"I don't think an actor ever wants to establish an image. That certainly hurt me, and yet that is also what made me successful and eventually able to do more challenging roles."
Farrah Leni Fawcett (February 2, 1947 – June 25, 2009) was an American actress, model, and artist best known for her feathered blonde hair, and her brief stint on Charlie's Angels, her marriage to Lee Majors, her relationship with Ryan O'Neal and for posing in a red one-piece swimsuit for a poster that became the best-selling pinup poster in history.
She was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006, and died three years later on June 25, 2009 at age 62, the same day as Michael Jackson.
Film Roles:
- Murder on Flight 502 (1975)
- Logan's Run (1976)
- Sunburn (1979)
- Saturn 3 (1980)
- The Cannonball Run (1981)
- The Burning Bed (1984)
- Small Sacrifices (1989)
- Man of the House (1995) (1995)
Television Roles:
- Mayberry R.F.D.
- I Dream of Jeannie
- The Flying Nun
- The Partridge Family
- Marcus Welby, M.D.
- The Six Million Dollar Man
- Harry O
- S.W.A.T. (1975)
- Charlie's Angels
- Ally McBeal
- Spin City
Voice Acting Roles:
Tropes associated with her work:
- '70s Hair: Her feathered hairstyle, often nicknamed 'Farrah Hair', is an immediate shorthand for the decade's styles.
- Billing Displacement: Due to her high profile at the time, she was given top billing in Saturn 3 above Kirk Douglas and Harvey Keitel.
- Creator Backlash:
- She didn't look on Saturn 3, saying she had a script pitched to her that was "very different" from what they ended up filming.
- Like everyone else involved in the infamous Myra Breckinridge, she hated it, calling it "a terrible picture".
- Creator-Chosen Casting: She was discovered by Michael York while playing tennis, who immediately suggested her for the role of Holly in Logan's Run.
- Friendship on the Set: She, Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson became lifelong friends while making Charlie's Angels. The latter two have been determined to keep Farrah's legacy alive after her death.
- Hostility on the Set: She was miserable during Myra Breckinridge because Raquel Welch and Mae West were especially mean to her. She later said the experience made her swear never to act as diva-like as them.
- I Am Not Spock: Despite being only part of Charlie's Angels for one season, and a career spanning several decades, she is best remembered as Jill.
- Ms. Fanservice: One of the famous sex symbols of the 70s.
- On-Set Injury: Sunburn was an unlucky film for her. She sustained several cuts and bruises when she had to crawl bare-legged across a floor while explosives were going off, and nearly drowned due to an accident filming an underwater stunt.
- Short-Lived, Big Impact: Despite only doing one season of Charlie's Angels, she's one of the most remembered Angels. It's sometimes even forgotten she wasn't part of the entire series.
- So Beautiful, It's a Curse: She lost out on many roles because the directors couldn't imagine a man "who would leave that".
- Star-Derailing Role: The failures of Sunburn (1979), Saturn 3 and Somebody Killed My Husband dented her star power after she left Charlie's Angels. Career Resurrection would come in with The Burning Bed and her subsequent Emmy nomination.
- What Could Have Been:
- Her Emmy nominated role in The Burning Bed was first offered to Cheryl Ladd, who turned it down.
- She was offered a Remake Cameo in Charlie's Angels (2000) but (depending on who you ask) would only do it if she could be seen interacting with Charlie or provide the voice of Charlie.
