Loni Anderson

 

Loni Kaye Anderson (August 5, 1945 – August 3, 2025) was an American actress. She is best known for playing receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–1982), which earned her nominations for three Golden Globe Awards and two Emmy Awards.

Early life

Anderson was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on August 5, 1945, the daughter of Klaydon Carl "Andy" Anderson, an environmental chemist, and Maxine Hazel (née Kallin), a one-time model. She grew up in suburban Roseville, Minnesota. As a senior at Alexander Ramsey Senior High School, she was voted Queen of the Valentine's Day Winter Formal of 1963. As she stated in her autobiography, My Life in High Heels, her father was going to name her Leilani but realized that when she got to her teen years, it was likely to be twisted (into "Lay" Lani), so it was changed to simply Loni.

Career

Anderson's acting debut came with a bit part in the film Nevada Smith (1966), starring Steve McQueen. After that, she was mostly unemployed as an actress for nearly a decade, then she received guest roles on television series in the mid-1970s. She appeared in two episodes of S.W.A.T., then on the sitcom Phyllis, and the detective series Police Woman and Harry O. She auditioned for the role of Chrissy in the sitcom Three's Company. She did not win the role, but in 1978, guest starred as Susan Walters in a Season Two episode.

Anderson's most famous acting role came as the sultry receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–1982). She was offered the role when producers saw a poster of her in a red swimsuit—a pose like Farrah Fawcett's famous 1976 poster. Hugh Wilson, the sitcom's creator, later said Anderson got the role because her body resembled Jayne Mansfield's and because she possessed the innocent sexuality of Marilyn Monroe. For her role, she was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and two Emmy Awards. Although the series suffered in the Nielsen ratings throughout most of its four-year run, it had a strong following among teens, young adults, and disc jockeys. Owing to her rising popularity as the series' so-called "main attraction", Anderson walked out on the sitcom during the 1980 summer hiatus, requesting a substantial salary increase. While she was renegotiating her contract, she starred in the television film The Jayne Mansfield Story (1980). When the network agreed to her requests, she returned to the series and remained until its cancellation in 1982.

Aside from her acting career, Anderson became known for her colorful personal life, particularly her relationship with and marriage to actor Burt Reynolds. They starred in the comedy film Stroker Ace (1983), which was a critical and box-office failure. She later appeared as herself in the romantic comedy The Lonely Guy (1984), starring Steve Martin. She voiced Flo, a collie in the animated film All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989).

In the mid-to-late 1980s, Anderson was teamed with Wonder Woman actress Lynda Carter in the television series Partners in Crime (1984) and starred in the short-lived comedy series Easy Street (1986–1987). She appeared in television adaptations of classic Hollywood films, such as A Letter to Three Wives (1985) with Michele Lee, and Sorry, Wrong Number (1989), both of which received little attention. After starring in Coins in the Fountain (1990), Anderson received considerable praise for her portrayal of comedian actress Thelma Todd in the television movie White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd (1991).

In the early 1990s, she attempted to co-star with her husband, Burt Reynolds, on his sitcom Evening Shade, but the network was not fond of the idea, thus replacing Anderson with Marilu Henner. After Delta Burke was fired from the sitcom Designing Women in 1991, producers offered Anderson a role as Burke's replacement, which never came to pass because the network refused to pay Anderson the salary she had requested. She agreed to return as Jennifer Marlowe on two episodes of The New WKRP in Cincinnati, a sequel to the original series. In 1993, Anderson was added to the third season of the sitcom Nurses, playing hospital administrator Casey MacAffee. Although her entry was an attempt to boost ratings, the series was canceled shortly thereafter.

Growing up with parents who both smoked, Anderson witnessed the effects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a lung disease often caused by smoking. In 1999, she became a spokesperson for a COPD support organization named COPD Together.

In April 2018, Anderson was seen promoting WKRP in Cincinnati and other television series on the MeTV television network. Though less frequent since the start of the 21st century, Anderson continued to act in television series and played a lead role in the 2016–2020 web series My Sister is So Gay. On October 3, 2023, it was announced that Anderson would feature in the Lifetime film Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas. According to the official synopsis, the movie follows five soap opera divas readying for a reunion show who take on playing Cupid during Christmas to bring together their director and producer as they all learn the meaning of the true Christmas spirit. The ensemble cast was made up of Anderson, Linda Gray, Morgan Fairchild, Donna Mills, and Nicollette Sheridan.

Personal life and death

Anderson was married four times: to real estate developer Bruce Hasselberg (1964–1966), actor Ross Bickell (1974–1981), actor Burt Reynolds (1988–1994), and musician Bob Flick (2008–), one of the founding members of the folk band The Brothers Four. They originally met at a movie premiere in Minneapolis in 1963. She had an acknowledged affair with her co-star Gary Sandy near the end of her marriage to Bickell.

