Farrah Leni Fawcett (born Ferrah Leni Fawcett; February 2, 1947 – June 25, 2009) was an American actress. A four-time

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

nominee and six-time

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she played a starring role in the first season of the television series ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aa ...

''. Fawcett began her career in the 1960s appearing in commercials and guest roles on television. During the 1970s, she appeared in numerous television series, including recurring roles on '' Harry O'' (1974–1976), and '' The Six Million Dollar Man'' (1974–1978) with her then-husband, film and television star Lee Majors. Her iconic red swimsuit poster sold six million copies in its first year in print. Fawcett's breakthrough role was the role of private investigator Jill Munroe in ''Charlie's Angels'', which co-starred Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith. The show propelled all three actresses to stardom. After appearing in the show's first season in 1976, Fawcett decided to leave ''Charlie's Angels''. She later returned as a guest star in six episodes during the show's third and fourth seasons (1978–1980). For her work in ''Charlie's Angels'', Fawcett received her first Golden Globe nomination. In 1983, Fawcett received positive reviews for her performance in the

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

play '' Extremities''. She was subsequently cast in the 1986 film version and received a Golden Globe nomination. She received Emmy Award nominations for her role as a battered wife in '' The Burning Bed'' (1984) and for her portrayal of real-life murderer Diane Downs in '' Small Sacrifices'' (1989). Her 1980s work in TV movies earned her four additional Golden Globe nominations. Although Fawcett weathered some negative press for a rambling appearance on '' The Late Show with David Letterman'' in 1997, she garnered strong reviews that year for her role in the film '' The Apostle'' with Robert Duvall. In the 21st century, she continued acting on television, holding recurring roles on the sitcom '' Spin City'' (2001) and the drama '' The Guardian'' (2002–2003). For the latter, she received her third Emmy nomination. Fawcett's film credits include '' Love Is a Funny Thing'' (1969), ''

Myra Breckinridge ''Myra Breckinridge'' is a 1968 satirical novel by Gore Vidal written in the form of a diary. Described by the critic Dennis Altman as "part of a major cultural assault on the assumed norms of gender and sexuality which swept the western world i ...

'' (1970), ''

Logan's Run ''Logan's Run'' is a science fiction novel by American writers William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. Published in 1967, the novel depicts a dystopic Malthusianism future society in which both population and the consumption of resource ...

'' (1976), '' Sunburn'' (1979), '' Saturn 3'' (1980), '' The Cannonball Run'' (1981), '' Extremities'' (1986), '' The Apostle'' (1997), and '' Dr. T & the Women'' (2000). Fawcett was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006 and died three years later at age 62. The 2009 NBC documentary ''Farrah's Story'' chronicled her battle with the disease. She posthumously earned her fourth Emmy nomination for her work as a producer on ''Farrah's Story''.

Early life

Mary Ferrah Leni Fawcett was born on February 2, 1947, in Corpus Christi, Texas, and was the younger of two daughters. Her mother, Pauline Alice Fawcett (née Evans; 1914–2005), was a homemaker and her father, James William Fawcett (1917–2010), was an oil field contractor. She was of Irish, French, English and

Choctaw The Choctaw (in the Choctaw language, Chahta) are a Native American people originally based in the Southeastern Woodlands, in what is now Alabama and Mississippi. Their Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choctaw people are ...

Native American ancestry. Fawcett once said the name "Farrah" was "made up" by her mother, because it went well with their last name. A Roman Catholic, Fawcett began her early education 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 School W. B. Ray High School is a 5A secondary school centrally located in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States and is part of the Corpus Christi Independent School District. The school is named in honor of CCISD school board president, William Benton ...

in Corpus Christi, where she was voted "most beautiful" by her classmates in her freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years of high school. Between 1965 and 1968, she attended the University of Texas, where she studied

microbiology Microbiology () is the scientific study of microorganisms, those being unicellular (single cell), multicellular (cell colony), or acellular (lacking cells). Microbiology encompasses numerous sub-disciplines including virology, bacteriology, prot ...

before switching her major to art. She lived at the Mayfair House on Pearl Street, west of the campus, and was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. In her freshman year of college, she was named one of the "ten most beautiful coeds on campus", and it was the first time that a freshman had been chosen for the honor. Her photos were sent to various agencies in Hollywood. David Mirisch, a Hollywood agent, called her and urged her to come to Los Angeles. She turned him down, but he continued for the next two years. Finally, in the summer of 1968, Fawcett moved to Los Angeles, initially staying at the Hollywood Studio Club, with her parents' permission to "try her luck" in the entertainment industry.

