Farrah Fawcett is a true Hollywood success story. A native of Texas, she is the daughter of James Fawcett and Pauline Evans. 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 actor Lee Majors, star of the popular TV series "The Big Valley" (1965), who became very taken with her and also used his own standing to promote her career. In 1970, she won her first major role in the film adaptation of the Gore Vidal 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" (1974). She had her first taste of major success when she won a supporting role in the science fiction film Logan's Run (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 "Charlie's Angels" (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 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. The move drew a negative reaction from many fans. As a result of that 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 Somebody Killed Her Husband (1978), Sunburn (1979), and Saturn 3 (1980) (which she did a topless scene in), but all three failed financially. She appeared in the Burt Reynoldschase comedy The Cannonball Run (1981), which was successful financially in spite of bad reviews, but her career benefited very little and she and Majors were drifting apart. In 1981, she met 'Ryan O'Neal (I)', a friend of her husband's, and they began became friends and spent a great deal of time together. In 1982, she filed for divorce, which Majors readily agreed to. Soon, she and O'Neal were a couple and moved in together. She made a major comeback when she starred in the searing story of a battered wife in The Burning Bed (1984) (TV), 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 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 (I)'. She tried to continue her momentum with a starring role in Extremities (1986), but while she garnered some positive reviews, the show was not well-received. She continued to seek out serious roles, appearing mainly on television. She scored success again in Small Sacrifices (1989) (TV), 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 after-wards, 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 ad 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 at that time she received very bad publicity when 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 The Apostle (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 producer James Orr. But after she turned down his marriage proposal in 1998, he severely beat her and the scandal drew nationwide headlines. She immediately broke off all ties with him and he was charged and sentenced for assault. 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, although it didn't last. In 2004, she received her third Emmy nomination for her performance in The Guardian (2003), but has experienced tragedy since then. In early 2006, she was devastated when her beloved mother died. Later that year, she was diagnosed with cancer and O'Neal, with whom she remains close in spite of their breakup, was diagnosed with leukemia. On February 2, 2007, her 60th birthday, it was revealed that she was now cancer free. She continues to be a successful and important part of the entertainment industry.