Thursday, April 14, 2011

4 Roles That Propelled Farrah Fawcett to Stardom

By Emma B. Wills


Farrah Fawcett was a lovely lady and pop culture icon that broke into the American consciousness with her famous 1976 pinup poster, however it was her roles in films and Television that made her a superstar. From her early career as an actress in television commercials, to her presence in 19 Films in addition to a wide array of Tv Shows, Farrah Fawcett became a pervasive element of American modern culture prior to the world wide web. Analyzing her film career, Farrah achieved both critical acclaim and occasionally derision for roles that varied from inspiring woman to simple eye candy. Examining her time in the entertainment community, it's not difficult to see those roles that made her a legend.

In the first of a selection of supporting roles, Farrah plays Holly in science fiction classic Logan's Run. It's 2274 and on the surface it all looks to be a perfect society. Residing in a metropolitan area within an an enclosed dome, people have the freedom to engage in the pleasures of life up till they arrive at 30 years old when they are killed. Runners are the ones trying to escape their fate and it's the task of a Sandman to hunt them down and kill them. Logan is a Sandman that is approaching his own cancellation date when he meets love interest Jessica-6 and finds a means out of his problem. Many appreciate this movie as a cutting edge science fiction movie and Farrah Fawcett's involvement puts her directly in a piece of film history.

Introduced amid the hype that was the popular pinup poster, Charlie's Angels was a television program that proved to be the next step in Farrah Fawcett's journey to stardom. In the age of women's freedom, Farrah joined other stars Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson to forward the cause of self-sufficient women everywhere. Charlie's Angels focused on three underused female police officers who joined a detective agency to solve mysteries and attack injustice. With unknown millionaire Charles Townsend and assistant John Bosley, the Angels frequently went undercover by adopting regular female functions like waitresses, fashion models and others to pursue exciting escapades that invariably resulted in a successful solution. Clearly, Charlie's Angels wouldn't have become nearly as well known without Farrah Fawcett and she would not have become a popular culture hottie without it either.

Farrah Fawcett's inclusion in the star-studded Cannonball Run cemented her reputation as an A-list star. Featuring celebrities like Burt Reynolds, Dom Deluise and Dean Martin, The Cannonball Run can best be explained as a crazy, unlawful cross-country car race brimming with eccentric entrants that will do anything to win, including low-down, dirty tricks. Loosely based on the Cannonball Baker Sea to Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, the movie was an amusing contribution to the debate encompassing the change of the national speed limit to 55 mph. As a co-star in this extremely popular if not critically commended film Farrah Fawcett's presence in The Cannonball Run undoubtedly places her into the category of American tv and movie star.

The Burning Bed proved to be Farrah Fawcett's successful attempt at gaining critical acclaim for her acting skill. Not withstanding her standing as famous model and actress, Farrah Fawcett always wanted roles that displayed her acting skill and she discovered that in 1984's The Burning Bed. A role that focused on dramatic acting capability, this made for television movie addressed the difficult topic of domestic abuse. Based on a non-fictional book by Faith McNulty, The Burning Bed is all about a beaten housewife from Dansville, Michigan who struggled with thirteen years of abuse at the hands of her husband. The film followed the terrible story of battered wife Francine Hughes who after a final abusive act, sets her bed on fire as her husband slept. For many people, this was a striking eye-opener that delivered much needed attention to this nation wide problem, while providing Farrah Fawcett some much deserved acknowledgment for a role that transcended many lesser characters.

Coming from her early career as a commercial actress to her later triumphs as a model and television star, Farrah Fawcett had a huge influence on both the entertainment industry and popular culture. Certainly, among the many tv ads, television series and films that make up her career, these are the top 5 roles that made Farrah Fawcett a star.




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