LIFE - Remembering Farrah Fawcett

Farrah Fawcett, Fresh New Face

Mon, 01 Jan 1973 03:00:00 EST

Farrah Fawcett sits barelegged on a chair in the early 1970s. She was born Ferrah Leni Fawcett on Feb. 2, 1947, in Corpus Christi, Texas, the daughter of an oil man. Her name (later changed to Farrah) meant "joy" in Arabic.

Farrah With Sonny and Cher

Sat, 01 Jan 1972 03:00:00 EST

Fawcett appears on Sonny Bono and Cher's TV show in 1972. In the late '60s and early '70s, Farrah was doing bit parts on TV shows and modeling for shampoo commercials.

The Six Million Dollar Couple

Sun, 24 Mar 1974 03:00:00 EDT

Farrah Fawcett-Majors and Lee Majors clasp hands in 1974. The two married in 1973, separated in 1979, and divorced in 1982.

Blue Jeans and the Great Outdoors

Wed, 01 Jan 1975 03:00:00 EST

Farrah smiles outdoors in blue jeans and a mauve blouse in 1975. She was named "Most Beautiful" in her Corpus Christi high school when she graduated in 1965.

Farrah Meets Her Fans

Sat, 29 Jan 1977 03:00:00 EST

Farrah Fawcett meets her fans at the Golden Globe Awards in 1977. The year before, she'd begun the role of Jill Munroe in "Charlie's Angels," and her bestselling swimsuit poster was released.

Sporty Farrah

Fri, 01 Jul 1977 03:00:00 EDT

Fawcett plays tennis in an episode of "Charlie's Angels," 1977. (See more photos of Farrah's sporty side.)

Farrah Tousles Her Hair

Thu, 06 Oct 1977 03:00:00 EDT

Farrah plays with the hair that she made famous in 1977. When she made it big in 1976, women everywhere suddenly seemed to have "Farrah hair."

Farrah Meets Cary Grant

Thu, 06 Oct 1977 03:00:00 EDT

Farrah Fawcett meets screen legend Cary Grant at a party in 1977. With "Charlie's Angels," she was one of the biggest stars in America. But she'd leave the show after a single season.

Farrah and Mama

Fri, 07 Oct 1977 03:00:00 EDT

Farrah Fawcett walks in Manhattan with her mother, Pauline, on Oct. 7, 1977.

Farrah Branches Out

Tue, 10 Jan 1978 03:00:00 EST

Farrah Fawcett and her bodyguards take a moment on a set in 1978. After a single season as a full cast member playing the sporty Angel, Farrah left "Charlie's Angels," though she'd make frequent guest appearances in later seasons.

Farrah Steps Out With Kirk Douglas

Fri, 02 Mar 1979 03:00:00 EST

Farrah takes the arm of Kirk Douglas in London on March 2, 1979. In the 1980 flick "Saturn 3," Douglas and Fawcett play lovers in space.

Farrah Is Taken for a Ride

Mon, 06 Aug 1979 03:00:00 EDT

Farrah Fawcett leaves a London hotel on Aug. 6, 1979. That year, she separated from Lee Majors. When her career took off with "Charlie's Angels," Majors insisted she make it home by 6:30 every night to make sure dinner was on the table. "Marriages that last are with people who do not live in Los Angeles," she said.

Farrah Takes Lunch

Wed, 08 Aug 1979 03:00:00 EDT

Farrah has lunch at Tavern on the Green in 1979. After "Charlie's Angels," she appeared in a series of flops, and her one hit, "Cannonball Run," didn't do much for her career.

Farrah Fawcett Fights Cancer

Tue, 01 Jan 1980 03:00:00 EST

Farrah becomes the national chairwoman of the American Cancer Society's "Women Against Cancer" campaign in 1980. In 2006, she was diagnosed with cancer herself, and Ryan O'Neal was diagnosed with leukemia.

Ryan O'Neal and Farrah

Sun, 01 Jan 1984 03:00:00 EST

Ryan O'Neal and Farrah embrace in 1984. In 1981, Farrah and O'Neal, a friend of Lee Majors', met. In 1982, she finalized her divorce with Majors and moved in with O'Neal.

Joe Namath and Farrah Make Towels Sexy

Thu, 01 Jan 1981 03:00:00 EST

Former star football player Joe Namath and Farrah film a commercial in 1981. Though "Cannonball Run" came out that year, her career was still struggling.

Farrah, Ryan, and Griffin

Wed, 16 Jun 1982 03:00:00 EDT

Ryan O'Neal, Farrah Fawcett, and O'Neal's son Griffin attend a play in 1982. Ryan and Farrah had a son, Redmond, in 1985. The couple split the first time in 1997.

The Burning Bed

Sun, 01 Jan 1984 03:00:00 EST

Farrah Fawcett poses during the filming of the ABC movie "The Burning Bed" in 1984. She was acclaimed for her portrayal of a battered wife, and was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy. People began speaking about a comeback.

Farrah, Ryan, and Redmond

Thu, 23 Feb 1995 03:00:00 EST

Ryan O'Neal, Farrah Fawcett, and their son, Redmond, attend the ceremony honoring her new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1995. That year, she also appeared nude in Playboy. Her pictorial sold 4 million copies, and was the best-selling issue of the 1990s.

Farrah Lounges by the Window

Thu, 21 May 1998 03:00:00 EDT

Farrah poses for a photographer in Cannes, France, in 1998. That year, Farrah was beaten by then-boyfriend James Orr for turning down his marriage proposal. He was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to do 100 hours of community service. She broke off all contact with him.

Farrah Fawcett on 'The Tonight Show'

Wed, 10 Sep 2003 03:00:00 EDT

Farrah Fawcett has a regular old interview on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on Sept. 10, 2003. In 1997, she made another comeback in "The Apostle," but a disastrous interview on "The Late Show With David Letterman," in which she rambled incoherently, prompted jokes and rumors that she was abusing drugs.

Furry and Fashionable

Fri, 13 Feb 2004 03:00:00 EST

Patti LaBelle and Farrah Fawcett attend a fashion show in 2004. That year, she received her third Emmy nomination, for "The Guardian."

TV Land Loves Farrah

Sun, 07 Mar 2004 03:00:00 EST

Farrah Fawcett poses backstage with her trophy at the TV Land Awards in Hollywood in 2004. Two years later, she suffered three tragedies: Her mother died, she was diagnosed with anal cancer, and on-again off-again lover and close friend Ryan O'Neal was diagnosed with leukemia.

The Angels Reunite

Sun, 27 Aug 2006 03:00:00 EDT

Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith present Aaron Spelling a tribute in 2006. "When the show was number three, I figured it was our acting. When it got to be number one, I decided it could only be because none of us wears a bra," she said of the success of "Charlie's Angels."

Farrah's Family, Friends Say Goodbye

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:00:00 EDT

Her longtime partner Ryan O'Neal (pictured), their son Redmond, and friends including her "Charlie's Angels" costar Kate Jackson attend the actress' private funeral on June 30, 2009, in Los Angeles. She died on June 25 at the age of 62, after a long battle with cancer.

Farrah Fawcett, Hollywood Star

Sat, 17 Apr 2004 03:00:00 EDT

Farrah Fawcett's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame proclaims her place in history.