrah Fawcett had also appeared in the play to great critical acclaim, taking over a role...
, which was also well-received by critics, and for which she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.
She appeared in
Jon AvnetJonathan Michael "Jon" Avnet is an American director, writer and producer.-Early life:Avnet was born in Brooklyn, the son of Joan Bertha and Lester Francis Avnet, a corporate executive and electronics distributor. He attended Great Neck North High School in Great Neck, New York...
's
Between Two Women with
Colleen DewhurstColleen Rose Dewhurst was a Canadian-American actress known for a while as "the Queen of Off-Broadway." In her autobiography, Dewhurst wrote: "I had moved so quickly from one Off-Broadway production to the next that I was known, at one point, as the 'Queen of Off-Broadway'...
, and took several more dramatic roles as infamous or renowned women. She was nominated for Golden Globe awards for roles as Beate Klarsfeld in
Nazi Hunter: The Beate Klarsfeld Story and troubled
WoolworthThe F. W. Woolworth Company was a retail company that was one of the original American five-and-dime stores. The first successful Woolworth store was opened on July 18, 1879 by Frank Winfield Woolworth in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store"...
heiress
Barbara HuttonBarbara Woolworth Hutton was an American socialite dubbed by the media as the "Poor Little Rich Girl" because of her troubled life...
in
Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton StoryPoor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story is a 1987 television biographical drama starring Farrah Fawcett. The film chronicles the life of Barbara Hutton, who was one of the richest American socialite women, but was never happy. Released in two versions, as a TV miniseries and TV movie, the...
, and won a
CableACE AwardThe CableACE Award was an award that was given from 1978 to 1997 to honor excellence in American cable television programming...
for her 1989 portrayal of groundbreaking
LifeLife generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
magazine photojournalist
Margaret Bourke-WhiteMargaret Bourke-White was an American photographer and documentary photographer. She is best known as the first foreign photographer permitted to take pictures of Soviet Industry, the first female war correspondent and the first female photographer for Henry Luce's Life magazine, where her...
. Her 1989 portrayal of convicted murderer
Diane DownsElizabeth Diane Frederickson Downs is an American convicted murderer. She shot her three children, killing one, and then told police a stranger had attempted to carjack her and had shot the children. After her conviction in 1984, she was sentenced to life in prison.Downs briefly escaped in 1987...
in the
miniseriesA miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Small SacrificesSmall Sacrifices is a 1989 made-for-TV movie based on the best-selling true crime book by Ann Rule of the same name. The film is about Diane Downs and the murder and attempted murder of her three children. It stars Farrah Fawcett, Ryan O'Neal, Gordon Clapp, John Shea and Emily Perkins...
earned her a second Emmy nomination and her sixth
Golden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
nomination. The miniseries won a
Peabody AwardThe George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
for excellence in television, with Fawcett's performance singled out by the organization, which stated "Ms. Fawcett brings a sense of realism rarely seen in television miniseries (to) a drama of unusual power".
Art meets life
Fawcett, who had steadfastly resisted appearing nude in magazines throughout the 1970s and 1980s (although she appeared topless in the 1980 film
Saturn 3), caused a major stir by posing semi-nude in the December 1995 issue of
PlayboyPlayboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
. At the age of 50, she returned to
Playboy with a pictorial for the July 1997 issue, which also became a top seller. The issue and its accompanying video featured Fawcett painting on canvas using her body, which had been an ambition of hers for years.
That same year, Fawcett was chosen by
Robert DuvallRobert Selden Duvall is an American actor and director. He has won an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA over the course of his career....
to play his wife in an independent feature film he was producing,
The ApostleThe Apostle is a 1997 American drama film written and directed by Robert Duvall, who stars in the title role. John Beasley, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Bob Thornton, June Carter Cash, Miranda Richardson and Billy Joe Shaver also appear...
. Fawcett received an Independent Spirit Award nomination as Best Actress for the film, which was highly critically acclaimed.
In 2000, she worked with director
Robert AltmanRobert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
and an all-star cast in the feature film
Dr. T & the WomenDr. T & the Women is a 2000 American romantic comedy film directed by Robert Altman. It stars Richard Gere as wealthy gynecologist Dr. Sullivan Travis and Helen Hunt, Farrah Fawcett, Laura Dern, Shelley Long, Tara Reid, Kate Hudson and Liv Tyler as the various "women" that encompass his everyday...
, playing the wife of
Richard GereRichard Tiffany Gere is an American actor. He began acting in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and a starring role in Days of Heaven. He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol...
(her character has a mental breakdown, leading to her first fully nude appearance). Also that year, Fawcett's collaboration with sculptor
Keith EdmierKeith Edmier is an American sculptor.When he was four years old, Edmier and his parents moved to Tinley Park, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago. They bought a home in the Bremen Towne Estates subdivision, which was a small village within a village, having its own shopping mall, theater and...
was exhibited at the
Los Angeles County Museum of ArtThe Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an art museum in Los Angeles, California. It is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles, adjacent to the George C. Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits....
