Farrah Fawcett (2 February 1947 - 25 June 2009)

Date of Death 25 June 2009 , Santa Monica, California, USA

Date of Birth 2 February 1947 , Corpus Christi, Texas, USA

 Birth NameFarrah Leni Fawcett

 Farrah Fawcett, was a fresh-faced woman from Corpus Christi, Texas. In the early 1960s, she was voted the "Beautiful Woman" by her high school colleagues. In the late 1960s, she had her first break in guest-starring roles in television series such as Mi bella genio (1965), The Flying Nun (1967) and Mamá y sus increíbles hijos (1970). Then, in 1968, she dated actor Lee Majors, and the couple were married on July 28, 1973. Shortly after, Majors starred in his series El hombre de los seis millones de dólares (1974) and Farrah guest-starred in four episodes. As her career took off, she posed in her red bathing suit for a poster, and it sold a staggering 8,000,000 plus copies.

 After the poster was released, producers Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg starred her in the television series Los ángeles de Charlie (1976). Farrah received a paycheck for $10,000 an episode, and when it started to take off, Majors wanted her home by 6:30 pm to have dinner on the table. Farrah felt dissatisfied about the direction of the series. Then, in 1977, after the first season wrapped, she abruptly left the series. Shortly there after, the departure resulted in a lawsuit with the producers of the series. Finally, she agreed to return to the series in guest spots for six episodes: three in the 1978-79 season, and the other three in the 1979-80 season. In late 1979, Fawcett and Majors had separated, and, since there was no reconciliation in sight, they were divorced in 1980. Farrah dated Ryan O'Neal from 1980-1997. Then, in 1998, Farrah was severely injured by James Orr, after she had spurned his proposal of marriage. In 2006, Farrah was diagnosed with anal cancer After going through countless treatments, her health deteriorated rapidly, and she passed away on June 25, 2009 at age 62.

 Farrah Fawcett is a true Hollywood success story. A native of Texas, she is the daughter of James Fawcett and Pauline Evans. She was a natural athlete, something that her father encouraged, and she attended a high school with a strong arts program. She attended University of Texas in Austin, graduating with a degree in Microbiology, but only wanted to be an actress. Winning a campus beauty contest got her noticed by an agent, who encouraged her to pursue acting.

 After graduating, she moved to Los Angeles and her healthy, all-American blond beauty was immediately noticed. She quickly got roles in various television commercials for such products as Ultra-Brite toothpaste, and Wella Balsam shampoo, and also made appearances in some TV series.

 In 1968, she met actor Lee Majors, star of the popular TV series Valle de pasiones (1965), who became very taken with her and also used his own standing to promote her career. In 1970, she won her first major role in the film adaptation of the Gore Vidal novel Myra Breckinridge (1970). The shooting was very unpleasant, with much feuding on the set, and Farrah was embarrassed by the finished film, which was a major failure. But Farrah was undamaged and continued to win roles.

 In 1973, she and Majors married, and the following year, she won a recurring role in the crime series Harry O (1973). She had her first taste of major success when she won a supporting role in the science fiction film La fuga de Logan (1976). She came to the attention to the highly successful producer Aaron Spelling, who was impressed by her beauty and vivacious personality. That won her a role in the TV series Los ángeles de Charlie (1976).

 She played a private investigator who works for a wealthy and mysterious businessman, along with two other glamorous female detectives, played by Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith. The show immediately became the most popular series on television, earning record ratings and a huge audience. All three actresses became very popular, but Farrah became by far the best known. She was America's sweetheart, and found herself on every celebrity magazine and pursued by photographers and fans.

 While she enjoyed the success and got along well with her co-stars (both of whom were also of Southern origin), she found the material lightweight. Also, the long hours she worked were beginning to take a toll on her marriage to Majors, who found himself eclipsed by her popularity. So the following year, when the show was at its peak, she left to pursue a movie career.

 The move drew a negative reaction from many fans. As a result of that and some poor script choices, her career briefly hit a slow spot. In addition, she and Majors separated in 1979. She had starring roles in Alguien mató a su marido (1978), Sol ardiente (1979), and Saturno 3 (1980) (which she did a topless scene in), but all three failed financially. She appeared in the Burt Reynolds chase comedy Los locos del Cannonball (1981), which was successful financially in spite of bad reviews, but her career benefited very little and she and Majors were drifting apart. In 1981, she met Ryan O'Neal, a friend of her husband's, and they began became friends and spent a great deal of time together.

 In 1982, she filed for divorce, which Majors readily agreed to. Soon, she and O'Neal were a couple and moved in together. She made a major comeback when she starred in the searing story of a battered wife in Maltratada (1984), based on a true story. It garnered a very large audience, and critics gave her the best reviews she had ever received for her heartfelt performance. She nominated for both an Emmy and Golden Globe and also became involved in helping organizations for battered women.

 The following year, she and O'Neal became the parents of a son, 'Redmond O'Neal'. She tried to continue her momentum with a starring role in Extremities (La humillación) (1986), but while she garnered some positive reviews, the show was not well-received. She continued to seek out serious roles, appearing mainly on television. She scored success again in Pequeños sacrificios (1989), again based on a true crime.

 Portraying an unhappy woman who is so obsessed with the man she loves that she shoots her children to make herself available and disguises it as a carjacking, Farrah again won rave reviews and helped draw a large audience, and was nominated for an Emmy again. Shortly after-wards, she and O'Neal co-starred in Good Sports (1991), playing a couple who co-star in a sports news program, but O'Neil's performance was lambasted and only 9 episodes were aired.

 In 1995, she surprised her fans by posing for "Playboy" at the age of 48 ad it became the magazine's best-selling issue of that decade. Her relationship with O'Neal was deteriorating, however, and in 1997, they broke up. The breakup took a toll, and at that time she received very bad publicity when she appeared on Late Show with David Letterman (1993) and gave a rambling interview, sparking rumors of drug use.

 That same year, however, she made another comeback in Camino al cielo (1997), playing the neglected wife of a Pentacostal preacher, played by Robert Duvall. Both stars were praised and the film became a surprise hit. She also began dating producer James Orr. But after she turned down his marriage proposal in 1998, he severely beat her and the scandal drew nationwide headlines.

 She immediately broke off all ties with him and he was charged and sentenced for assault. Embarrassed, she lowered her profile and her career lost momentum, but she continued to work in television and films. She and O'Neal also started seeing each other again, although it didn't last.

 In 2004, she received her third Emmy nomination for her performance in The Guardian (2003), but has experienced tragedy since then. In early 2006, she was devastated when her beloved mother died. Later that year, she was diagnosed with cancer and O'Neal, with whom she remains close in spite of their breakup, was diagnosed with leukemia. On February 2, 2007, her 60th birthday, it was revealed that she was now cancer free. She continues to be a successful and important part of the entertainment industry. On June 25, 2009 Farrah lost her battle with cancer, and passed away aged 62.

 

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