Farrah Fawcett

Intro

Farrah Fawcett (1947-2009) became internationally familiar as Jill Munroe in Charlie's Angels, then built a substantial dramatic career in television, film and theatre. The Burning Bed, Extremities and Small Sacrifices are essential parts of that later work. Her public image was unusually influential, but her performances offer more than an account of celebrity. The career also includes visual art and a final documentary project through which she shared her experience of illness with a wide audience.

Career snapshot

Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Fawcett attended the University of Texas at Austin before moving to California. Early screen work included commercials and smaller television parts. She appeared in The Flying Nun and The Partridge Family and made guest appearances in The Six Million Dollar Man. Those jobs preceded the major breakthrough of Charlie's Angels. The portrait on this page comes from publicity for the 1971 television movie The Feminist and the Fuzz, preserving an image from that earlier period.

The entry point

Charlie's Angels paired Fawcett with Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith as private investigators working for the unseen Charlie. Jill Munroe was her regular role in the original season, beginning in 1976. She left the regular cast after that season and later returned for guest appearances. The 1976 ensemble photograph below shows Fawcett together with Jackson and Smith. It belongs to the original cast period and is not an image of the later lineup or a feature-film remake.

Screen identity and style

The Burning Bed marked a particularly important dramatic performance. In the 1984 television film, Fawcett portrayed a woman subjected to domestic violence. The Television Academy records her lead-actress nomination at the 1985 Emmys. Extremities, which she performed on stage and in the 1986 film, similarly required a physically and emotionally demanding role. These performances invite a different kind of attention from the light adventure of Charlie's Angels: the focus is on pressure, resistance and the consequences of violence.

Collaborations and patterns

Murder in Texas preceded those projects in 1981, and its NBC publicity image appears in this gallery. Later credits included The Apostle opposite Robert Duvall and Robert Altman's Dr. T and the Women. On television she also appeared with Ryan O'Neal in Good Sports. Her Emmy record identifies further acting nominations for Diane Downs in Small Sacrifices in 1990 and Mary Gressler in The Guardian in 2003. Those award dates should be distinguished from a program's production or premiere year.

Era reflection

Art remained an important part of Fawcett's life beyond acting. The UMLAUF exhibition catalogue documents her study with sculptor Charles Umlauf at the University of Texas and their continuing friendship. She changed her college emphasis from microbiology to art, taking life-drawing and sculpture classes. The catalogue presents her drawings and painted self-portraits as well as Umlauf's portraits of her. This material establishes her as a maker of images, not only a person photographed and depicted by others.

Legacy and rediscovery

Fawcett died on June 25, 2009. Farrah's Story, broadcast that year, documented her experience with cancer; the Television Academy lists her as an executive producer on its nonfiction-special nomination. Her foundation continued work connected to cancer research and patient support. A rounded return to her career can begin with Jill Munroe, continue through the dramatic television films and then include her art. The photographs here remain tied to their specific productions, dates and original publicity credits.

Selected screen roles

• Charlie's Angels: Jill Munroe — Original season and later guest appearances
• The Burning Bed: Lead actress — 1984 television film
• Small Sacrifices: Diane Downs — 1989 television film
• The Guardian: Mary Gressler — 2003 Emmy-nominated guest role

A career in pictures

Production publicity from the original Charlie's Angels cast and Murder in Texas. Select an image for a larger view.

Charlie's Angels (1976)

Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith

Original ensemble publicity photograph; Fawcett is at center.

Murder in Texas (1981)

Farrah Fawcett

NBC press photograph dated April 13, 1981.

Rewatch notes

• Her role in the original Charlie's Angels cast was Jill Munroe.
• The Burning Bed brought an Emmy nomination at the 1985 ceremony.
• She studied art with Charles Umlauf at the University of Texas.