Farrah Fawcett may have started out in Hollywood as a remarkably beautiful ingénue but she didn’t stop there. By the mid-'80s she took on emotionally powerful roles about violence against women that not only gained critical acclaim but actually had a role in getting laws and police procedures changed in some states. Thursday, June, 25, 2009, 5:25 PM

Farrah Fawcett was born with it. When she moved from her home state of Texas to Hollywood she immediately landed commercials and bit parts in TV shows like "I Dream of Jeannie" and "The Partridge Family." The combination of her bright, white smile and golden head of hair made everyone from major producers to housewives stop and take notice. In the late ‘70s her iconic feathered hairstyle was mimicked by women everywhere and even made a recent comeback.Eric Ryan/Getty Images - Thursday, June, 25, 2009, 5:25 PM

In 1970 Farrah Fawcett made her American movie debut at the age of 23 starring alongside the likes of Mae West, Raquel Welch, John Huston and film critic Rex Reed. Although "Myra Breckinridge" proved to be one of the worst movies ever made, it marked the beginning of a long Hollywood career for Farrah. Everett Collection - Thursday, June, 25, 2009, 5:25 PM

A 26-year-old Fawcett married actor Lee Majors and even made guest appearances in his popular TV series "The Six Million Dollar Man" before her meteoric rise to fame. Both husband and wife experienced huge success in their separate respective ABC dramas (Fawcett in "Charlie's Angels") before divorcing after nine years of marriage. Everett Collection - Thursday, June, 25, 2009, 5:25 PM

Fawcett's next movie was 1976 cult sci-fi flick "Logan’s Run" about a society that kills off everyone over 30. Though she had a small part as a member of the underground Runner movement in a sparkly dress, her bright smile and feathered tresses were prominently displayed when the film was eventually released on video.Kobal/MGM/The Kobal Collection/WireImage.com - Thursday, June, 25, 2009, 5:25 PM

In 1976, Fawcett began her short (starring only the first season!) but important run as Jill Munroe, one of three gorgeous private investigators on Aaron Spelling's sexy detective drama "Charlie's Angels." The part helped catapult her to bona fide star and sex symbol and although the series was considered "jiggle TV" it was also one of the first to feature women in powerful roles typically reserved for men. Everett Collection - Thursday, June, 25, 2009, 5:25 PM

A casual photo shoot staged near her backyard pool turned Farrah Fawcett into the literal poster girl of the '70s. That hair! That smile! That body! The popularity of Farrah's poster was unprecedented and even found a home at the Smithsonian.Farrah Fawcett - Thursday, June, 25, 2009, 5:25 PM

Farrah's role as a photographer who became Burt Reynolds' love interest in the 1981 popular hit "The Cannonball Run" wasn't exactly a stretch (her character's nickname was "Beauty") and it would mark the end of her being considered just another pretty face in Hollywood.Kobal/Kobal Collection - Thursday, June, 25, 2009, 5:25 PM

The beauty was able to make the leap to a more serious role and prove her acting prowess in the 1984 NBC movie of the week "The Burning Bed" based on the true story of battered housewife Francine Hughes who murdered her husband by setting his bed on fire while he slept. The movie, which helped bring the issue of domestic violence to the spotlight and has even been heralded for its role in getting laws and police procedures changed in some states, is still one of the highest-rated movies of the week in television history. Fawcett received her first Emmy nomination as well as a Golden Globe nomination for the role. Everett Collection - Thursday, June, 25, 2009, 5:25 PM

Farrah shocked the critics with her powerful performance as a crime victim who turns the tables on her assailant in the off-Broadway play "Extremities." She later reprised the role in the 1986 movie version and snagged herself a Golden Globe nomination for her efforts.MGM / Courtesy: Everett Collection - Thursday, June, 25, 2009, 5:25 PM

The jovial actress had to perfect a frown for the 1987 mini-series "Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story" in which Fawcett played the filthy rich, disturbed socialite Hutton. The role landed her one of two Golden Globe nominations that year. The other was for her leading role in the intense feature film "Extremities."Everett Collection - Thursday, June, 25, 2009, 5:25 PM

Fawcett continued her TV movie success in 1989 when she starred alongside longtime love Ryan O'Neal in "Small Sacrifices" This time, instead of playing a victim, she portrayed real-life killer Diane Downs, a mother who brutally shot her three children. The role garnered Fawcett her sixth Golden Globe nomination and an Emmy nod. She would be honored, 14 years later, with her third and final Emmy nomination in 2003 for her guest role as a troubled single mom on the CBS series "The Guardian"Everett Collection - Thursday, June, 25, 2009, 5:25 PM

After the extremes of "Extremities" and "Small Sacrifices" Farrah stepped away from the camera for a spell. She made her return to the silver screen in 1995 with the slight Disney comedy "Man of the House," starring opposite Chevy Chase and Jonathan Taylor Thomas and directed by James Orr. Sadly life would imitate art when Farrah became the victim of domestic violence at the hands of her then-boyfriend Orr in 1998.Buena Vista Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection - Thursday, June, 25, 2009, 5:25 PM

In 1995 Farrah Fawcett not only scored her well-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame she also marked another notable career milestone. Although Farrah's red-hot sex appeal ignited her career, she always drew the line at posing nude. So when she decided to show off what the good Lord gave her in the December '95 issue of Playboy magazine, it sold more than 4 million copies -- the most of any issue in the '90s. Two years later Farrah celebrated turning 50 with her second Playboy spread.Ron Galella/WireImage.com - Thursday, June, 25, 2009, 5:25 PM

Farrah further built her acting cred by starring opposite Robert Duvall as the embittered and vengeful wife of a Pentecostal preacher with a wandering eye in the 1997 film "The Apostle." The movie garnered piles of awards including an Oscar nomination for Duvall and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Fawcett.Everett Collection - Thursday, June, 25, 2009, 5:25 PM

In the fall of 2001 the actress with a penchant for dramas jumped into the world of TV comedy with a guest role on the final season of political sitcom "Spin City" opposite star Charlie Sheen. Everett Collection - Thursday, June, 25, 2009, 5:25 PM

Fawcett joined the ranks of reality stars when she let cameras document the ups and downs of being an all-too-recognizable celebrity in TV Land's seven-part series "Chasing Farrah." The 2005 reality show gave TV Land one of its first successful shots at original programming.TV Land / Courtesy: Everett Collection - Thursday, June, 25, 2009, 5:25 PM

The emotional television documentary "Farrah's Story," which aired in May on NBC, gave viewers an intimate look at Fawcett’s hard-fought battle with cancer. Shot with her own home-video camera, the special chronicled the actress’s medical treatments both in the U.S. and abroad and served as a poignant video diary, through which Fawcett shared her thoughts, feelings, and fears.NBC - Thursday, June, 25, 2009, 5:25 PM