Farrah Fawcett was basically the ultimate all-American pin-up of the ’70s.
That’s why watching her struggle later on hit so hard — because we all fell in love with the wholesome, healthy glamour she radiated on Charlie’s Angels. And even as she battled illness, she handled it with such good humor and courage.
Farrah Fawcett was an American icon long before the Kardashians dominated headlines or stars like Sydney Sweeney, Scarlett Johansson, and Jennifer Lawrence captured the public’s attention.
In her heyday, the ‘70s pinup and actress was a massive celebrity. Known for her role as Jill on the TV show Charlie’s Angels, her world-famous swimsuit poster, and her signature feathered hairstyle, Fawcett was arguably the ultimate starlet. As the Los Angeles Times noted after her death in 2009 at age 62 following a battle with cancer, she was admired and loved worldwide.
Despite her fame, many aspects of Fawcett’s life remain lesser-known. Here are some intriguing details about her journey from childhood to stardom:
Considered becoming a nun
Farrah grew up like any other girl —going to church and believing most people were basically good. It may be surprising, but as a child, Fawcett briefly thought about joining a convent.
In a 1979 interview with Brian Linehan, she said, “I think I only wanted to be a nun for about a week. … It was a week.”
She explained that she imagined the life of a nun would be “easy and uncomplicated.” Fawcett recalled, “I think that I had feelings probably — I went to a Catholic school — and I think as I started to develop and I started to have feelings towards men and I was a little confused with having certain feelings and yet being told I wasn’t supposed to have those feelings.”
Farrah’s secret struggle
“Farrah’s mother, Pauline, was a homemaker, and there were parts of Farrah that longed for that simple life, far from Hollywood’s spotlight.
”There is a part of me,” Farrah said in 1979, ”that is exactly like my mother – loves to cook and clean and get dinner ready. I mean the best thing anybody could say to me would be, “My, that pecan pie you baked tastes good.”‘
‘But on the other hand, I love going out and working. I think there are a lot of women like me, who are torn. God, when you’ve been brought up the first 20 years of your life to believe that you do what your husband wants you to do and then, all of a sudden, you are thrown into another world, yes, it’s very tough.’”
Voted “Most Beautiful” three years in a row
Fawcett’s beauty was evident from a young age. According to her mother, women would approach her in stores, saying, “She looks like an a-n-g-e-l.”
Fawcett remembered feeling self-conscious, telling Texas Monthly, “I always felt so self-conscious. I wanted people not to look at me because so many people kept looking at me.”
Her looks continued to impress in high school. NPR reported that she was voted “Most Beautiful” three years in a row, and upon entering Texas University, she won the same honor as a freshman — a rare feat. Her beauty earned her mini-celebrity status, with young men traveling across Texas hoping for a glimpse of her.
Hollywood publicist pursued her for years
Even in college, Fawcett caught the attention of Hollywood. David Mirisch, a Los Angeles publicist, tried to persuade her to leave school and move to Hollywood, according to Texas Monthly.
Though she initially asked him to call her father, Mirisch persisted, and Fawcett eventually accepted his offer while finishing her junior year. What began as a temporary move to shoot photos for Texas Student Publications became permanent.
Appeared on The Dating Game
Before fame struck, Fawcett appeared on ABC’s reality show The Dating Game.
When she chose the second bachelor, a staged fistfight broke out between the men. Fawcett later revealed it was all choreographed, showing how Hollywood was already positioning her as a woman men would compete for.
A huge fan of Van Morrison
Farrah had loved Van Morrison’s music since the ’70s, and he was a fan of her work too, especially her role in The Apostle.
When she got too sick from cancer to go to one of his shows, he even recorded it just for her. It ended up being one of the last things she ever watched
The iconic swimsuit poster
Fawcett’s first real brush with fame was her now-legendary red swimsuit poster. With her blonde hair framing her face, it sold millions worldwide.
Smithsonian curator Dwight Bowers told The Washington Times that the poster came to symbolize the 1970s. Professor Robert Thompson added to the Los Angeles Times, “If you were to list 10 images that are evocative of American pop culture, Farrah Fawcett would be one of them.”
The poster might have looked different if not for Fawcett’s decision to wear the red swimsuit instead of the originally requested bikini, according to photographer Bruce McBroom.