, later traveling to
The Andy Warhol MuseumThe Andy Warhol Museum, located on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is the largest museum in the United States dedicated to a single artist...
. The sculpture was also presented in a series of photographs and a book by Rizzoli.
In November 2003, Fawcett prepared for her return to Broadway in a production of
Bobbi BolandBobbi Boland is a play by Nancy Hasty which premiered at the Off-Broadway Arclight Theatre in New York City, New York. It ran from March 1 to July 10, 2001.-Plot:...
, the tragicomic tale of a former Miss Florida. However, the show never officially opened, closing before preview performances. Fawcett was described as "vibrating with frustration" at the producer's extraordinary decision to cancel the production. Only days earlier the same producer closed an Off-Broadway show she had been backing.
Fawcett continued to work in television, with well-regarded appearances in made-for-television movies and on popular television series including
Ally McBealAlly McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia...
and four episodes each of
Spin CitySpin City is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 17, 1996 until April 30, 2002 on the ABC network. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J. Fox as Mike...
and
The GuardianThe Guardian is an American drama series which aired on CBS from September 25, 2001 to May 4, 2004. It is currently showing in re-runs on the Sleuth Channel in the US. The Guardian has also aired in the United Kingdom on the Hallmark Channel, ABC1 and more recently five USA and as of August...
, her work on the latter show earning her a third
Emmy nominationThe 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held Sunday, September 19, 2004. The awards show was hosted by Garry Shandling and was broadcast on ABC...
in 2004.
Personal life
Fawcett was married to
Lee MajorsLee Majors is an American television, film and voice actor, best known for his starring role as Colonel Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man and as Colt Seavers in The Fall Guy ....
, star of television's
The Six Million Dollar ManThe Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a former astronaut with bionic implants working for the OSI...
, from 1973 to 1982, although the couple separated in 1979. During her marriage, she was known and credited in her roles as Farrah Fawcett-Majors.
From 1979 until 1997 Fawcett was involved romantically with actor
Ryan O'NealCharles Patrick Ryan O'Neal , better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon , Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , A Bridge Too Far , and Love Story , for which he received...
. The relationship produced a son, Redmond James Fawcett O'Neal, born January 30, 1985 in Los Angeles. In April 2009, on probation for
driving under the influenceDriving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
, Redmond was arrested for possession of narcotics
while Fawcett was in the hospital.
On 22 June 2009, The
Los Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
and
ReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
reported that Ryan O'Neal had said that Fawcett had agreed to marry him as soon as she felt strong enough.
From 1997 to 1998, Fawcett had a relationship with Canadian filmmaker
James OrrJames Orr is an Canadian writer, director and producer of motion pictures. Orr's screenplay credits include Three Men and a Baby, Tough Guys and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, whilst his director credits include Mr...
, writer and producer of the Disney feature film in which she co-starred with
Chevy ChaseCornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
,
Man of the HouseMan of the House is a 1995 comedy film starring Chevy Chase, Farrah Fawcett and Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Marking Thomas' motion picture debut, this Disney comedy is about a boy who must come to terms with his potential stepfather , a well-meaning lawyer who is unknowingly the subject of a manhunt...
. The relationship ended when Orr was charged with and later convicted of beating Fawcett during a 1998 fight between the two.
On June 5, 1997, Fawcett received negative commentary after giving a rambling interview and appearing distracted on
Late Show with David LettermanLate Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
. Months later, she told the host of
The Howard Stern Show her behavior was just her way of joking around with the television host, partly in the guise of promoting her
Playboy pictoral and video, explaining what appeared to be random looks across the theater was just her looking and reacting to fans in the audience. Though the Letterman appearance spawned speculation and several jokes at her expense, she returned to the show a week later, with success, and several years later, after
Joaquin Phoenix'sJoaquin Rafael Phoenix , formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is an American film actor. He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and his family returned to the continental United States four years later...
mumbling act on a February 2009 appearance on
The Late Show, LettermanDavid Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
wrapped up the interview by saying, "Joaquin, I'm sorry you couldn't be here tonight" and recalled Fawcett's earlier appearance by noting "[w]e owe an apology to Farrah Fawcett."
Fawcett's elder sister, Diane Fawcett Walls, died from lung cancer just before her 63rd birthday, on October 16, 2001. The fifth episode of her 2005
Chasing FarrahChasing Farrah is an American reality television series starring Farrah Fawcett, which aired on TVLand in early 2005.-Episodes:-External links:* *...
series, which was generally panned by critics, followed the actress home to Texas to visit with her father, James, and mother, Pauline. Pauline Fawcett died soon after, on 4 March 2005, at the age of 91.
