Loni Anderson, star of ‘WKRP in Cincinnati,' dies at 79
Loni Anderson, who starred in the hit sitcom 'WKRP in Cincinnati' in the late 1970s and early 1980s, died Aug. 3. She was 79.
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Anderson died at a Los Angeles hospital following a prolonged illness, according to her longtime publicist Cheryl J. Kagan.
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'We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear wife, mother and grandmother,' Anderson's family said in a statement provided by Kagan.
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Anderson rose to fame as a platinum blonde – dyed, she admitted – who defied stereotypes, while also coming to embrace her status as a sex symbol.
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Anderson's breakout role was the brainy, beautiful receptionist for the eponymous radio station in 'WKRP in Cincinnati.'
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The sitcom ran for 90 episodes from 1978 until 1982 and Anderson's performances earned her two Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe nominations. She also guest-starred on its 1991 revival, 'The New WKRP in Cincinnati.'
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Her character, Jennifer Marlowe, had originally been written as a 'dumb blonde,' Anderson recalled in her 1995 memoir, 'My Life in High Heels.' But she argued against the script – a move she initially thought had cost her the role.
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'I've talked back, criticized the way something's written, bombed the audition, and blown my chances for all time with MTM,' the production company, she wrote.
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Instead, the part was rewritten for her and launched an acting career that would span four decades, including roles on stage, film and TV.
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Anderson, who died days before her 80th birthday, was born on Aug. 5, 1945, in St. Paul, Minnesota. After graduating from the University of Minnesota, she briefly taught at a local high school.
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'The guys said terrible things to me and I was afraid and I left,' after which she took up professional acting, she said during a 1980 appearance on 'The Tonight Show' with Johnny Carson.
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After working in community theater in Minneapolis, she moved to Los Angeles in 1975 with her second husband to pursue a career in television and film so she could spend more time with her daughter from her first marriage, according to biographical information provided by Kagan.
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