Career

Early career

When Fawcett arrived in Hollywood at age 21 in 1968,

Screen Gems Screen Gems is an American brand name used by Sony Pictures' Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, a subsidiary of Japanese multinational conglomerate, Sony Group Corporation. It has served several different purposes for its parent ...

signed her to a $350-a-week contract. She began to appear in commercials for such products as Ultra Brite toothpaste, Noxzema skin cream, Max Factor cosmetics, Mercury Cougar automobiles, and Beautyrest mattresses, among others. Her earliest acting appearances were guest spots on '' The Flying Nun'' (1969) and ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series, created by Sidney Sheldon that starred Barbara Eden as a sultry, 2,000-year-old genie and Larry Hagman, as an astronaut with whom she falls in love and eventually marrie ...

'' (1969–70). She made numerous other television appearances, including '' Getting Together'', '' Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law'', '' Mayberry R.F.D.'', and '' The Partridge Family''. She appeared in four episodes of '' The Six Million Dollar Man'' with husband Lee Majors, on '' The Dating Game'' and ''

S.W.A.T In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...

'', and had a recurring role on '' Harry O'' alongside David Janssen as the title character's girlfriend, Sue. She had a sizable part in the 1969 French romantic-drama '' Love Is a Funny Thing''. She played the role of Mary Ann Pringle in ''

'' (1970).

Rise to stardom

In 1976,

Pro Arts Inc. Pro Arts (1967–1984) was a poster company founded in Ohio, United States 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 ...

pitched the idea of a poster of Fawcett to her agent. A photo shoot was then arranged with photographer Bruce McBroom, who was hired by the poster company. According to friend

Nels Van Patten Richard Nels Van Patten (born January 15, 1955), known as Nels Van Patten, is an American actor and former professional tennis player. He is married to actress Nancy Valen. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Van Patten is the eldest son of actor Dick V ...

, Fawcett styled her own hair and did her makeup without the aid of a mirror. Her blonde highlights were further heightened by a squeeze of lemon juice. Fawcett selected her six favorite pictures from 40 rolls of film, and the choice was eventually narrowed to the one that made her famous. The resulting image of Fawcett in a one-piece red bathing suit is the best-selling poster in history. Charlies Angels cast 1976

Fawcett earned a supporting role in Michael Anderson's science-fiction film ''

'' (1976) with Michael York. She and her husband, television star Lee Majors, were frequent tennis partners with producer

Aaron Spelling Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923 June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the TV series ''Family'' (1976–1980), '' Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), ''The Love Boat'' (1977–1986 ...

. Spelling and his business partner eventually chose Fawcett to play

Jill Munroe Fictional characters found in the ''Charlie's Angels'' franchise include: In television 1976 series Characters in the 1976–81 television series ''Charlie's Angels'' include:made-for-TV movie, ''

'', a movie of the week which aired on March 21, 1976, on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

. The movie starred Fawcett (then billed as Farrah Fawcett-Majors), Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith as private investigators for Townsend Associates, a detective agency run by a reclusive multimillionaire whom the women had never met. Voiced by John Forsythe, 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 David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

and David Ogden Stiers. The program quickly earned a huge following, leading the network to air it a second time and approve production for a series, with the pilot's principal cast minus Ogden Stiers. The ''Charlie's Angels'' series proper formally debuted on September 22, 1976. Each of the three actresses was propelled to stardom, but Fawcett dominated popularity polls. She subsequently won a People's Choice Award for ''Favorite Performer in a New TV Program''. In a 1977 interview with '' TV Guide'', she 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", a " Farrah-flip", or simply "Farrah hair". Iterations of her hair style predominated among American women's hairstyles well into the 1980s. In the spring of 1977, Fawcett left ''Charlie's Angels'' after only one season. After a series of legal battles over her contract with ABC,

Cheryl Ladd Cheryl Ladd (born Cheryl Jean Stoppelmoor; July 12, 1951) is an American actress, singer, and author best known for her role as Kris Munroe in the ABC television series ''Charlie's Angels'', whose cast she joined in its second season in 1977 to ...

replaced her on the show, portraying Jill Munroe's younger sister

Kris Munroe Fictional characters found in the ''Charlie's Angels'' franchise include: In television 1976 series Characters in the 1976–81 television series ''Charlie's Angels'' include:Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is reb ...

