Celebrities_OFFmag: Farrah Fawcett (info)

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Farrah Fawcett

is a true Hollywood success story. A native of Texas, she was the daughter of Pauline Alice (Evans), a homemaker, and James Fawcett, an oil field contractor. 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 another Southerner, actor Lee Majors, star of the popular TV series Valle de pasiones (1965), on a blind date set up by their publicists. He became very taken with her and also used his own standing to promote her career. In 1969, she made her film debut in Del amor y de la infidelidad(1969). The next year, she appeared in the film adaptation of the Gore Vidal bestselling 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 won People's Choice Award for Favorite Female Performer in a New TV program in 1977. Her lush, free-wheeling, wavy blond hair also became a phenomenon, with millions of women begging their hairstylists to give them "The Farrah," as her hairstyle was called. Fawcett was also a savvy businesswoman, and she received 10% profit from the proceeds of her famous poster in a red swimsuit. It sold millions and she became the "It Girl" of the 1970s.

Fawcett 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. Charlie's Angels producers sued her, and the studios shied away from her, and she lost out on the lead role in the hit feature film Juego peligroso (1978) to Goldie Hawn. Eventually, she and the Charlie's Angels producers reached a settlement, where she would make guest appearances on the series. As a result of the negative publicity 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, but it was met not only with bad reviews but also with bad publicity when Farrah's stunt double Heidi Von Beltz was involved in a stunt that went horribly wrong and left her a quadriplegic. Farrah's feature film career came to a halt, 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. He also encouraged her to go back to television and she received good reviews in the well-received miniseries "Murder in Texas" (1981). In 1982, she filed for divorce, which Majors readily agreed to. Soon, she and O'Neal were a couple and moved in together. She set on sights on becoming a serious dramatic actress. She took over for Susan Sarandon in the stage play "Extremities" where she played a rape victim who turns the tables on her rapist. That, in turn, led her to her 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 was 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 the feature film adaptation of Extremities (La humillación) (1986), and while she garnered a Golden Globe nomination, the film, itself, was not a hit.

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 afterwards, 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, 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 she posed for Playboy again at the age of 50. To promote it, 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 James Orr, who had directed her earlier in the feature film El novio de mi madre(1995). An incident occurred between them in 1998, and Farrah suffered injuries. The scandal drew nationwide headlines, especially after the tabloids published photos of Farrah with her injuries. The authorities compelled Fawcett to testify against Orr in court, and he was found guilty of assault and given a minimum sentence. 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 when he was diagnosed with leukemia. The new millennium brought her highs and lows. In 2000, she acted with Richard Gere in Robert Altman's film El Dr. T y las mujeres (2000). Her son Redmond has had problems with drug abuse and has been in and out of jail. In 2001, she lost her only sister to cancer. In 2004, she received her third Emmy nomination for her performance in The Guardian (2003), and she starred in her own reality show titled "Chasing Farrah" in 2005 along with Ryan O'Neal, but that ended after only 7 episodes. That same year, she was devastated when her beloved mother died. In 2006, producer Aaron Spelling died, and she famously reunited with her Charlie's Angels co-stars Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith at the Emmys in a tribute to him. She looked tan and healthy, but soon, she was diagnosed with anal cancer. She asked her friend Alana Stewart to accompany her and videotape her during her doctor's visits. Those video journals resulted in the documentary "Farrah's Story," co-executive produced by Fawcett. It aired in 2009, and viewers were shocked to see Farrah with a shaved head and in a continuous state of pain. Ryan O'Neal and Alana Stewart were constantly by her side, and her Charlie's Angels co-stars Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith also visited her, marking the final time that all three original angels appeared together on television. The documentary became a ratings success, and it earned a Emmy nomination as Outstanding Nonfiction Special. On June 25, 2009 Farrah lost her battle with cancer and passed away at aged 62. She left the bulk of her estate to her only son Redmond, and her trust fund allowed for the creation of The Farrah Fawcett Foundation, which provides funding for cancer research and prevention. Alana Stewart is the president of the Foundation and Jaclyn Smith's husband Dr. Brad Allen is one of the Board of Directors. Ryan O'Neal and Farrah's nephew Greg Walls are also on the Advisory Board, keeping alive her legacy. - IMDb Mini Biography By: anonymous

Spouse

Lee Majors (28 July 1973 - 16 February 1982) (divorced)

Trade Mark

(1970s-1980s) Big feathery, blonde hairstyle

Sparkling blue eyes

Voluptuous figure

Lisp, breathless voice

Her bright smile

Trivia

1966-67: Attended the University of Texas at Austin.

Lived with Ryan O'Neal for 17 years. His daughter, actress Tatum O'Neal, disapproved of her father's relationship with Fawcett. However, when Fawcett passed away, Tatum had only good things to say about her.

1/28/98: Her boyfriend, writer-director-producer James Orr, was convicted of misdemeanor battery after attacking her for supposedly refusing his marriage proposal.

5/97: Actress Kristen Amber Citron accused her of stealing $72,000 worth of clothing and nude pictures from the home of former boyfriend James Orr.

2/97: Reported to be splitting from Ryan O'Neal after 17 years together.

1985: Son with Ryan O'Neal: Redmond O'Neal.

