Photo Tribute: Remembering Farrah Fawcett

Fawcett won kudos for her 1983 role in the off-Broadway stage production of the controversial play Extremities, written by William Mastrosimone. She followed Susan Sarandon in the role, in which she played a would-be rape victim who turns the tables on her attacker. In 1986 Fawcett appeared in the movie version of Extremities, which was also well-received by critics, and for which she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama. Fawcett was set to make her Broadway debut in the 2003 play Bobbi Boland at the Cort Theatre but the production closed in previews.

Fawcett was diagnosed with rectal cancer in 2006, and began treatment, including chemotherapy and surgery. A two-hour documentary on her cancer battle titled, "Farrah's Story", which was filmed by Fawcett and friend Alana Stewart, aired on NBC on May 15, 2009. The documentary was watched by nearly 9 million people in its premiere airing and it was re-aired on the broadcast network's cable stations MSNBC, Bravo and Oxygen.

Fawcett became a major pop culture figure thanks to her iconic hairstyle which was emulated by millions of young women and whose poster sales broke records, making her an international sex symbol in the 1970s and 1980s.

She is survived by her son, Redmond O'Neal. His father is her longtime love Ryan O'Neal.