Publications
Partners
THE TV STAR:
The Six Million Dollar Man
Farrah Fawcett made four guest appearances in the Six Million Dollar Man, the long-running science fiction action show about a bionic government agent, in the mid-'70s. The titular character was played by Fawcett’s then-husband Lee Majors, and her role as Major Kelly Wood boosted her career after she appeared in bit parts in two other iconic US TV shows – I Dream of Jeannie and The Partridge Family.
Charlie’s Angels
The show that made her an icon. In 1976, Fawcett rocketed to super-stardom as Jill Munroe, part of a trio of gorgeous, butt-kicking private detectives working for unseen boss Charlie (John Forsythe). Alongside her fellow Angels, played by Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith, the show marked a sea change for American television as it was one of the first to depict women in powerful roles that were typically reserved for men. Before Baywatch came along, Charlie’s Angels inspired the term "jiggle TV" because the show was renowned for showing its female stars running around bra-less in tight T-shirts. It’s the role Fawcett would always be associated with, despite the fact that she only appeared in the first season.
Spin City
In 2001, Fawcett returned to the small screen in sitcom Spin City, playing Judge Claire Simmons, girlfriend to New York Mayor Randall Winston (Barry Bostwick). She had previously made a one-off appearance during Season 4 of acclaimed dramedy Ally McBeal. Her four-episode stint on Spin City was her first significant return to the small screen since her short-lived sitcom Good Sports (opposite on-and-off boyfriend Ryan O'Neal) ten years earlier.
THE BOMBSHELL:
That calendar pose
After jiggling on TV as Angel Jill Munroe, a casual impromptu shot taken in 1976 in her backyard of Fawcett in a red one-piece swimsuit, with a head of gleaming blonde curls and a nondescript Native American-style rug used as a makeshift backdrop, caused a sensation. The image would grace a calendar and go on to become the biggest-selling calendar of all time, with an incredible 12 million copies sold. It remains her most famous photograph.
Playboy pin-up
Fawcett’s pin-up days were far from over. She took it all off for the December 1995 issue of Playboy, making it the top-selling issue of the 90s, with 4 million copies sold. But that was not the end of it. Two years later, at the age of 50, she stripped for the Playboy cameras again!
THE MOVIE STAR:
Cannonball Run (1981)
Fawcett’s post-Charlie’s Angels career wasn’t exactly as impressive as she’d hoped. One of her more high-profile roles was in this 1981 slapstick comedy about a group of eccentric drivers who all compete in an illegal cross-country race. Fawcett played Beauty, a photographer who falls for the heroic lead, played by Burt Reynolds. Although it was popular at the time, the movie was not particularly well-received by critics. In 1980, she had also starred in a forgettable sci-fi adventure Saturn 3, which was only notable for a few nude scenes of Fawcett and co-star Kirk Douglas.
The Burning Bed (1984)
Fawcett was finally regarded as a true talent, and not just a beautiful face, after appearing in this acclaimed 1984 movie, based on a true story, about a battered wife (Francine Hughes) who torched her rapist husband as he lay sleeping in their bed. The movie brought issues of domestic abuse into the spotlight and was heralded for bringing about change in domestic violence laws and police procedures in some US states. Fawcett received her first Emmy nomination as well as a Golden Globe nomination for the role.
Extremities (1986)
She played another empowering role in this 1986 movie about a rape victim, Marjorie, who fights back against her attacker, played by James Russo. The role was not new to Fawcett. She had previously played the character in the highly successful off-Broadway production of the story in 1983. While the movie was widely panned, Fawcett’s raw, riveting performance was widely praised and she received her third Golden Globe nomination in 1987 for her work.
The Apostle (1997)
She returned to the big screen with a prominent role as Jessie Dewey, the beautiful – and conniving – wife of Southern minister Sonny Dewey (Robert Duvall). Though Duvall’s mesmerizing performance received most of the attention, it was Fawcett’s quietly determined support as his ambitious trophy wife that marked the return of an almost-forgotten star.
Dr. T and the Women (2000)
With an all-star cast that included Richard Gere, Helen Hunt, Liv Tyler and Laura Dern, and acclaimed director Robert Altman behind the camera, there seemed little doubt that this 2000 comedy about a rich gynecologist and his adoring patients was primed for success. But the movie was mostly ignored and Fawcett would not appear in another feature film until 2004’s The Cookout, her final acting role.
THE DOCUMENTARIAN:
Chasing Farrah
Not immune to the culture of celeb overshare, Fawcett turned the cameras on herself in 2005 with a seven-part reality series, most of which she shot herself, guerilla-style. The series didn’t last long and was widely criticised with one critic calling it "a bizarre combination of narcissism, cluelessness, disdain for the audience and boredom."
Farrah's Story
During her battle with anal cancer (she was diagnosed in October 2006) Fawcett set about documenting her journey in the two-hour TV special Farrah's Story, which was broadcast in the US in May this year. Choosing not to suffer in silence, Fawcett let viewers into her inner sanctum, sharing the pain of her treatment and her brave battle for survival. The documentary is an emotional, warts-and-all video diary in which Fawcett shared her hopes and fears. The process of filming the movie also brought her closer to her long-time partner Ryan O’Neal, whom she had planned to marry before her death. But the wedding never happened.
