Farrah Fawcett, noted American actress, was born Ferrah Leni Fawcett in Corpus Christi, Texas, to Pauline Alice (née Evans), a homemaker, and James William Fawcett, a Lebanese-American oil field contractor. Her name was later changed to "Farrah"; Farah (فرح) is an Arabic word for joy. Fawcett attended Spring Branch Junior High School near Houston for one year. She graduated from W.B. Ray High School in Corpus Christi in 1965. Fawcett attended the University of Texas at Austin and appeared in a photo of the "Ten Most Beautiful Coeds" from the university, which ran in Cashbox magazine. A Hollywood agent saw the photo, called Farrah and urged her to move to Los Angeles, which she did in 1969.

Fawcett’s introduction to the American public won her the People’s Choice Award Favorite Female Performer in a New TV Program and Best New Series for her work in the 1977 hit TV series, “Charlie’s Angels.” According to her fan site:

In the early 80s, Fawcett turned down projects she felt would not only typecast her but would eventuality limit and define her work. She finally accepted the role of Joan Robinson Hill in the mini-series “Murder In Texas” and the critics responded positively to her character driven performance. The script was based on Tommy Thompson best selling novel “Blood and Money.”

Fawcett won critical acclaim for her work in the New York Off-Broadway production of Extremities written by William Mastrosimone and directed by Robert Allan Ackerman. A year later she would take on the role a second time for the feature film Extremities, which she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Actress in a Leading Role - Drama.

After two years of network rejecting “The Burning Bed,” the critics’ reviews for Extremities enabled her to get the MOW produced. She received both an Emmy and Golden Globe Award Nomination for her starring role portraying a battered wife. “The Burning Bed” is still today one of the highest rated MOW in TV history. “The Burning Bed” was further distinguished as the first television movie to offer victims of domestic abuse help through an 800 number and ended with a public service announcement by Fawcett herself. “The Burning Bed” broke new ground by having existing laws removed from three states and altering police procedures when responding to 911 calls regarding domestic violence. It was also responsible for having a female officer required to be present and for the offending batter to be legally taken away and charged

Farrah Fawcett was most recently inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame for her legendary status on screen and off.

The "Charlie's Angels" star was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006, and originally was treated at The Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center with chemotherapy and radiation and not surgery as some have reported. She was declared in remission on Feb 2, 2007, but three months later her scans showed the cancer had metastasized to her liver. Anal cancer is relatively uncommon, but occurs a little more often in women than men. An estimated 5,070 cases were diagnosed in the United States last year, leading to about 680 deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. An upcoming documentary on which Fawcett has worked for several years, "A Wing and a Prayer," co-produced with Craig Nevius and others, will air on NBC soon and give details about her cancer struggle.

Fawcett was married to Lee Majors, star of The Six Million Dollar Man, from 1973–1982, though the two separated in 1979. During this time, she was known as Farrah Fawcett-Majors. From 1982[ to the present, Fawcett has been involved romantically with actor Ryan O'Neal. This couple produced a son, Redmond O'Neal, who was born in 1985.

Fawcett died on 25 June 2009 after she lost her battle with cancer. A private funeral was held in Los Angeles on Tuesday, 30 June. Her son, Redmond, who was incarcerated for possession of narcotics while his mother was hospitalized, was released from jail for the funeral.