Cancer
Fawcett was diagnosed with
anal cancerAnal cancer is a type of cancer which arises from the anus, the distal orifice of the gastrointestinal tract. It is a distinct entity from the more common colorectal cancer. The etiology, risk factors, clinical progression, staging, and treatment are all different. Anal cancer is typically a...
in 2006, and began treatment, including
chemotherapyChemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
and surgery. Four months later, on her 60th birthday, the
Associated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
wire serviceA news agency is an organization of journalists established to supply news reports to news organizations: newspapers, magazines, and radio and television broadcasters. Such an agency may also be referred to as a wire service, newswire or news service.-History:The oldest news agency is Agence...
reported that Fawcett was, at that point, cancer free.
Less than four months later, in May 2007, Fawcett brought a small digital video camera to document a doctor's office visit. There, she was told a
malignantMalignancy is the tendency of a medical condition, especially tumors, to become progressively worse and to potentially result in death. Malignancy in cancers is characterized by anaplasia, invasiveness, and metastasis...
polypA polyp in zoology is one of two forms found in the phylum Cnidaria, the other being the medusa. Polyps are approximately cylindrical in shape and elongated at the axis of the body...
was found where she had been treated for the initial cancer. Doctors contemplated whether to implant a
radiation seederBrachytherapy , also known as internal radiotherapy, sealed source radiotherapy, curietherapy or endocurietherapy, is a form of radiotherapy where a radiation source is placed inside or next to the area requiring treatment...
(which differs from conventional radiation and is used to treat other types of cancer). Fawcett's U.S. doctors told her that she would require a
colostomyA colostomy is a surgical procedure in which a stoma is formed by drawing the healthy end of the large intestine or colon through an incision in the anterior abdominal wall and suturing it into place. This opening, in conjunction with the attached stoma appliance, provides an alternative channel...
. Instead, Fawcett traveled to Germany for treatments described variously in the press as "
holisticHolistic health is a concept in medical practice upholding that all aspects of people's needs, psychological, physical and social should be taken into account and seen as a whole. As defined above, the holistic view on treatment is widely accepted in medicine...
", "aggressive", and "alternative". There, Dr. Ursula Jacob prescribed a treatment including surgery to remove the anal tumor, and a course of
perfusionIn physiology, perfusion is the process of nutritive delivery of arterial blood to a capillary bed in the biological tissue. The word is derived from the French verb "perfuser" meaning to "pour over or through."...
and
embolizationEmbolization is a non-surgical, minimally-invasive procedure performed by an interventional radiologist and interventional neuroradiologists. It involves the selective occlusion of blood vessels by purposely introducing emboli.-Therapeutic applications:...
for her liver cancer by Doctors Claus Kiehling and Thomas Vogl in Germany, and chemotherapy back in Fawcett's home town of Los Angeles. Although initially the tumors were regressing, their reappearance a few months later necessitated a new course, this time including
laser ablationLaser ablation is the process of removing material from a solid surface by irradiating it with a laser beam. At low laser flux, the material is heated by the absorbed laser energy and evaporates or sublimates. At high laser flux, the material is typically converted to a plasma...
therapy and
chemoembolizationChemoembolization is a procedure in which anticancer drugs are administered directly into a tumor through its feeding blood supply, with concurrent or subsequent blockage of the feeding vessel by occlusive agents that are injected through the delivery catheter...
. Aided by friend
Alana StewartAlana Hamilton Stewart is an American actress and former model. She has also used her maiden name, Alana Collins, and her names from her first marriage, Alana Collins-Hamilton and Alana Hamilton, professionally....
, Fawcett documented her battle with the disease.
In early April 2009, Fawcett, back in the United States, was hospitalized, with media reports declaring her unconscious and in
critical conditionCritical condition is a medical state.Critical Condition may also be:* Critical Condition , an episode of the television series Sex and the City* Critical Condition , a 1987 comedy film...
though subsequent reports indicated the severity of her condition was not as dire. On April 6, the
Associated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported that her cancer had
metastasizedMetastasis, or metastatic disease , is the spread of a disease from one organ or part to another non-adjacent organ or part. It was previously thought that only malignant tumor cells and infections have the capacity to metastasize; however, this is being reconsidered due to new research...
to her liver, a development Fawcett had learned of in May 2007 and which her subsequent treatments in Germany had targeted. The report denied that she was unconscious, and explained that the hospitalization was due not to her cancer but a painful abdominal
hematomaA hematoma, or haematoma, is a localized collection of blood outside the blood vessels, usually in liquid form within the tissue. This distinguishes it from an ecchymosis, which is the spread of blood under the skin in a thin layer, commonly called a bruise...
that had been the result of a minor procedure. Her spokesperson emphasized she was not "at death's door", adding "She remains in good spirits with her usual sense of humor ... She's been in great shape her whole life and has an incredible resolve and an incredible resilience." Fawcett was released from the hospital on April 9, picked up by longtime companion O'Neal, and, according to her doctor, was "walking and in great spirits and looking forward to celebrating Easter at home."
