Farrah Fawcett Appreciation Page

[ClassyCo]

Farrah Fawcett has long been one of my favorite actresses.

It's hard to think about Farrah and not think about her one-season tenure on CHARLIE'S ANGELS, which propelled her to superstardom in the late 1970s. Even though I do hold a fondness for that series itself, Farrah compiled an impressive filmography in her career that might not always get the appreciation it deserves. While the film itself was not high art, I did enjoy her in THE CANNONBALL RUN (1981), the all-star farce about people disguising themselves to travel cross-country and win a car race. Farrah was one of a host of beauties that wanted to try her hand at more demanding roles to diversify and stay relevant. As a result, her work in THE BURNING BED (1984) and SMALL SACRIFICES (1989) drew her critical acclaim on the small screen. Her big screen turn in EXTREMITIES (1986), as a woman who turns the tables on her attacker, was also well-reviewed.

Farrah is an actress that does not get the recognition she deserves. She was beautiful and perhaps the most famous woman of the 1970s, but she was quite an actress when given the right material. CHARLIE'S ANGELS made her a phenomenon (people went crazy over "the Farrah" hairdo), but her desire to mature in her craft brought out some really strong television movies in the 1980s and 1990s. At different times, she played German Holocaust activist Beate Klarsfeld, socialite and heiress Barbara Hutton, and photographer Margaret Bourke-White. She also appeared in various other television shows and feature films.

Her battle with cancer was detailed in the special called FARRAH'S STORY in 2009, which aired on NBC just a month before she passed. She died on June 25, 2009 (the same day as Michael Jackson) at the age of sixty-two.
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[ClassyCo]

Farrah became television's "It Girl" after being cast on CHARLIE'S ANGELS in 1976. As private investigator Jill Munroe, she was beautiful, athletic, and witty. She was the All-American girl-next-door given something of a California upgrade. She was approachable and nice, and not self-centered or vain because of her good looks.

No wonder guys and gals back in 1976 went crazy for her. Farrah quickly became the most popular of the CHARLIE'S ANGELS trio, essentially eclipsing Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith. She dominated popularity polls, and Farrah was apparently the actress with the highest "Q" (audience likability rating) of her time. Her red swimsuit poster (which ABC and the producers of CHARLIE'S ANGELS had nothing to do with) became the best-selling poster in history, eventually selling more than twelve million copies worldwide. Her off-screen marriage to fellow television star Lee Majors, the title character from THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN, also fueled her celebrity. Together, Farrah and Lee were Hollywood's "It Couple" in the late 1970s.

The public popularity of CHARLIE'S ANGELS was not as easily translated to the critical perception of the series. Contemporary television critics gave harsh reviews of the show they considered fluff and cheesy. There was more emphasis on "cheesecake" over undercover drama. Farrah herself was singled out for her flat refusal to wear a bra in many of the episodes, leading critics to coin CHARLIE'S ANGELS the first show within the "Jiggle TV" trend. The nickname was meant as a reference to the sexual attractiveness of the lead performers in a television show, and dominated the television landscape in the late 1970s (shows like THREE'S COMPANY further popularized the label).

CHARLIE'S ANGELS received several Golden Globe Award nominations during its freshman season. Farrah was nominated for Best Actress in a Drama Television Series, while the series itself received a nomination for Best Drama Television Series. CHARLIE'S ANGELS had catapulted to the top of the Nielsen ratings; it had peaked at fifth place in the spring of 1977. It was seen by more than twenty million Americans on a weekly basis. Farrah once said of the show's enormous popularity: "When the show was number three, I figured it was because of our acting. When the show was number one, I figured it was because none of us wears a bra."

Despite the popularity of the show, Farrah ultimately decided to leave CHARLIE'S ANGELS after one season in 1977. There have been many explanations given for her departure over the years. The most common one is that Farrah had tired of her one-dimensional role, and that she wanted to leave the show to broaden her acting opportunities. Farrah's agent at the time of her exit, Jay Bernstein, later said that Lee Majors was fundamental in Farrah's leaving the show. Apparently Majors was angry about Farrah's small salary (when compared to his), and he urged her to walkout on her contract. ABC and Aaron Spelling (the producer of CHARLIE'S ANGELS) was shocked at her decision, and they apparently tried desperately to keep her with the show. ABC optioned her a new contract with a bigger per-week percentage, and offered her the ability to make feature films, television guest spots, and television movies. Farrah turned down all the offers; she was persistent on leaving the show.