Anderson had two children: a daughter, Deidra (fathered by Hasselberg), and a son, Quinton, adopted by Reynolds. She also had a sister, Andrea. Anderson's autobiography, My Life in High Heels, was published in 1995. She had 4 grandchildren from her two children.

Anderson died on August 3, 2025, following a prolonged illness, at the age of 79.

Filmography

Film

1976 Vigilante Force Peaches uncredited

1983 Stroker Ace Pembrook Feeny nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress

nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst New Star

1984 The Lonely Guy Herself uncredited

1989 All Dogs Go to Heaven Flo voice

1992 Munchie Cathy

1998 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain Medusa

A Night at the Roxbury Barbara Butabi

Television films

Year Title Role Notes

1977 The Magnificent Magical Magnet of Santa Mesa Mrs. Daroon

1978 Three on a Date Angela Ross

1980 The Jayne Mansfield Story Jayne Mansfield

The Fantastic Funnies self (host)

1981 Sizzle Julie Davis

1982 Country Gold Mollie Dean Purcell

1984 My Mother's Secret Life Ellen Blake

1985 A Letter to Three Wives Lora Mae Holloway

1986 Stranded Stacy Tweed

Easy Street L.K. McGuire

1987 Blondie & Dagwood Blondie Bumstead voice

1988 Necessity Lauren LaSalle

Whisper Kill Liz Bartlett

Too Good to Be True Ellen Berent

1989 Sorry, Wrong Number Madeleine Stevenson

Blondie & Dagwood: Second Wedding Workout Blondie Bumstead voice

1990 Coins in the Fountain Leah

Blown Away Lauren

1991 White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd Thelma Todd

1992 The Price She Paid Lacey

1994 Gambler V: Playing for Keeps Fanny Porter

Without Warning Actress in the opening movie segment uncredited

1995 Deadly Family Secrets Martha

2023 Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas Lily Marlowe

Television series

1975 S.W.A.T. Miss Texas Episode: "The Steel Security Blanket"

S.W.A.T. Art Teacher Episode: "Deadly Tide: Part 1"

The Invisible Man Andrea Hanover Episode: "Man of Influence"

Harry O Linzy Episode: "Lester Two"

Phyllis Rita Episode: "The First Date"

Police Woman Waitress Episode: "Farewell, Mary Jane"

1976 Police Story Waitress Episode: "Odyssey of Death: Part 2"

Barnaby Jones Dee Dee Danvers Episode: "Deadly Reunion"

Barnaby Jones Joanna Morgan Episode: "Sins of Thy Father"

The McLean Stevenson Show Mrs. Swenson Episode: "Going His Way"

1977 The Bob Newhart Show Leslie Greely Episode: "Carlin's New Suit"

The Love Boat Barbie Episode: "Lost and Found/The Understudy/Married Singles"

1978–82 WKRP in Cincinnati Jennifer Marlowe 89 episodes

nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (1980–81)

nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film

nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1980–81)

1978 The Incredible Hulk Sheila Cantrell Episode: "Of Guilt, Models and Murder"

Three's Company Susan Walters Episode: "Coffee, Tea, or Jack"

1980 The Love Boat Kitty Scofield Episode: "The Kinfolk / Sis and the Slicker / Moonlight and Moonshine / Affair"

Fantasy Island Kim Holland Episode: "The Love Doctor / Pleasure Palace / Possessed"

1984 Partners in Crime aka Fifty-Fifty Sydney Kovak 13 episodes

1985 Amazing Stories Love Episode: "The Guilt Trip"

1986–87 Easy Street L.K. McGuire 22 episodes

1990 B.L. Stryker Dawn St. Claire Episode: "Grand Theft Hotel"

1991–92 The New WKRP in Cincinnati Jennifer Marlowe 2 episodes: "Where Are We Going?", "Jennifer and the Prince"

1993 Empty Nest Casey MacAfee 3 episodes

1993–94 Nurses Casey MacAfee 22 episodes

1995 Burke's Law Claudia Loring Episode: "Who Killed the Highest Bidder?"

Women of the House Loni Anderson Episode: "Women in Film"

1996 Melrose Place Teri Carson 3 episodes

1997 Sabrina the Teenage Witch Racine Episode: "Witch Trash"

1998 Clueless Barbara Collier Episode: "Labor of Love"

1999 Movie Stars Audrey Wyatt Episode: "Mothers & Brothers"

V.I.P. Carol Irons Episode: "Stop or Val's Mom Will Shoot"

2001 Three Sisters Janet Episode: "Mother's Day"

2003–04 The Mullets Mandi Mullet-Heidecker 11 episodes

2006 So Notorious Kiki Spelling 8 episodes

2016 Baby Daddy Nana Lyle Episode: "Not So Great Grandma"

2016–18 My Sister Is So Gay Frances 12 episodes

2017 Love You More Jean Carlyle-Dixon TV pilot

Books

Anderson, Loni; Warren, Larkin (1995). My Life in High Heels. New York: William Morrow and Company. ISBN 978-0-688-14272-8. OCLC 32703710.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loni_Anderson