A month later, on May 7, Fawcett was reported as critically ill, with Ryan O'Neal quoted as saying she now spends her days at home, on an
IVIntravenous therapy or IV therapy is the infusion of liquid substances directly into a vein. The word intravenous simply means "within a vein". Therapies administered intravenously are often called specialty pharmaceuticals...
, often asleep. The
Los Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reported Fawcett was in the last stages of her cancer and had the chance to see her son Redmond in April 2009, although shackled and under supervision, as he was then incarcerated. Her 91-year-old father, James Fawcett, flew out to Los Angeles to visit.
The cancer specialist that was treating Fawcett in L.A., Dr. Lawrence Piro, and Fawcett's friend and
Angels co-star
Kate JacksonKate Jackson is an American actress, director, and producer, perhaps best known for her role as Sabrina Duncan in the popular 1970s television series Charlie's Angels...
– a breast cancer survivor – appeared together on
The Today Show dispelling tabloid-fueled rumors, including suggestions Fawcett had ever been in a coma, had ever reached 86 pounds, and had ever given up her fight against the disease or lost the will to live. Jackson decried such fabrications, saying they "really do hurt a human being and a person like Farrah." Piro recalled when it became necessary for Fawcett to undergo treatments that would cause her to lose her hair, acknowledging "Farrah probably has the most famous hair in the world", but also that it is not a trivial matter for any cancer patient, whose hair "affects [one's] whole sense of who [they] are". Of the documentary, Jackson averred Fawcett "didn't do this to show that 'she' is unique, she did it to show that we are all unique ... (T)his was ... meant to be a gift to others to help and inspire them."
The two-hour documentary
Farrah's Story, which was filmed by Fawcett and friend
Alana StewartAlana Hamilton Stewart is an American actress and former model. She has also used her maiden name, Alana Collins, and her names from her first marriage, Alana Collins-Hamilton and Alana Hamilton, professionally....
, aired on
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
on 15 May 2009. The documentary was watched by nearly nine million people at its premiere airing, and it was re-aired on the broadcast network's cable stations
MSNBCMSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
, Bravo and
OxygenOxygen is an American cable television specialty channel with television programming marketed towards women, with a format similar to Lifetime.- History :...
. Fawcett earned her fourth Emmy nomination posthumously on July 16, 2009, as producer of
Farrah's Story.
Controversy surrounded the aired version of the documentary, with her initial producing partner, who had worked with her four years earlier on her reality series
Chasing Farrah, alleging O'Neal's and Stewart's editing of the program was not in keeping with Fawcett's wishes to more thoroughly explore rare types of cancers such as her own and alternative methods of treatment. He was especially critical of scenes showing Fawcett's son visiting her for the last time, in shackles, while she was nearly unconscious in bed. Fawcett had generally kept her son out of the media, and his appearances were minimal in
Chasing Farrah.
Death
Fawcett died at approximately 9:28 am, PDT on June 25, 2009, in the intensive care unit of
Saint John's Health CenterSaint John's Health Center is a hospital in Santa Monica, California, United States. The hospital was founded in 1942 by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth.-List of famous patients:*Former US President Ronald Reagan, 2001, taken to St...
in
Santa Monica, CaliforniaSanta Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, with O'Neal and Stewart by her side. A private funeral was held in Los Angeles on June 30. Fawcett's son Redmond was permitted to leave his California detention center to attend his mother's funeral, where he gave the first reading.
The night of her death,
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
aired an hour-long special episode of
20/20 featuring clips from several of
Barbara WaltersBarbara Jill Walters is an American broadcast journalist, author, and television personality. She has hosted morning television shows , the television newsmagazine , former co-anchor of the ABC Evening News, and current contributor to ABC News.Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news...
' past interviews with Fawcett as well as new interviews with Ryan O'Neal, Jaclyn Smith, Alana Stewart, and Dr. Lawrence Piro. Walters followed up on the story on Friday's episode of
20/20.
CNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's
Larry King LiveLarry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
planned a show exclusively about Fawcett that evening until the
death of Michael JacksonOn June 25, 2009, American singer Michael Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication after he suffered a respiratory arrest at his home in the Holmby Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, said he found Jackson in his room, not breathing, but with a faint pulse,...
several hours later caused the program to shift to cover both stories.
CherCher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
, a longtime friend of Fawcett, and
Suzanne de PasseSuzanne de Passe is an American television, music and film producer. As well as the Co-Chairman of de Passe Jones Entertainment Group-Career:Suzanne began her career at Motown as Creative Assistant to company founder, Berry Gordy...
, executive producer of Fawcett's
Small Sacrifices mini-series, both paid tribute to Fawcett on the program.
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
aired a
Dateline NBCDateline NBC, or Dateline, is a U.S. weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC. It previously was NBC's flagship news magazine, but now focuses on true crime stories. It airs Friday at 9 p.m. EST and after football season on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.-History:Dateline is historically notable for...
special "Farrah Fawcett: The Life and Death of an Angel" the following evening, June 26, preceded by a rebroadcast of
Farrah's Story in prime time. That weekend and the following week, television tributes continued.
MSNBCMSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
aired back-to-back episodes of its
Headliners and Legends episodes featuring Fawcett and Jackson.
TV LandTV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...
aired a mini-marathon of
Charlie's Angels and
Chasing Farrah episodes.
E!E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
aired
Michael & Farrah: Lost Icons and the
The Biography ChannelThe Biography Channel is an American digital cable television channel owned by A&E and based on the television series of the same name. A version of the channel also airs on ONO and Telefónica in Spain and on Sky Digital and cable television in the United Kingdom, a version of the channel also...
aired
Bio Remembers: Farrah Fawcett. The documentary
Farrah's Story re-aired on the Oxygen Network and MSNBC.
Larry KingLawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
said of the Fawcett phenomenon,
PlayboyPlayboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
founder
Hugh HefnerHugh Marston "Hef" Hefner is an American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises.-Early life:...
said "Farrah was one of the iconic beauties of our time. Her girl-next-door charm combined with stunning looks made her a star on film, TV and the printed page."
Kate Jackson said,
In March 2010, the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
caused controversy when Fawcett was excluded from the "In Memoriam" montage at the
82nd Academy AwardsThe 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2009 and took place March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. The ceremony was scheduled well after...
ceremony, along with fellow television stars Bea Arthur,
Gene BarryGene Barry was an American stage, screen, and television actor. Barry is best remembered for his leading roles in the films The Atomic City and The War of The Worlds and for his portrayal of the title character in the TV series Bat Masterson, among many roles.-Personal life:Barry was born...
and
Ed McMahonEdward Peter "Ed" McMahon, Jr. was an American comedian, game show host and announcer. He is most famous for his work on television as Johnny Carson's sidekick and announcer on The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992. He also hosted the original version of the talent show Star Search from 1983 to 1995...
. In addition to Ryan and
Tatum O'NealTatum Beatrice O'Neal is an American actress best known for her film work as a child actress in the 1970s. She is the youngest to win a competitive Academy Award, at the age of 10, which she won for her performance as Addie Loggins in Paper Moon opposite her father Ryan O'Neal...
, friends and colleagues of Fawcett publicly expressed their outrage at the oversight, including actress
Jane FondaJane Fonda is an American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, and fitness guru. She rose to fame in the 1960s with films such as Barbarella and Cat Ballou. She has won two Academy Awards and received several other movie awards and nominations during more than 50 years as an...
and film critic
Roger EbertRoger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
. AMPAS executive director Bruce Davis cited Fawcett's recognition at the
61st Primetime Emmy AwardsThe 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards took place on September 20, 2009. CBS broadcast the Primetime event and E! the Creative Arts event; both take place at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The nominations for the Awards were announced on July 16....
for her "remarkable television work," and said of all the exclusions: "There's nothing you can say to people, particularly to family members, within a day or two of the show that helps at all. They tend to be surprised and hurt, and we understand that and we're sorry for it."
She is
buriedBurial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
at the Westwood Village Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
Cultural icon enshrined
The red one-piece bathing suit worn by Farrah in her famous 1976 poster was donated to the Smithsonian's
National Museum of American HistoryThe National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Among the items on display are the original Star-Spangled Banner and Archie Bunker's...
(NMAH) on 2 February 2011. Said to have been purchased at a
Saks Fifth AvenueSaks Fifth Avenue is a luxury American specialty store owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises , a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. It competes in the high-end specialty store market in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, i.e. 'the 3 B's' Bergdorf, Barneys, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor...
store, the red
LycraSpandex or elastane is a synthetic fibre known for its exceptional elasticity. It is strong, but less durable than natural Latex, its major non-synthetic competitor. It is a polyurethane-polyurea copolymer that was co-invented in 1959 by chemists C. L. Sandquist and Joseph Shivers at DuPont's...
suit made by the leading Australian swimsuit company
SpeedoSpeedo International Ltd. is a manufacturer and distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories. Founded in Australia in 1914, the industry leading company is now a subsidiary of Pentland Group Plc. Today, the Speedo brand can be found on products ranging from swimsuits and goggles to wrist...
, was donated to the Smithsonian by her executors and was formally presented to NMAH in Washington D.C. by her longtime companion
Ryan O'NealCharles Patrick Ryan O'Neal , better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon , Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , A Bridge Too Far , and Love Story , for which he received...
. The suit and the poster are expected to go on temporary display sometime in 2011–12. They will be made additions to the Smithsonian's "popular culture" department.
The famous poster of Farrah in a red swimsuit has been produced as a
BarbieBarbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration....
doll. The limited edition dolls, complete with a gold chain and the girl-next-door locks, have been snapped up by Barbie fans.