'', which aired from 1974 to 1978), the strain on her marriage due to filming schedules that kept them apart for long periods was frequently cited, but her ambition to broaden her acting abilities in films has also been given as an explanation. She never officially signed her series contract with Spelling, owing 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 left the show. As a result of leaving her contract four years early, she reluctantly signed a new contract with ABC, stating that she would make six guest appearances on the series over a two-year period (1978–1980). ''Charlie's Angels'' was a global success, maintaining its appeal in syndication and spawning, particularly in the show's first three seasons, a cottage industry of peripheral products, including several series of

bubble gum cards A trading card (or collectible card) is a small card, usually made out of paperboard or thick paper, which usually contains an image of a certain person, place or thing (fictional or real) and a short description of the picture, along with other ...

, two sets of fashion dolls, 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''. In 2004, the television film '' Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Charlie's Angels'' dramatized the events from the show, with supermodel and actress Tricia Helfer portraying Fawcett and Ben Browder portraying Lee Majors, Fawcett's then-husband.

Post-''Angels'' film roles

In 1978, Fawcett's first post-''Angels'' movie, '' Somebody Killed Her Husband'', was released to adverse reviews (some critics referred to the film as Somebody Killed Her Career) and a poor box-office. The 1979 release of '' Sunburn'', co-starring Charles Grodin and Art Carney, was met by equally unfavorable reviews. In 1980, Fawcett starred with

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. Do ...

in Stanley Donen's science-fiction film '' Saturn 3''; the film earned unfavorable reviews from critics and experienced poor box office sales. The following year she starred alongside an ensemble cast, which included

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

, and Sammy Davis Jr. in the comedy '' The Cannonball Run'' (1981). Later that year, she co-starred with Katharine Ross, Sam Elliott, and Andy Griffith in the television movie '' Murder in Texas''. In 1983, Fawcett won critical acclaim for her role in the

stage production of the controversial play '' Extremities'', written by William Mastrosimone. Replacing Susan Sarandon, she played the role of an attempted 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 to issue him a summons only for disorderly conduct. The following year, her role as battered wife

Francine Hughes Francine Moran Hughes (later Wilson; August 17, 1947 – March 22, 2017) was an American woman who, after thirteen years of domestic abuse Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that o ...

in the fact-based television movie '' The Burning Bed'' (1984) earned her the first of her four

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

nominations. The project was the first television movie to provide a nationwide

800 number A toll-free telephone number or freephone number is a telephone number that is billed for all arriving calls. For the calling party, a call to a toll-free number from a landline is free of charge. A toll-free number is identified by a dialing prefi ...

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 '' Extremities'', which performed well financially. For her performance she received a

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. She appeared in Jon Avnet's '' Between Two Women'' with

Colleen Dewhurst Colleen Rose Dewhurst (3 June 1924 – 22 August 1991) was a Canadian-American actress mostly known for theatre roles. She was a renowned interpreter of the works of Eugene O'Neill on the stage, and her career also encompassed film, early drama ...

, and took several more dramatic roles as either 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 Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton in '' Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story'', and won a CableACE Award for her 1989 portrayal of groundbreaking '' LIFE'' magazine

photojournalist Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (such ...

Margaret Bourke-White in '' Double Exposure: The Story of Margaret Bourke-White''. Her 1989 portrayal of convicted murderer Diane Downs in the

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

'' Small Sacrifices'' earned her a second Emmy nomination and her sixth Golden Globe Award nomination. The miniseries won a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

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".

Later career

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Fawcett had steadfastly resisted signing a release for nude photographs of her to be published in magazines, even though she had briefly appeared topless in the 1980 film '' Saturn 3.'' She caused a major stir by posing semi-nude in the December 1995 issue of '' Playboy.'' At the age of 50, she appeared in a pictorial for the July 1997 issue of ''Playboy,'' which also became a top seller. The issue and its accompanying video featured Fawcett actually using her own body to paint on canvas; for years, this had been one of her ambitions. On June 5, 1997, Fawcett received negative commentary after she gave a rambling interview and appeared distracted on ''

Late Show with David Letterman The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...

