Farrah Fawcett (born February 2 1947) is an
American actress. She became a noted pop culture figure and sex symbol of the 1970s and into the 1980s, shaping the landscape of fashion and pop culture.
Biography
Early life
Fawcett, the younger of two daughters, was born Ferrah Leni Fawcett[1] in Corpus Christi, Texas, where she was raised, to
Pauline Alice (Evans), a homemaker, and James William Fawcett, an oil field contractor.[2] As a child, Ferrah (later changed to "Farrah") displayed a natural athletic
ability which her father encouraged. She attended John J. Pershing Middle School in Houston,
Texas, a school which is now the magnet program for fine arts and graduated from W.B. Ray High School in 1965. She
attended the University of Texas at Austin and was a member of the
Delta Delta Delta sorority.
Career
The late 60s and early 70s saw Fawcett doing commercials and TV guest spots but she still sought that big break through role
that would launch her career. In April of 1976 a poster company Pro Arts Inc. that had
started out making anti-war posters started to hear about a young up and coming beauty named Farrah Fawcett doing Wella Balsam
shampoo commercials. [3] They got in
touch with her agent at the time, Rick Hersh, and arranged a photo shoot. Farrah Fawcett arranged to have Bruce McBroom a
freelance photographer that she worked before do the shoot. McBroom took the pictures at Farrah's poolside Bel Air, California home. For the back drop McBroom used the ratty old
Indian Blanket covering his '37 Chevy car seat.[4]
On September 22, 1976 the first episode of Fawcett playing
the character of Jill Munroe on the TV series Charlie's
Angels aired. Around the same time, her swimsuit poster was released. It went on to sell a still-unrivaled 12 million
copies and she became known for her tousled mane, beautiful smile and enviable figure. Charlie's Angels went on to become a huge hit but after just one year Fawcett left the show. As
settlement to a lawsuit stemming from her early departure, Fawcett appeared three more times as a guest star in each of seasons
three and four. She was replaced on the show by Cheryl Ladd, who portrayed her younger
sister on the show, starting in season 2.
Fawcett achieved critical praise and her first of three Emmy Award nominations as a
serious actress for her role as a battered wife in the 1984 television movie
The Burning Bed. She also won acclaim in the stage and movie version of
Extremities, in which she played a rape victim
who turns the tables on her attacker. She then played a predatory role in another miniseries, Small Sacrifices, receiving a second Emmy nomination. Her third Emmy nomination came in 2004 for
her work in The Guardian. Fawcett has been nominated for several others awards as well including the Golden Globe Award and ACE awards.
Fawcett, who resisted any nudity in films or magazines through the 70's and '80's, caused a major stir by posing nude in the
December 1995 issue of Playboy, which became the best-selling issue of the 1990s, with over 4
million copies sold worldwide. She later posed for the July 1997 issue, which also became a top seller, and appeared fully nude
in the Robert Altman movie Dr T and the Women, released in 2000.
Personal life
Fawcett was married to Lee Majors, star of The Six Million Dollar Man, from 1973-1982, though the two separated in 1979; during this time, she was known as Farrah
Fawcett-Majors. From 1982 – present, Fawcett has been involved in a committed relationship with her longtime boyfriend,
actor Ryan O'Neal; they are still dating, on and off. The
relationship produced one child, Redmond, in 1985.
On June 5, 1997, she received some negative commentary after
giving a less-than-coherent interview on The Late Show with David
Letterman. It was speculated that her rambling, incoherent manner was the result of drug abuse. Months later, she
explained on the Howard Stern Radio show that her rambling was in fact just her way of joking around with the television host.
She also insisted that what looked like random looks across the theater was just her looking and reacting to the fans in the
audience.
In the first half of 2006, Fawcett suffered several personal losses including the deaths of her agent Jay Bernstein, and mentor Aaron Spelling; she was also still
recovering from the loss of her mother, "Polly". In August 2006, Fawcett took part in the Comedy
Central Roast of William Shatner, where she appeared to have difficulty telling
her jokes, seeming frazzled or incoherent at times. One snarky presenter, Jeffrey Ross
asked Betty White to "explain the jokes to Farrah".