Filmography
Theatrical films
| Year |
Film |
Role |
Notes |
| 1969 |
Love Is a Funny Thing |
Patricia |
| 1970 |
Myra BreckinridgeMyra Breckinridge is a 1970 American campy comedy film, based on Gore Vidal's 1968 novel of the same name, the film was directed by Michael Sarne, with Raquel Welch in the title role. It also starred John Huston as Buck Loner, Mae West as Leticia Van Allen, Farrah Fawcett, Rex Reed, Roger Herren,...
|
Mary Ann Pringle |
| 1976 |
Logan's RunLogan's Run is a 1976 science fiction film based on the novel of the same name by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. It depicts a dystopian future society in which population and the consumption of resources are managed and maintained in equilibrium by the simple expediency of killing...
|
Holly |
As Farrah Fawcett-Majors |
| 1978 |
Somebody Killed Her Husband Somebody Killed Her Husband is a 1978 comedy/mystery film directed by Lamont Johnson and written by Reginald Rose. It starred Farrah Fawcett and Jeff Bridges. Also in the cast were John Wood, Tammy Grimes and John Glover. The film is set in Manhattan, New York City...
|
Jenny Moore |
As Farrah Fawcett-Majors |
| 1979 |
An Almost Perfect Affair An Almost Perfect Affair is a 1979 romantic comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie about the Cannes Film Festival and an affair between a filmmaker and a film producer's wife, set during the film festival...
|
Herself |
Uncredited |
| Sunburn Sunburn is a 1979 British-American detective-comedy film directed by Richard C. Sarafian and starring Farrah Fawcett, Charles Grodin and Art Carney...
|
Ellie |
As Farrah Fawcett-Majors |
| 1980 |
Saturn 3 Saturn 3 is a 1980 science fiction film starring Kirk Douglas, Farrah Fawcett and Harvey Keitel. Direction is credited to Stanley Donen. The project was conceived by John Barry. Barry was due to direct until a dispute with Douglas led to his replacement...
|
Alex |
| 1981 |
The Cannonball Run |
Pamela Glover |
| 1986 |
Extremities Extremities is a 1986 film starring Farrah Fawcett, Alfre Woodard, Diana Scarwid and James Russo. It was adapted from the successful, yet controversial, 1982 off-Broadway play by William Mastrosimone. Farrah Fawcett had also appeared in the play to great critical acclaim, taking over a role...
|
Marjorie |
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama |
| 1989 |
See You in the Morning See You in the Morning is a 1989 romantic comedy film written and directed by Alan J. Pakula, and starring Jeff Bridges, Alice Krige and Farrah Fawcett. It features music by Nat "King" Cole and Cherri Red. The original music score was composed by Michael Small.-Plot:Larry Livingstone falls in love...
|
Jo Livingstone |
| 1995 |
Man of the House Man of the House is a 1995 comedy film starring Chevy Chase, Farrah Fawcett and Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Marking Thomas' motion picture debut, this Disney comedy is about a boy who must come to terms with his potential stepfather , a well-meaning lawyer who is unknowingly the subject of a manhunt...
|
Sandy Archer |
| 1997 |
The ApostleThe Apostle is a 1997 American drama film written and directed by Robert Duvall, who stars in the title role. John Beasley, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Bob Thornton, June Carter Cash, Miranda Richardson and Billy Joe Shaver also appear...
|
Jessie Dewey |
Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female |
| The Lovemaster |
Craig's Dream Date |
| Playboy: Farrah Fawcett, All of Me |
Herself |
Direct to video |
| 1998 |
The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars is the name of both a children's book by Thomas Disch, as well as the film made from same. Both are sequels to the book and film versions of The Brave Little Toaster. The movie was distributed by Walt Disney Home Video. It was released in 1998...
|
Faucet |
Voice |
| 2000 |
The Flunky |
Herself |
| Dr. T & the Women Dr. T & the Women is a 2000 American romantic comedy film directed by Robert Altman. It stars Richard Gere as wealthy gynecologist Dr. Sullivan Travis and Helen Hunt, Farrah Fawcett, Laura Dern, Shelley Long, Tara Reid, Kate Hudson and Liv Tyler as the various "women" that encompass his everyday...
|
Kate |
| 2004 |
The Cookout The Cookout is a 2004 comedy film, directed by Lance Rivera. It is co-written by and features Queen Latifah, and is also the feature film debut for her mother Rita Owens.-Plot:...
|
Mrs. Crowley |
| 2008 |
A Wing & a Prayer: Farrah's Fight for Life |
Herself |
Documentary |
Television
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 1969 |
Mayberry R.F.D. Mayberry R.F.D. is a spin-off and direct continuation of The Andy Griffith Show under a new title, for the same sponsor, General Foods...