''. Months later, she told the host of '' The Howard Stern Show'' that her behavior was just her way of joking around with the television host, partly in the guise of promoting her ''Playboy'' pictorial and video. She explained that 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 in 1999. Several years later in February 2009,

Letterman Letterman may refer to: * Letterman (sports), a classification of high school or college athlete in the United States People * David Letterman (born 1947), American television talk show host ** ''Late Night with David Letterman'', talk show that ...

ended an incoherent and largely unresponsive interview with Joaquin Phoenix by saying, "We owe an apology to Farrah Fawcett." That same year, Robert Duvall chose Fawcett to play the role of his wife in '' The Apostle,'' which was an independent feature film that he was producing. She received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Female for the film. In 2000, she worked with director

Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and is considered an enduring figure from the New H ...

in the feature film '' Dr. T & the Women,'' as the wife of Richard Gere. (Her character has a mental breakdown, leading to Fawcett's first fully nude appearance.) Around 2001, Fawcett befriended artist and designer Christopher Ciccone. Ciccone mentioned Fawcett inviting him to view her

abstract paintings Abstract art uses visual language of shape, form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th ...

and sculptures in his book, ''

Life with My Sister Madonna ''Life with My Sister Madonna'' is an autobiography by American artist, designer and interior decorator Christopher Ciccone and author Wendy Leigh. The book is a memoir about Ciccone's relationship with his sister, American singer Madonna, and w ...

''. In 2002, Fawcett's collaboration with sculptor

Keith Edmier Keith Edmier (born September 6, 1967 in Chicago) is an American sculptor and actor. Early life 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 T ...

was exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in a show titled ''Contemporary Projects 7: Keith Edmier and Farrah Fawcett 2000''. The exhibit was later displayed at The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The sculpture was also presented in a series of photographs and a book by Rizzoli. In November 2003, Fawcett prepared for her Broadway debut in a production of '' Bobbi Boland,'' the tragicomic tale of a former Miss Florida. However, the show never officially opened when it closed during preview performances. Fawcett was described as "vibrating with frustration" at the producer's extraordinary decision to cancel the production; just days earlier, the same producer closed an Off-Broadway show she had been backing. Fawcett continued to work in television and appeared in the made-for-television movies and on popular television series that included '' Ally McBeal'', four episodes of '' Spin City'', and four episodes of '' The Guardian.'' Her work on the latter show earned her a third

Emmy nomination The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

in 2004.

Personal life

Relationships

Fawcett began dating Lee Majors in the late 1960s. She was married to Majors from 1973 to 1982, although the couple separated in 1979. They had no children. Throughout her marriage (and despite the separation) she used the name Farrah Fawcett-Majors in her screen credits. In 1979, Fawcett became romantically involved with actor Ryan O'Neal, and they had a son named Redmond James Fawcett O'Neal, who was born in 1985. In 1994, Fawcett told ''TV Guide'' that their relationship had some troubles. "Sometimes Ryan breaks my heart, but he's also responsible for giving me confidence in myself", she said. After their split, O'Neal's daughter

Tatum O'Neal Tatum Beatrice O'Neal (born November 5, 1963) is an American actress. She is the youngest person ever to win an Academy Award, winning at age 10 for her performance as Addie Loggins in '' Paper Moon'' (1973) opposite her father, Ryan O'Neal. S ...

alleged that he physically abused Fawcett. "He had a terrible temper and was very violent. He beat her up", she said. Fawcett and O'Neal rekindled their relationship in 2001. On June 22, 2009, The '' Los Angeles Times'' and Reuters 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 was in a relationship with Canadian filmmaker James Orr, who was the writer and producer of '' Man of the House'', the Disney feature film in which she co-starred with Chevy Chase and Jonathan Taylor Thomas. The relationship ended when Orr was arrested, charged, and later convicted of beating Fawcett during a 1998 fight. Fawcett dated Longhorn football star Greg Lott while they were undergrads at the University of Texas. Lott said they rekindled their romance in 1998 and had a "a loving, consensual, one-on-one relationship" until she died in 2009. He claimed Ryan O'Neal kept him from seeing Fawcett in her final days. "He kept me from seeing the love of my life before she died", he told ABC News. In Fawcett's living trust she left nothing to O'Neal, but she left $100,000 to Lott. Lott insisted Fawcett's relationship with O'Neal was just for show. "Everything she did with Ryan, including all of those so-called reality shows they made together, was just Hollywood fantasy, something she had to do to keep up her image", he said.

