Actress Farrah Fawcett Dead at 62

AP

Farrah Fawcett

Farrah Fawcett

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Farrah Fawcett, the multiple Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated American actress best known for her role as the vivacious Jill Munroe in the 1970s television series “Charlie’s Angels,” died in a Santa Monica hospital. She was 62.

Her spokesman, Paul Bloch, confirmed that the iconic actress died Thursday morning. Her 2 1/2-year battle with cancer was depicted in a recent TV documentary, "Farrah's Story."

Fawcett was diagnosed with anal cancer in September 2006 and, despite going into remission and enduring extensive chemotherapy and surgery both in the U.S. and Germany, it was revealed earlier this year that the cancer had spread to her liver. She stopped receiving treatment in May.

Fawcett documented the trials and tribulations of her battle with cancer in the NBC documentary "Farrah’s Story."

Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, to a homemaker and an oil field contractor, Fawcett was encouraged to pursue a career in Hollywood while attending the University of Texas at Austin after her photo as one of the “Ten Most Beautiful Coeds” landed on the lap of a Los Angeles publicist. After scoring a string of commercials for consumer products and a few small television roles she finally hit the big-time with “Charlie’s Angels.” But Fawcett, eager to pursue greater acting challenges, left the show after just one season.

PHOTOS: Click for pictures of Farrah Fawcett.

The blond beauty soon became the all-American face of her generation when she posed in a red one-piece bathing suit for a poster that became an item of pop culture history and has reportedly sold over 12 million copies. Blessed with a flawless figure and stunning smile, Farrah’s full head of thick blond wavy hair took star-status of its own; the “Farrah Do” became the most requested style by women across the world.

RELATED: Click here to read about Farrah's influence on a generation.

She was married to actor Lee Majors from 1973-1982, and was known during the time as Farrah Fawcett-Majors. The couple separated in 1979, when she changed her name back to Fawcett.

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• Farrah Fawcett

"In the beginning her hair certainly captured the world and just about every man. She took that position and reinforced it with talent and did some really chancy rolls and became a good actress, and I think a lot of people were surprised," actress Jacqueline Bissett told FOXNews.com.

"But just seeing her moving around at parties and seeing her sitting on a barstool with a kind of pizzazz and just her charm and her light was what I’ll always remember. She always just had this fresh quality and a very clean quality."

Post-"Angels," Fawcett went on to tackle an abundance of dramatic screen and stage roles and caused a major stir by appearing nude in Playboy’s December 1995 issue, which became the highest-selling issue of the 1990s.

“Farrah is just very special, inside and outside she was beautiful, smart, funny and a fighter,” her best friend and film producer, Alana Stewart, said. “She was quite an amazing woman. She's been my friend for 30 years and I've been very proud to have been involved with her.”

Fawcett is survived by her partner, actor Ryan O’Neal, and 24-year-old son Redmond O’Neal, who is currently serving a sentence for possession of illegal drugs in Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic, Calif.