One of the original Charlie's Angels. She left after only one season of Los ángeles de Charlie (1976) which resulted in a lawsuit. She was replaced by Cheryl Ladd, who played her sister. However, the lawsuit resulted in a settlement, where she agreed to make guest appearances, which meant that she had to act with her replacement. Ladd said that Fawcett was very professional to her, in spite of the awkwardness.

Cousin of Jan Fawcett

1976: Listed (as Farrah Fawcett-Majors) as one of 12 "Promising New Actors of 1976" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 28.

7/25/80: She had a rather strange opening night in "Butterflies Are Free" at the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre in Jupiter, FL. An obese lady in the front row of tables began yelling insults at her and making bird calls during the performance. Later, this unidentified woman raised her dress and flashed the performers, causing co-star Dennis Christopherto take notice, although the character he was playing was a blind man. Nearby, a male patron began vomiting and, then, yet another patron fainted. Incredibly, the reviews for Farrah's performance were positive.

Goldie Hawn replaced Farrah in Juego peligroso (1978), because of the lawsuit brought by "Charlie's Angels" producers who had prevented her from acting in it. Years later, she took over for Hawn who dropped out of El Dr. T y las mujeres (2000).

In the late 1970s, she and her husband Lee Majors formed Fawcett-Majors Productions.

Despite sometimes bizarre behavior, including an incident on Late Show with David Letterman (1993), that has led to claims she is a drug addict, she says that she never uses drugs. She claims she gets giggly when she is nervous. She went on Letterman unprepared, she said, and her nervousness affected her behavior.

Was offered a cameo in the film version of Los ángeles de Charlie (2000). Negotiations fell through after Fawcett insisted on being cast as the voice of the new Charlie.

1965: Graduated W.B. Ray High School, Corpus Christi, Texas. The class voted her "Best Looking".

2003: Inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame (by Dabney Coleman) for her legendary status on screen and off.

Was actively involved in charity work with the Cancer Society, in addition to her work against domestic violence. During her ongoing advocacy for this cause, she has participated in events such as the Humanitarian Awards in Media, anti-domestic violence panel discussions produced by Show Coalition, and has served as a board member of the National Advisory Council for The National Domestic Violence Hot-line, the most effective and leading non-profit organization in America benefiting the victims of domestic violence.

Parents are James Fawcett and Pauline Fawcett (who passed away on March 4, 2005).

Was originally a Microbiology major in college until changing her major to Art in her sophomore year.

Was neighbor of Tori Spelling and Aaron Spelling for 10 years

She attended Rodney Dangerfield's memorial at which she held a Native American butterfly release ceremony and is sculpting a bronze life-size statue of Rodney to be placed in Pierce Brothers Memorial Park.

Filmed an episode of Chasing Farrah (2005) at her parents' home in Houston.

10/06: Revealed she is battling cancer of the intestine and is undergoing radiation treatment.

Younger sister of Diane Fawcett Walls (who passed away on October 16, 2001).

Following the debut of Los ángeles de Charlie (1976), the number of baby girls named Farrah increased dramatically in the United States. In 1977, it was the 177th most popular name.

2/2/07: Officially declared cancer-free.

3/06: Chosen by Australian mens magazine Zoo weekly as one of the "Top 50 Hottest Babes Ever".

Early in career appeared as a contestant on The Dating Game (1965).

5/07: It was revealed that her cancer has returned after three months of her being cancer-free. She was having a routine check-up and a small polyp was found that turned out to be malignant and she underwent treatment again. She was to have a steel seed implanted that will emit radiation.

Family friend Farrah Forke was named after her.

Friend of Alana Stewart.

She has been battling cancer for three years and recently returned from Germany, where she had experimental stem-cell treatment.

Hospitalized in a Los Angeles hospital in a critical condition [April 5, 2009].

Released from a Los Angeles hospital after receiving treatment for abdominal bleeding on April 9, 2009.

Friend of Mela Murphy, who was also her hairdresser. Murphy, along with Ryan O'Neal and Alana Stewart, were some of the last people who were with Farrah when she died.

She died on the same day as Michael Jackson. They were both in California at the time, and she died at 9:28 a.m. PDT, while he was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. after hours of unsuccessful resuscitation.

Although she and Ryan O'Neal split in 1997, they got back together in 2001 after he was diagnosed with leukemia. They remained a couple until her death.

Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7057 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California in 1995.

She had English roots (two of her paternal great-grandparents, John Fawcett and Clara Flavel, were born in England, John in Hull, Yorkshire, and Clara in Sheffield, Yorkshire).

She had unusually large nipples, which added to the popularity of her iconic poster. However, during her role on the television series Los ángeles de Charlie (1976), the Broadcast Standards Department (censors) at ABC became very concerned about what they termed "nipple protrusion" in some of her wardrobe.

Directed by four Academy Award winners: Claude Lelouch, Stanley Donen, Robert Duvall, and Robert Altman.

Ex-stepmother of Lee Majors II.

Personal Quotes

The reason that the all-American boy prefers beauty to brains is that he can see better than he can think.

Marriages that last are with people who do not live in Los Angeles.

God gave women intuition and femininity. Used properly, the combination easily jumbles the brain of any man I've ever met.