|
Show Girl #1 |
1 episode |
I Dream of JeannieI Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
|
Cindy
Tina |
"See You in C-U-B-A"
"My Sister the Home Wrecker" |
| Three's a Crowd Three's a Crowd was a made-for-TV movie that was originally aired by the ABC network on December 2, 1969. The film was a comedy directed by Harry Falk and starred Larry Hagman, who was starring in the hit TV sit-com I Dream of Jeannie. Hagman plays a pilot who disappears and is presumed dead by...
|
Hitchhiker |
Television movie |
| 1969–1970 |
The Flying NunThe Flying Nun is an American sitcom produced by Screen Gems for ABC based on the 1965 book The Fifteenth Pelican, by Tere Rios, which starred Sally Field as Sister Bertrille...
|
Miss Preem
Lila |
"Armando and the Pool Table"
"Marcello's Idol" |
| 1970 |
The Young Rebels The Young Rebels is an American adventure series that was broadcast by ABC as part of its 1970 fall lineup.-Plot:The Young Rebels was the story of a group of youthful guerrillas fighting on the Patriot side in the American Revolutionary War. They were part of the fictional "Yankee Doodle Society",...
|
Sarah |
"Dangerous Ally" |
The Partridge FamilyThe Partridge Family is an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career. The series originally ran from September 25, 1970 until August 31, 1974, the last new episode airing on March 23, 1974, on the ABC network, as part of a Friday-night lineup...
|
Pretty Girl |
"The Sound of Money" |
| 1971 |
Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law is an American legal drama, jointly created by David Victor and former law professor Jerry McNeely, that starred actor Arthur Hill. The series was broadcast on ABC from 1971 to 1974...
|
Tori Barbour |
"Burden of Proof"
"Shadow of a Name" |
| The Feminist and the Fuzz |
Kitty Murdock |
Television movie |
| Inside O.U.T. |
Pat Boulion |
Unsold pilot |
| 1973 |
The Girl with Something Extra The Girl with Something Extra is an American fantasy-based sitcom that aired on NBC for one season during 1973-1974. The series was created by Bernard Slade and produced by Screen Gems Television.-Synopsis:...
|
Carol |
"How Green Was Las Vegas" |
| The Great American Beauty Contest |
T.L. Dawson |
Television movie |
| Of Men and Women |
Young Actress |
Segment: "The Interview" |
| 1974 |
Apple's Way Apple's Way is a television dramedy which aired on CBS from 1974-1975. It was created by Earl Hamner, Jr..-Premise:The Apples, a family from Los Angeles, seek refuge from the hectic pace of city living and relocate to the father's hometown of Appleton, Iowa, which was founded by the father's...
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Jane Huston |
"The First Love" |
Marcus Welby, M.D.Marcus Welby, M.D. is an American medical drama television program that aired on ABC from September 23, 1969, to July 29, 1976. It starred Robert Young as a family practitioner with a kind bedside manner, and was produced by David Victor and David J. O'Connell...
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Laura Foley |
"I've Promised You a Father: Part 1" |
| McCloud |
Gloria Jean |
"The Colorado Cattle Caper" |
| 1974–1976 |
Harry O |
Sue Ingham |
8 episodes |
The Six Million Dollar ManThe Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a former astronaut with bionic implants working for the OSI...
|
Major Kelly Wood (2 episodes), Trish Hollander, Victoria Webster |
4 episodes. As Farrah Fawcett Majors (Rescue of Athena One) and as Farrah Fawcett-Majors (Nightmare in the Sky, The Golden Pharaoh, and The Peeping Blonde) |
| 1975 |
The Girl Who Came Gift-Wrapped |
Patti |
Television movie |
| Murder on Flight 502 Murder On Flight 502 is a 1975 American made-for-TV movie directed by George McCowan and starring Robert Stack, Farrah Fawcett-Majors, Sonny Bono, Danny Bonaduce, and Fernando Lamas.- Plot summary :...
|
Karen White |
As Farrah Fawcett-Majors |
| S.W.A.T. |
Miss New Mexico |
"The Steel-Plated Security Blanket"
as Farrah Fawcett-Majors |
| 1976–1980 |
Charlie's AngelsCharlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
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Jill MunroeJill Munroe is a fictional character, played by Farrah Fawcett in the first season of Charlie's Angels .Jill is the sporty and athletic angel, and is seen coaching a kids' basketball team, playing tennis, swimming, bowling, skateboarding, and rollerskating on the show. Not just a tomboy, she also...
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Cast member from 1976–1977; recurring from 1978–1980
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama (1976) |
| 1981 |
Murder in Texas |
Joan Robinson Hill |
Television movie |
| 1984 |
The Red-Light Sting |
Kathy |
Television movie |
| The Burning Bed The Burning Bed is a non-fiction book by Faith McNulty about battered Dansville, Michigan, housewife Francine Hughes. It was adapted to a film with screenplay by Rose Leiman Goldemberg. After thirteen years of domestic abuse at the hands of her husband, James Berlin Hughes, she set fire to the...