After exiting CHARLIE'S ANGELS, she was apparently gray-listed in Hollywood. The audience was angry at her for leaving such a hit show, and producers were encouraged not to hire her. She was eventually replaced by singer-turned-actress Cheryl Ladd on the show, playing Jill's kid sister Kris Munroe.
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[Crimson]

I honestly haven't seen Farrah in enough to have a strong impression of her. She was certainly beautiful and seemed likeable.

I'm not sure I have ever seen an episode of CHARLIE'S ANGELS. I can understand the acclaim she got for THE BURNING BED, but I found her performance rather actor-y and twitchy. On the other hand, I really enjoyed her work in the TV-movies about Barbara Hutton and Margaret Bourke-White. I also kind of liked her brief sitcom with Ryan O'Neill.

 

[ClassyCo]

I honestly haven't seen Farrah in enough to have a strong impression of her. She was certainly beautiful and seemed likeable.

I'm not sure I have ever seen an episode of CHARLIE'S ANGELS. I can understand the acclaim she got for THE BURNING BED, but I found her performance rather actor-y and twitchy. On the other hand, I really enjoyed her work in the TV-movies about Barbara Hutton and Margaret Bourke-White. I also kind of liked her brief sitcom with Ryan O'Neill.

I'd agree that Farrah's performance in THE BURNING BED might be a little mannered and rehearsed, but it comes across very well. Perhaps she gave such a performance because she felt there was so much to "prove" for her to shed that glamorous image she had.​

 

[DallasFanForever]

I was honestly never a big fan of hers. Nothing personal, I guess I just didn’t see her in enough featured roles to have a strong opinion on her one way or the other.

I liked her on Charlie’s Angels but I actually thought the show was better with Cheryl Ladd instead. I’m not sure if anyone shares that opinion but that’s just the way I looked at it anyway.

But I’m very sorry she left us so soon. And I think she’s definitely an iconic actress. There’s no debating that part.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

As an actress, I'd say it was stage where she proved her chops over and above other media. Her run in the off-Broadway version of Extremities really opened peoples' eyes and minds, I think. Even in the UK I remember reading in the papers how it was earning her rave reviews and surprising people with the strength of her performance. It must have been gruelling to play that role night after night.

She was also just finalising her divorce from Lee Majors at this time, and gone was the "Fawcett-Majors" surname she'd previously used, so it was a pivotal point in her life as well as her career.

She no doubt felt she had something to prove - perhaps to herself as much as anyone - and I'd say she did it in great measure.

I have the later film version on DVD. It's been some years since I've watched it, but it holds up really well.


A couple of contemporaneous interviews about the film version. She's very articulate:

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The film in which I most recently watched Farrah was Silk Hope a couple of months ago. Watchable enough, but not too challenging. It's the kind of film you might expect Farrah to make if you'd only seen her in Charlie's Angels. Here's how I described it at the time:

Quite enjoyable in a Lifetime, switch-off-brain, doesn't-matter-if-the-phone-rings-halfway-through kind of way.

 

[Crimson]

One thing I will say about Farrah that I kind of dislike: the speed with which she bailed out of CHARLIE'S ANGELS. Now I don't care a flying fig about the show -- I honestly don't know if I've ever seen it -- but it irks me when unknown actors hit it big on a TV show and then immediately want out / complain about being trapped. If they didn't want to do a TV show, don't sign to do a TV show.

 

[ClassyCo]

My mother was a big fan of Farrah Fawcett when she was a teenager. I remember buying her a copy of SILK HOPE on one of those no-name DVD releases one year for Mother's Day. We watched it together a time or two, but it eventually became more my movie than hers.