She celebrated her 60th birthday with her boyfriend, Ryan O'Neal, and the news that she
was cancer free. After the party, Ryan O'Neal returned to his home where a fracas occurred between him and his son
Griffin O'Neal on Saturday 3 February 2007. Ryan
O'Neal was subsequently arrested for allegedly threatening his son with a gun.[5] Prosecutors declined to charge Ryan O’Neal with assault with a deadly weapon,
as of May 25, 2007.[6]
Cancer
On October 4 2006, it was revealed that Fawcett had
anal cancer, and was undergoing treatment for it, including chemotherapy and surgery.[7] Thus, a
possible Charlie's Angels reunion would be put on hold.
The Associated Press wire reported on February 2, 2007 (her
60th birthday) that Fawcett was now cancer free.[8] Fawcett
said in a statement, "This is an extraordinarily happy day for me and my family". "I hope that my news might offer some level of
inspiration to others who unfortunately must continue to fight the disease." [9]
However, on Wednesday, May 16 2007, it was reported that a
malignant polyp was found in the area where she had been treated for the initial cancer. Doctors contemplated whether to implant
a radiation seeder, which differs from conventional radiation, and is used to treat other types of cancer, but decided against it
and planned to pursue aggressive conventional treatment. Fawcett, however, rejected the notion of more chemotherapy and
radiation, which she had not handled well previously and chose to travel to Germany (with O'Neal) for an experimental cancer
treatment [citation needed].
TV work
- Chasing Farrah (2005) (miniseries)
- Intimate Portrait With Farrah Fawcett (2004)
- Hollywood Wives: The New Generation (2003)
- Jewel (2001)
- Baby (2000)
- Silk Hope (1999)
- Dalva (1996)
- Children of the Dust (1995)
- The Substitute Wife (1994)
- Criminal Behavior (1992)
- Good Sports (1991) (canceled after 9 episodes)
- Small Sacrifices (1989)
- Margaret Bourke-White (1989)
- Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story (1987)
- Nazi Hunter: The Beate Klarsfeld Story (1986)
- Between Two Women (1986)
- The Burning Bed (1984)
- The Red-Light Sting (1984)
- Murder in Texas (1981)
- Charlie's Angels (cast member from 1976-1977)
- Murder on Flight 502 (1975)
- Harry O (1974-1976)
- The Girl Who Came Gift-Wrapped (1974)
- The Great American Beauty Contest (1973)
- Inside O.U.T. (1971)
- The Feminist and the Fuzz (1971)
- Three's a Crowd (1969)
Filmography
References
- ^ According to her State of Texas birth certificate. At Ancestry.com
- ^ http://www.filmreference.com/film/85/Farrah-Fawcett.html
- ^ Kevin Hoffman (2007). Touched by an Angel
(HTML). clevescene.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-20.
- ^ Lucasd, Dean (2007). Famous
Pictures Magazine - Farrah Fawcett Swimsuit Poster (HTML). Famous Pictures Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-07-20.
- ^ Thomas Crosbie Media, 2007 (2007). O'Neal gun
arrest: Women heard pleading for help (HTML). Ireland Online. Retrieved on 2007-07-20.
- ^ Fox News (2007). Prosecutors Considering Charges Against
Ryan O'Neal (HTML). Fox News. Retrieved on 2007-07-20.
- ^ This reference confirms the anal cancer statement, but not other details
related in this section. Thomas, Karen. "Friends stand by Fawcett in cancer fight", USA Today, 2006-10-12, p. 2D. Retrieved
on 2006-10-21.
- ^ "Doctor says Farrah Fawcett is cancer-free", Associated Press, 2007-02-02.
Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
- ^ "Farrah Fawcett Now
Cancer-Free". Associated Press, February 2
2007.
External links
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