Farrah Fawcett

Farrah Fawcett (born 2.2.1947, died 25.6.2009)

Farrah Fawcett was an American actress who rose to fame in the 1970s and was best known for her role as Jill Munroe in Charlie's Angels.

Farrah Fawcett: Childhood

Farrah Fawcett was born to Pauline Fawcett, a housewife and James Fawcett, an oil field contractor, in Texas. She was raised as a Roman Catholic. She was educated at the local parish school in Corpus Christi, Texas. Fawcett later studied at the University of Texas, Austin.

Her big break came when a Hollywood agent saw her picture in the university's Cashbox magazine, in a feature entitled 'Ten Most Beautiful Coeds'. She left the university in 1968 to try her luck in Hollywood.

Farrah Fawcett: Career

Farrah Fawcett's career began in the late 1960s when she appeared in a number of television commercials, for products including Ultra Brite toothpaste, Wella Balsam shampoo and Moxzema shaving cream.

In 1968, Fawcett landed a guest appearance spot on I Dream of Jeannie. This was followed with another guest slot, on Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law. In 1974, she starred opposite Lee Majors in The Six Million Dollar Man.

In 1976, Farrah Fawcett starred in a poster campaign. One particular shot, of Fawcett in a red bathing suit, is credited as the shot that made her famous and the poster sold millions of copies.

Later that year, shooting began for Charlie's Angels. The movie starred Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson. At the time, Fawcett was billed as Farrah Fawcett-Majors. The movie was so popular that a series was commissioned, which debuted in 1976.

Fawcett only starred in Charlie's Angels for one season. She was then replaced by Cheryl Ladd, who played her character's younger sister, Kris Munroe. However, Farrah Fawcett was legally obliged to return to series three and four as part of a legal settlement over her early departure from the show.

A television show named Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Charlie's Angels was made in 2004. The dramatisation of the behind-the-scenes events of the show saw Tricia Helfer playing the role of Farrah Fawcett. Ben Browder played Fawcett's one-time husband, Lee Majors.

In 1983, Farrah Fawcett starred in the Broadway production of Extremities, by William Mastrosimone. She replaced Susan Sarandon in the role and earned herself a great deal of acclaim. During one performance, a stalker interrupted the play to ask Fawcett if she had received the letters that he had sent to her.

Farrah Fawcett won an Emmy award nomination for her role in The Burning Bed, a TV movie released in 1984. Two years later, she featured in a film version of Extremities and was nominated for a Golden Globe award. She received more Golden Globe nominations when she played the role of Beate Klarsfeld in Nazi Hunter: The Beate Klarsfeld Story and then took on the role of Barbara Hutton in Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story.

Her next Emmy and Golden Globe nominations came when she played the role of the convicted murderer Diane Downs in Small Sacrifices.

In 1995, Farrah Fawcett posed nude for Playboy. The photoshoot caused quite a stir, as Fawcett had resisted appearing nude throughout her fame in the 1970s and 1980s.

Robert Duvall chose Farrah Fawcett to play his wife in The Apostle. Farrah won an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her performance in the film.

Fawcett worked with Robert Altman in 2000 on the film Dr. T and the Women. She starred in the film opposite Richard Gere. That same year, her collaboration with the sculptor Keith Edmier was shown at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The exhibition was then moved to the Andy Warhol Museum.

In 2003, Fawcett appeared in the Broadway production of Bobbi Boland. However, the show's producer pulled the plug after a week of previews - a decision that had reportedly infuriated Fawcett.

Fawcett also made a number of appearances in shows such as Ally McBeal, Spin City and The Guardian.

Farrah Fawcett: Personal Life

Between 1973 and 1982, Farrah Fawcett was married to Lee Majors.

Fawcett was also in a long-term relationship with Ryan O'Neal. They have a son together, Redmond James O'Neal. In 2009, Redmond was arrested for the possession of narcotics.

Farrah Fawcett died of cancer in June 2009.