I remember SILK HOPE being one of those sappy TV movies attempting hard to be a tear-jerker. Farrah played the sister that had moved away from the small town, and when she came back her sister wasn't very nice to her. Ashley Crow played her sister. I thought it was an enjoyable enough little movie.​

 

[ClassyCo]

One thing I will say about Farrah that I kind of dislike: the speed with which she bailed out of CHARLIE'S ANGELS. Now I don't care a flying fig about the show -- I honestly don't know if I've ever seen it -- but it irks me when unknown actors hit it big on a TV show and then immediately want out / complain about being trapped. If they didn't want to do a TV show, don't sign to do a TV show.

CHARLIE'S ANGELS did make her a household name. So popular was Farrah at the time that she was branded a phenomenon. She eclipsed the popularity of Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith, and even the show itself. Her hairstyle -- which was nicknamed "the Farrah" -- became very trendy. I've seen many photos of my mother and her friends from the late 1970s where they all have that flipped out, feathery hair.

Her decision to leave CHARLIE'S ANGELS in 1977 really put a damper on her career. That show was hot in the ratings, and pictures of the trio of Angels were plastered everywhere. She could've had all the guest shots, TV movies, or mini-series she wanted had she stuck with that alleged deal ABC offered her to keep her from bailing.

I recall watching a documentary somewhere about Farrah where someone mentioned her famous poster (pasted below) being used in the film SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, starring John Travolta. At a screening of the film -- when Travolta's character looked at her poster -- the audience booed at the sight of it. The man explained that the audience was angry at Farrah's abrupt decision to leave CHARLIE'S ANGELS like she did.

The producers of CHARLIE'S ANGELS tried everything in their power to keep her happy so she would stay. There was that alleged ABC "new deal" contract on the table, and I read somewhere once where the writers of CHARLIE'S ANGELS had agreed to "deepen" the story lines to give the Angels more character development. When they eventually realized that Farrah wasn't returning no matter the offer, they decided to make her character's replacement her kid sister. Cheryl Ladd was brought in as Farrah's younger sister, Kris Munroe, which was the producers' way of easing Cheryl into the show as the rookie sister of the show's most identifiable star after the fans had been left hanging in the wind.
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Farrah was contractually obligated to return to CHARLIE'S ANGELS for six guest appearances between 1978 and 1980 because she left the show so abruptly. She made three appearances in the third season and three more appearances in the fourth season.

Cheryl Ladd, her replacement on the show, always said that she felt "out of the loop" when Farrah guest-starred on the show, especially when Kate Jackson was still a part of the cast. Cheryl said that Farrah, Kate, and Jaclyn would "slide back into their first season clique" and leave her by the way-side. Kate and Cheryl were apparently never buddies anyway.
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[Barbara Fan]

I remember her more for her hair and teeth and her marriage to Lee Majors who was hot at the time as 6 million dollar man

I never considered her a great or even a good actress - and I did watch Extremities , more a celebrity - however she did get a mention on Dallas so true fame!! Farrah Fawcet Guzzler quoted JR. Her worst mistake was leaving the Angels

 

[Mel O'Drama]

One little titbit that I thought interesting when I first heard about it:

In 1983, Barney Rosenzweig produced a pilot episode of a noir-detective series called This Girl For Hire, with much of the same creative team as Cagney & Lacey. The lead ended up going to Bess Armstrong, whom Rosenzweig felt was entirely wrong for the part, and it never went beyond the initial telemovie.

But his first choice for that role had been Farrah. In his book, he comments that she was becoming a respected actress by that time, but by the time negotiations were worked out she was unavailable.

Considering how impeccably careful the casting had been on Cagney & Lacey it's quite a compliment that he would consider Farrah so seriously for this lead role. I'm assuming he had some ties with her from his brief stint on Charlie's Angels that first year.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I liked the first episode she did of her husband's SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN series where she played the first woman in space.

 

[ClassyCo]

Clips from the TV show GOOD SPORTS, the 1991 sitcom Farrah did with then-boyfriend Ryan O'Neal. It aired just fifteen episodes before CBS axed it because of low ratings.​

 

[ClassyCo]

A good documentary about Farrah Fawcett:

Could Farrah have found a spot on one of the '80s nighttime soaps? I doubt she would've committed to a long-running role, but what more short-term roles could she have been suited for, real or fictional?