Family

Fawcett's older sister Diane Fawcett Walls died of lung cancer just before her 63rd birthday on October 16, 2001.Social Security Death Index
The fifth episode of her 2005 '' Chasing Farrah'' series followed the actress home to Texas to visit her father, James, and mother, Pauline. Pauline Fawcett died on March 4, 2005, at the age of 91. Fawcett's only child, Redmond James Fawcett-O'Neal, was fathered by Ryan O'Neal and was born on January 30, 1985. He has struggled with drug addiction for most of his adult life and has been in trouble with the law.

Cancer

Fawcett was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006, and began treatment that included chemotherapy and surgery. On February 2, 2007 (Fawcett's 60th birthday), the Associated Press reported that Fawcett was cancer-free. Fawcett later experienced a recurrence. In May 2007, she was diagnosed with stage IV cancer that had metastasized to her liver (which has a 5-year survival rate of less than 20%); a malignant polyp was found where she had been treated for the initial cancer. Not wanting to undergo a colostomy, Fawcett traveled to Germany for treatments described variously in the press as "aggressive" and "alternative". There, Ursula Jacob prescribed a treatment including surgery to remove the anal tumor, a course of

perfusion Perfusion is the passage of fluid through the circulatory system or lymphatic system to an organ or a tissue, usually referring to the delivery of blood to a capillary bed in tissue. Perfusion is measured as the rate at which blood is deliver ...

and embolization for her liver cancer by Claus Kiehling and Thomas Vogl in Germany, and chemotherapy in the US. Although initially the tumors were regressing, their reappearance a few months later necessitated a new course that included

laser ablation Laser ablation or photoablation (also called laser blasting) is the process of removing material from a solid (or occasionally liquid) surface by irradiating it with a laser beam. At low laser flux, the material is heated by the absorbed laser ...

therapy and

chemoembolization Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a minimally invasive procedure performed in interventional radiology to restrict a tumor's blood supply. Small embolic particles coated with chemotherapeutic drugs are injected selectively through ...

. Aided by friend

Alana Stewart Alana Hamilton Stewart (; born May 18, 1945) 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. Early life ...

, Fawcett documented her battle with the disease. Made-for-television documentary with Ryan O'Neal,

. Premiered May 15, 2009. Executive Producer Farrah Fawcett. In early April 2009, Fawcett was hospitalized following her return to the United States. On April 6, the Associated Press reported that the cancer had metastasized to Fawcett's liver and explained that the hospitalization was not due to her cancer, but instead due to a painful abdominal

hematoma A hematoma, also spelled haematoma, or blood suffusion is a localized bleeding outside of blood vessels, due to either disease or trauma including injury or surgery and may involve blood continuing to seep from broken capillary, capillaries. A he ...

. Fawcett was released from the hospital on April 9. A month later on May 7, Fawcett was reported as being critically ill, with Ryan O'Neal quoted as saying she was spending her days at home on an IV and often asleep. The '' Los Angeles Times'' reported that she was in the last stages of terminal cancer and had seen her son Redmond in April 2009, although he was shackled and under supervision because he was then incarcerated. Her 91-year-old father, James, flew to Los Angeles to visit her. Cancer specialist Lawrence Piro, who was treating Fawcett in Los Angeles, and Fawcett's friend and ''Angels'' co-star Kate Jackson, appeared together on '' The Today Show''. They dispelled tabloid-fueled rumors, including suggestions that Fawcett had been in a coma, had dropped to , and had even given up her fight against the disease or lost the will to live. Farrah Fawcett & Craig Nevius

''Farrah's Story'', a two-hour documentary filmed by Fawcett and

, aired on NBC on May 15, 2009. At its premiere airing, the documentary was watched by nearly nine million people, and it was re-aired on the broadcast network's cable stations MSNBC,

Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels *Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 *Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing company ...

and Oxygen. Controversy surrounded the aired version of the documentary. Her initial producing partner—who had worked with her four years earlier on her reality series, ''Chasing Farrah''—alleged that the editing of the program by O'Neal and Stewart was not in keeping with Fawcett's wishes to more thoroughly explore alternative methods of treatment of rare types of cancers such as her own. Fawcett posthumously earned her fourth Emmy nomination as the producer of ''Farrah's Story''.