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Francine Hughes |
Television movie
Nominated – Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film |
| 1986 |
Between Two Women |
Val Petherton |
Television movie |
| Nazi Hunter: The Beate Klarsfeld Story |
Beate Klarsfeld Serge and Beate Klarsfeld are activists known for engaging in Holocaust documentation and anti-Nazi activism...
|
Television movie
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film |
| 1987 |
Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story is a 1987 television biographical drama starring Farrah Fawcett. The film chronicles the life of Barbara Hutton, who was one of the richest American socialite women, but was never happy. Released in two versions, as a TV miniseries and TV movie, the...
|
Barbara Hutton |
Television movie
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film |
| 1989 |
Margaret Bourke-White |
Margaret Bourke-White Margaret Bourke-White was an American photographer and documentary photographer. She is best known as the first foreign photographer permitted to take pictures of Soviet Industry, the first female war correspondent and the first female photographer for Henry Luce's Life magazine, where her...
|
Television movie |
| Small Sacrifices Small Sacrifices is a 1989 made-for-TV movie based on the best-selling true crime book by Ann Rule of the same name. The film is about Diane Downs and the murder and attempted murder of her three children. It stars Farrah Fawcett, Ryan O'Neal, Gordon Clapp, John Shea and Emily Perkins...
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Diane Downs Elizabeth Diane Frederickson Downs is an American convicted murderer. She shot her three children, killing one, and then told police a stranger had attempted to carjack her and had shot the children. After her conviction in 1984, she was sentenced to life in prison.Downs briefly escaped in 1987...
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Television movie
Nominated – Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film |
| Good Sports Good Sports is an American sitcom that aired on the CBS network in 1991, starring Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal.-Synopsis:The show features the two main characters, Bobby Tannen, a once-famous former football player gone to seed and Gayle Roberts, an ex-Miss America , as mismatched anchors on an...
|
Gayle Roberts |
2 episodes |
| 1992 |
Criminal Behavior |
Jessica Lee Stubbs |
Television movie |
| 1994 |
The Substitute Wife |
Pearl |
Television movie |
| 1995 |
Children of the Dust Children of the Dust is a TV miniseries that aired on February 26 and 28, 1995 on CBS, featuring an ensemble cast led by Academy Award winning actor Sidney Poitier...
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Nora Maxwell |
Miniseries |
| 1996 |
Dalva |
Dalva Northridge |
Television movie |
| 1997 |
Johnny BravoJohnny Bravo is an American animated television series created by Van Partible for Cartoon Network. The series stars a muscular beefcake young man named Johnny Bravo who dons a pompadour hairstyle and an Elvis Presley-like voice and has a forward, woman-chasing personality...
|
Farrah Fawcett / Old Lady |
"Blarney Buddies/Over the Hump/Johnny Meets Farrah Fawcett" (voice) |
| 1999 |
Silk Hope Silk Hope is a 1999 television film that starred Farrah Fawcett. Co-starring in the film are Ashley Crow and Brad Johnson.-Cast:*Farrah Fawcett as Frannie Vaughn*Ashley Crow as Natalie*Brad Johnson as Rubin*Scott Bryce as Jake...
|
Frannie Vaughn |
Television movie |
Ally McBealAlly McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia...
|
Robin Jones |
"Changes" |
| 2000 |
Baby |
Lily Malone |
Television movie |
| 2001 |
Jewel Jewel is a 2001 television drama film directed by Paul Shapiro, based on the book of the same name by Bret Lott.-Plot:In 1945 Jewel Hilburn , 39, and her husband Leston , 41, are scratching out a living in rural Mississippi, and caring for their four children: Raylene , 14; Burton , 11; Wilman ,...
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Jewel Hilburn |
Television movie |
Spin CitySpin City is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 17, 1996 until April 30, 2002 on the ABC network. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J. Fox as Mike...
|
Judge Claire Simmons |
4 episodes |
| 2002–2003 |
The Guardian The Guardian is an American drama series which aired on CBS from September 25, 2001 to May 4, 2004. It is currently showing in re-runs on the Sleuth Channel in the US. The Guardian has also aired in the United Kingdom on the Hallmark Channel, ABC1 and more recently five USA and as of August...
|
Mary Gressler |
4 episodes
Nominated – Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress – Drama Series |
| 2003 |
Hollywood Wives: The New Generation Hollywood Wives: The New Generation, also released as Jackie Collins' Hollywood Wives: The New Generation, is a 2003 television film directed by Joyce Chopra...
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Lissa Roman |
Television movie |
| 2005 |
Chasing Farrah Chasing Farrah is an American reality television series starring Farrah Fawcett, which aired on TVLand in early 2005.-Episodes:-External links:* *...
|
Herself |
7 episodes |
| 2009 |
Farrah's Story |
Herself |
Also Executive producer An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
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External links
- Farrah Fawcett – Daily Telegraph obituary
- Farrah Fawcett at TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
- Obituary by the Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...