RIP Farrah Fawcett

Farrah Fawcett in 2006 (Associated Press photos)

Kate Jackson, (from left), Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith were the original “Charlie’s Angels” on the series that aired 1976-81 on ABC.

Actress Farrah Fawcett, who rose to fame as one of the three beautiful private detectives on the 1970s TV show “Charlie’s Angels,” died today after losing a battle with cancer.

Fawcett died this morning in a Santa Monica hospital, according to the Associated Press. She was 62.

She was born Mary Farrah Leni Fawcett on Feb. 2, 1947, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Her acting career was launched while she was attending the University of Texas at Austin, where she was named one of the 10 most beautiful people on campus. Her photo made it into the hands of movie publicist David Mirisch, who suggested she pursue a film career.

She soon started appearing in such TV shows as “That Girl,” ”The Flying Nun,” ”I Dream of Jeannie” and “The Partridge Family.”

 But her breakout came in 1976, when she was cast with Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith as three sexy martial arts experts who took their orders from the mysterious Charlie (voice of John Forsythe) in the TV series “Charlie’s Angels.”

With her flowing blond locks, wide, white smile and trim figure, Fawcett became a style icon and sex symbol. Her face was recreated on T-shirts, lunch boxes, shampoo, wigs and even a novelty plumbing device called Farrah’s faucet. And a poster of her in a damp red swimsuit sold millions of copies.