Farrah Fawcett's Life in Photos

Fawcett had no problem landing work in California, as her all-American look made her an easy casting choice for commercials.

Fawcett met Lee Majors after the two were set up by their respective publicists. After hitting it off on a coffee date, the couple soon became the newest It couple in Hollywood.

Fawcett landed her first film role in 1969 in the romantic drama Love is a Funny Thing. Here, she's seen filming a scene with her costar, French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo.

In 1973, Fawcett starred in The Great American Beauty Contest. The actress was perfectly cast for the part, as she was crowned the winner of several beauty contests before her acting days.

In 1976, Fawcett landed a starring role in the film Logan's Run. The futuristic sci-fi movie did well with critics and audiences, and helped Fawcett catch the attention of Hollywood producer Aaron Spelling.

Spelling wound up casting Fawcett, alongside Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith, in his new television series Charlie's Angels. The show is known as the start of "jiggle TV," and featured the three actresses as female detectives. "When the show got to be No. 3, I figured it was our acting. When it got to be No. 1, I decided it could only be because none of us wears a bra," Fawcett once said.

After her first season on Charlie's Angels, Fawcett scooped up a People's Choice Award and was nominated for a Golden Globe.

While Fawcett's star power continued to rise, fans couldn't get enough of her sporty look. A lifelong athlete, Fawcett regularly played in celebrity tennis tournaments—like the Celebrity Challenge of the Sexes tournament here—and even pioneered recreational jogging.

After only just one season, Fawcett announced she was leaving Charlie's Angels. The exact reason is unknown (some say there was a salary dispute), but Fawcett was known to have disliked the lack of seriousness to her character. "With anything you do there comes a time to move on," Fawcett shared in 1977. She was replaced by Cheryl Ladd.

After leaving TV, Fawcett had ambitions to make the transition to film. Her husband, Majors, supported her decision and the couple launched a production company together, Fawcett-Majors Production, in 1977.

But not everything went as Fawcett planned. ABC sued the actress, claiming she walked out on her contract with them. "The industry was furious with me and hostile because I was a TV sex symbol who wanted to be an actress. People thought I was really pretentious, and for months no one would touch me," Fawcett told People in 1979.