Loni Anderson, star of 'WKRP in Cincinnati,' passes away two days before her birthday
American actress Loni Anderson has died two days before her 80th birthday.
Her publicist, Cheryl J. Kagan, said the actress died at a hospital in Los Angeles after battling a "prolonged" illness.
"We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear wife, mother, and grandmother," Anderson's family said in a statement.
Born on Aug. 5, 1945, Anderson made her acting debut in the 1966 film Nevada Smith. It wasn't until the mid-70s that she bagged more acting roles in TV and film like Vigilante Force, The Magnificent Magical Magnet of Santa Mesa, and S.W.A.T.
She was best known for starring as Jennifer Marlowe, the smart radio station receptionist in the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, which aired from 1978 to 1982. The show also starred Gary Sandy, Howard Hesseman, Gordon Jump, Tim Reid, Jan Smithers, Richard Sanders, and Frank Bonner.
The late actress' role in the series earned her nominations for Golden Globes and Emmy Awards, and she was regarded as a sex symbol.
"I never thought I would be Loni Anderson, sex symbol. But I embrace it. I think I was lucky enough to have been able to play so many different things, and sex symbol was a part of it. I took whatever my career threw at me. So I embrace it. And my granddaughters think it’s a hoot!" she told Fox News in 2021.
In the same interview, she also talked about how much she loves acting.
"Actors never retire because we love it so much. It becomes your life, your joy. Comedy is my favorite. I’m always looking to do something different and comedy attracts me the most. I want to do something that challenges me."
Anderson would also appear in The Incredible Hulk (1978) series, Three's Company, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
While filming the 1983 comedy Stroker Ace, Anderson fell in love with co-star Burt Reynolds, who would later become her third husband in 1988. She was previously married to real estate developer Bruce Hasselburg, with whom she shares a daughter, and actor Ross Bickwell.
After her divorce from Reynolds in 1994, she later married Bob Flick of folk band The Brothers Four in 2008.
Anderson is survived by Flick, her daughter Deirdra, son Quinten Anderson Reynolds, stepchildren, and grandchildren.