Death

Fawcett died of cancer at 2:28 a.m. PDT on June 25, 2009, at the age of 62, at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, with O'Neal and Alana Stewart by her side. A private funeral was held in Los Angeles on June 30, 2009. Farrah's son Redmond was permitted to leave his California detention center in order to attend the service, where he gave the first reading. Fawcett was interred at the

Westwood Village Memorial Park Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary is a cemetery and mortuary located in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood, with an entrance from Glendon Avenue. The cemetery was ...

in Los Angeles, next to

Rodney Dangerfield Rodney Dangerfield (born Jacob Rodney Cohen; November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer. He was known for his self-deprecating one-liner humor, his catchphrase "I don't get no resp ...

Trust and dispute over Warhol portrait

Fawcett did not name long-time lover Ryan O'Neal in her

living trust A trust is a legal relationship in which the holder of a right gives it to another person or entity who must keep and use it solely for another's benefit. In the Anglo-American common law, the party who entrusts the right is known as the "settl ...

, which she had last amended in 2007. She left most of her fortune, $4.5 million, to their son Redmond in a trust overseen by her business manager, Richard Francis. While Redmond is allowed to collect interest on the trust, the principal of the trust is available only for matters relating to Redmond's health care. Fawcett also left $500,000 to her nephew, Gregory Walls; $500,000 to her father, James Fawcett; and $100,000 to her college boyfriend, Gregory Lott. Fawcett left all of her artwork to the University of Texas. When the university received her art collection, one of her

Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the Art movement, visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore th ...

portraits was missing. In 2011, after discovering that O'Neal had retained the portrait, the University of Texas filed suit. O'Neal claimed that Fawcett had given the painting to him. Lott maintained that Fawcett never gave up ownership of the portrait and that it was her wish to bequeath all her artwork to her alma mater. In December 2013, a Los Angeles court ruled that the portrait belonged to O'Neal.

Media coverage

News of Fawcett's death was largely overshadowed by media coverage of

the death ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...

of music icon Michael Jackson, which occurred twelve hours later on the same day. On the night of her death,

aired an hour-long special episode of ''

20/20 Visual acuity (VA) commonly refers to the clarity of vision, but technically rates an examinee's ability to recognize small details with precision. Visual acuity is dependent on optical and neural factors, i.e. (1) the sharpness of the retinal ...

'' featuring clips from several of

Barbara Walters Barbara Jill Walters (born September 25, 1929) is an American broadcast journalist and television personality. Known for her interviewing ability and popularity with viewers, Walters appeared as a host of numerous television programs, including ...

' past interviews with Fawcett, as well as new interviews with Ryan O'Neal, Jaclyn Smith,

, and Dr. Lawrence Piro. Walters followed up on the story on Friday's episode of ''20/20.'' CNN's '' Larry King Live'' planned a show exclusively about Fawcett that evening until Jackson's death caused the program to shift to cover both stories.

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

, a longtime friend of Fawcett, and

Suzanne de Passe Suzanna Celeste de Passe (born July 19, 1946, 1947 or 1948) (sources differ) is an American businesswoman, television, music and film producer. De Passe serves as the co-chairwoman of de Passe Jones Entertainment, de Passe Jones Entertainment Gr ...

