Farrah Fawcett's funeral is today. The 62-year-old actress died last week after a lengthy battle with cancer.
While the Texas native will always be associated with "Charlie's Angels," the 1970s television series that catapulted her to fame, her filmography shows that she was more than just a blond with big hair and a big smile, and that she had some acting talent to go with a killer body that helped her sell more than 8 million posters in the late 1970s.
Fawcett started out in television in the late 1960s with guest roles in shows such as "The Flying Nun," which was the springboard for Sally Fields' career.
She added a few small parts in films such as "Myra Breckinridge" and "Logan's Run" before hitting the big time as one of three female detectives who work for a heard-but-never-seen boss in "Charlie's Angels."
Like some other TV stars, Fawcett bolted after a single season. But she was successfully sued by the producers and appeared in a few later episodes as part of the settlement.
And like many other TV stars who quit a hit show, her film career didn't immediately take off. Her big break came in 1984 with "The Burning Bed," a made-for-television film about a battered woman.
Along the way she dumped her husband, actor Lee Majors, and took up with actor Ryan O'Neal. They were together from 1980 to 1997, had a son together, and remained close until the end.
Fawcett caused quite a stir in 1995 when she posed for Playboy magazine. She was 48. Her issue was one of Playboy's best sellers.
Fawcett continued to make movies, such as "Man of the House" with Chevy Chase, and television appearances, including a rambling 1993 visit to David Letterman's show that was to haunt her for years. Her last acting performance was in 2004.
She and best friend Alana Stewart did produce a documentary chronicling her battle with cancer. You can catch "Farrah's Story" for free at IMDB.com or at hulu.com.
Here are six films that are representative of her career. All are available on video or DVD.
"The Burning Bed" (1984) -- Fawcett's big break after "Charlie's Angels" came in this made-for-television film about a battered woman who is raped by her abusive husband (Paul Le Mat) and she sets his bed on fire after he goes to sleep. Other stars include Grace Zabriskie and Richard Masur. The Burning Bed
"Extremities" (1986) -- Reviews were mixed about Fawcett's performance as a woman who turns the tables on a rapist (James Russo) and astounds her friends with the lengths she is apparently willing to go to exact her revenge on her attacker. Other stars include Alfre Woodard and Diana Scarwid.
"Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story" (1987) -- One of three biopics Fawcett did in the late 1980s, about Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton's inability to find true love. Other stars include Anne Francis, Kevin McCarthy and Nicholas Clay. She also starred as Nazi hunter Beate Karsfeld and photographer Margaret Bourke-White.
"The Apostle" (1997) -- Fawcett co-stars with writer, director and star Robert Duvall in this film about a Texas preacher who starts anew as a radio preacher in Louisiana.
Other stars include Billy Bob Thornton, June Carter Cash and Miranda Richardson.
"Dr. T and the Women" (2000) -- Fawcett co-stars with Richard Gere as his nutty wife in this comedy about a Dallas gynecologist and the wildly different women in his life. Other stars include Helen Hunt, Laura Dern, Shelley Long, Kate Hudson and Tara Reid.
"Sunburn" (1979) -- Fawcett poses as Charles Grodin's wife while they try to unravel an insurance scam in this light comedy that was one of the films Fawcett did after leaving "Charlie's Angels." Other stars include Art Carney, Joan Collins and William Daniels.
While the Texas native will always be associated with "Charlie's Angels," the 1970s television series that catapulted her to fame, her filmography shows that she was more than just a blond with big hair and a big smile, and that she had some acting talent to go with a killer body that helped her sell more than 8 million posters in the late 1970s.
Fawcett started out in television in the late 1960s with guest roles in shows such as "The Flying Nun," which was the springboard for Sally Fields' career.
She added a few small parts in films such as "Myra Breckinridge" and "Logan's Run" before hitting the big time as one of three female detectives who work for a heard-but-never-seen boss in "Charlie's Angels."
Like some other TV stars, Fawcett bolted after a single season. But she was successfully sued by the producers and appeared in a few later episodes as part of the settlement.
And like many other TV stars who quit a hit show, her film career didn't immediately take off. Her big break came in 1984 with "The Burning Bed," a made-for-television film about a battered woman.
Along the way she dumped her husband, actor Lee Majors, and took up with actor Ryan O'Neal. They were together from 1980 to 1997, had a son together, and remained close until the end.
Fawcett caused quite a stir in 1995 when she posed for Playboy magazine. She was 48. Her issue was one of Playboy's best sellers.
Fawcett continued to make movies, such as "Man of the House" with Chevy Chase, and television appearances, including a rambling 1993 visit to David Letterman's show that was to haunt her for years. Her last acting performance was in 2004.
She and best friend Alana Stewart did produce a documentary chronicling her battle with cancer. You can catch "Farrah's Story" for free at IMDB.com or at hulu.com.
Here are six films that are representative of her career. All are available on video or DVD.
"The Burning Bed" (1984) -- Fawcett's big break after "Charlie's Angels" came in this made-for-television film about a battered woman who is raped by her abusive husband (Paul Le Mat) and she sets his bed on fire after he goes to sleep. Other stars include Grace Zabriskie and Richard Masur. The Burning Bed
"Extremities" (1986) -- Reviews were mixed about Fawcett's performance as a woman who turns the tables on a rapist (James Russo) and astounds her friends with the lengths she is apparently willing to go to exact her revenge on her attacker. Other stars include Alfre Woodard and Diana Scarwid.
"Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story" (1987) -- One of three biopics Fawcett did in the late 1980s, about Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton's inability to find true love. Other stars include Anne Francis, Kevin McCarthy and Nicholas Clay. She also starred as Nazi hunter Beate Karsfeld and photographer Margaret Bourke-White.
"The Apostle" (1997) -- Fawcett co-stars with writer, director and star Robert Duvall in this film about a Texas preacher who starts anew as a radio preacher in Louisiana.
Other stars include Billy Bob Thornton, June Carter Cash and Miranda Richardson.
"Dr. T and the Women" (2000) -- Fawcett co-stars with Richard Gere as his nutty wife in this comedy about a Dallas gynecologist and the wildly different women in his life. Other stars include Helen Hunt, Laura Dern, Shelley Long, Kate Hudson and Tara Reid.
"Sunburn" (1979) -- Fawcett poses as Charles Grodin's wife while they try to unravel an insurance scam in this light comedy that was one of the films Fawcett did after leaving "Charlie's Angels." Other stars include Art Carney, Joan Collins and William Daniels.
I liked Farrah, but I wasn't a fanatic. Still, I was sorrowful at her passing.
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