Farrah Fawcett

Farrah Fawcett through the years | Fawcett, 1947-2009

• Anne Rodgers’ chat with Alana Stewart, Farrah Fawcett ’s BFF: 30-year friendship only grew as they battled her cancer together

Earlier today Farrah Fawcett lost her long bout with cancer at the age of 62.

When you’ve been writing about television for as long as I have (almost 14 years), you meet a celebrity, or two. Five years ago, I met Farrah in Los Angeles during the Summer TV Press Tour, that twice-a-year press orgy where TV writers hobnob — and grill — a host of stars, executives and producers for three long weeks over music, dinner and drinks. Not the ideal interview scenario, I know.

The former Charlie’s Angels star was promoting Chasing Farrah, her new TV Land reality show. I remember Farrah being warm, funny, a little nervous and still gorgeous. But the years were starting to catch up with her. Here’s the column I wrote in March 2005.

Farrah Fawcett is sitting in a limo with her makeup artist on her new TV Land reality series, Chasing Farrah, when the subject turns to airplanes.

The toothy actress with the sunshiny smile is telling a story about how she once learned how to fly a jumbo 767 from a pilot who was an obvious fan.

Farrah gives away what she believes to be inside secrets into how any Joe or Jane Blow off the street can fly a plane. She cuts her story short.

“I hope the terrorists aren’t watching,” Farrah says with an impish grin on her still stunningly beautiful face. “But they know anyway.”

Chirps Farrah’s makeup artist: “I hope nobody’s watching.”

The suits at TV Land, I’m sure, don’t concur with that statement.

Chasing Farrah is a new six-episode series in which cameras follow the former Charlie’s Angels head-turner as she dances at home, brushes her teeth, eats pizza, gets mobbed at a department store, attends the U.S. Open in New York, dodges the paparazzi and informs the world she would never smoke crack or bungee jump.

The show’s concept, of course, isn’t novel. Anna Nicole Smith has been doing the same thing on E!

Farrah’s manager even acknowledges this fact while imploring his client to act nothing like the former Playboy Playmate and celebrated Guess model who lumbers around like she just had a lobotomy.

You can’t blame Farrah’s agent. The sight of the loopy Smith and her beloved poodle, Sugar Pie, makes you want to gag. But viewers will probably get a kick out of Farrah, who can be just as loopy, but not in an annoying way.

In the show, Farrah admits she doesn’t like reality shows. “I don’t find them honest,” she says.

Well, the obvious question is: Why are you doing one?

“I guess we don’t know the answer to that yet,” she says sheepishly.

Sure we do. The cynic in me says Farrah’s phone isn’t exactly ringing off the hook with offers and the TV Land gig was her best shot of getting her name out there again.

I could be wrong, though.

But probably not.

Whatever the reason, I’m glad Farrah decided to do it. Actresses who don’t take themselves that seriously and who can also be funny are always a hoot to watch.

Farrah will be forever remembered for her role as Jill Munroe on Charlie’s Angels, a show that would be a first-ballot entrant in the T&A Show Hall of Fame if there were such place. But she also has been unable to live down her bizarre appearance on Late Show with David Letterman several years ago.

Teflon Farrah takes it all in stride. When something goes wrong now, she calls it a “Letterman Moment.”

And what’s that?

“It’s when people make me look stupid,” she says.

It’s been almost 30 years since Farrah wowed America in that eye-popping one-piece swimsuit poster that hung on many a teenage boy’s wall.

Yet, people still seem fascinated with her. Her beauty. Her hair. Her smile. Like Cher, Prince or Madonna, Farrah is one of those rare celebrities who doesn’t need a last name.

The Toothy One is asked why the Farrah phenomenon still lives.

“Because they’re waiting for me to mess up, or something like that,” she says, giggling. “My whole life is a reality show all the time.”

Now it’s a reality show we can all watch together.