, executive producer of Fawcett's ''Small Sacrifices'' mini-series, both paid tribute to Fawcett on the program. Coincidentally, de Passe had worked for Motown Records in the 1960s and '70s, and she had also played a major part in the development of the Jackson 5, which included Michael Jackson. NBC aired a '' Dateline NBC'' 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. MSNBC aired back-to-back episodes of its '' Headliners and Legends'' episodes featuring Fawcett and Jackson. TV Land aired a mini-marathon of ''Charlie's Angels'' and ''Chasing Farrah'' episodes. E! aired ''Michael & Farrah: Lost Icons'' and The Biography Channel aired ''Bio Remembers: Farrah Fawcett.'' The documentary ''Farrah's Story'' re-aired on the Oxygen Network and MSNBC. BET aired the 2004 movie ''

The Cookout ''The Cookout'' is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Lance Rivera, written by Queen Latifah and Shakim Compere. The film introduces Quran Pender (credited as "Storm P") as Todd Anderson and stars Ja Rule, Tim Meadows, Jenifer Lewis, Meagan ...

,'' in which Fawcett had appeared. Larry King said of the Fawcett phenomenon: Kate Jackson said of her former castmate:

Academy Awards' omission

In March 2010, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences upset family and friends of Fawcett when she was excluded from the "In Memoriam" montage at the 82nd Academy Awards ceremony. The inclusion of Michael Jackson in the montage, though he was not primarily known for his film roles, only added to the controversy. Friends and colleagues of Fawcett, including

Ryan Ryan may refer to: People and fictional characters *Ryan (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) *Ryan (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places Australia * Division of Ryan, an elector ...

and

Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of various accolades including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, sev ...

and film critic

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

, publicly expressed their outrage at the oversight. AMPAS executive director Bruce Davis noted that Fawcett had been recognized for her "remarkable television work" at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards in September 2009. On the exclusion, he said: "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."

Legacy

The red one-piece bathing suit she wore in her famous 1976 poster was donated to the Smithsonian's

National Museum of American History The 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 is t ...

(NMAH) on February 2, 2011. Designed by CFDA Award–winning fashion designer Norma Kamali, it was donated to the Smithsonian by her executors and was formally presented to NMAH in Washington, D.C., by her longtime companion Ryan O'Neal. The iconic image of Farrah in a red swimsuit has been recreated in a limited edition Barbie doll with a gold chain and the

girl-next-door The girl next door is a young female stock character who is often used in romantic stories. She is so named because she often lives next door to the protagonist or is a childhood friend. They start out with a mutual friendship that later ofte ...

locks. In 2011, '' Men's Health'' named Fawcett in its list of the "100 Hottest Women of All-Time", ranking her at No. 31. The song "

Midnight Train to Georgia "Midnight Train to Georgia" is a song by Gladys Knight & the Pips, their second release after departing Motown Records for Buddah Records. Written by Jim Weatherly, and included on the Pips' 1973 LP ''Imagination'', "Midnight Train to Georgia" be ...

" had initially been inspired by Fawcett and Lee Majors. Songwriter James Dawn "Jim" Weatherly phoned Majors, who was one of his friends, but it was Fawcett who actually answered the call. Weatherly and Fawcett chatted briefly and she told him she was going to visit her mother and was taking "the midnight plane to Houston". Although Majors and Fawcett were both successful by that time, Weatherly used them as "characters" in his song, about a failed actress who leaves Los Angeles and is followed by her boyfriend who cannot live without her. Eventually the genders were swapped to a failed actor who leaves Los Angeles and is followed by his girlfriend, a train replaced the plane, and Houston was changed to Georgia. The recording by Gladys Knight & the Pips attained the number 1 position on the Billboard chart in 1973. In 1980, O'Neal facilitated a meeting between Fawcett and artist Andy Warhol, who created two portraits of Fawcett during their time together. Fawcett later lent the portraits to The Andy Warhol Museum. Following a 2013 court case between O'Neal and the University of Texas, which had been named by Fawcett as the recipient of all of her artwork, one of the portraits was deemed the property of O'Neal. The portrait was valued at between $800,000 and $12 million during the court case.

Filmography

Film

Television

Plays

References

External links

* * * * * *
Farrah Fawcett
at '' TV Guide''
Farrah Fawcett
– '' The Daily Telegraph'' obituary
Farrah Fawcett Online Memorial
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fawcett, Farrah 1947 births 2009 deaths 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Houston American female models American film actresses American people who self-identify as being of Choctaw descent American people of English descent American people of French descent American people of Irish descent American stage actresses American television actresses Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Catholics from Texas Deaths from anal cancer Deaths from cancer in California Female models from Texas Actors from Corpus Christi, Texas University of Texas at Austin College of Fine Arts alumni