American Television Hot Actresses: Loni Anderson

Loni Anderson Biography

Date of Birth

5 August 1945, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
Birth Name

Loni Kaye Anderson
Height

5' 6" (1.68 m)
A buxom, bedimpled, pert-nosed knockout, Loni Anderson took an assured place on one of the TV sex symbol pedestals during the late 70s and early 80s. A breakout hit in her Emmy-nominated role as "Jennifer Marlowe" on the TV sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati"(1978), she later became a soap-styled fixture in mini-movies. All eyes were peeled on this worthy pin-up who helped to bring back the glossy platinum-blonde allure of Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and Mamie Van Doren. A stylish, highly appealing actress whose hourglass figure and piled-on, bleached-blonde mane belied an enviable IQ, Loni strove for much more as she tried to parlay her newly found fame into a viable dramatic career. She met with a measured degree of success as she recreated the lives of such artificial sex sirens as Mansfield and Thelma Todd on TV, but got bogged down in TV-movie retellings of famous movie classics (Three Coins in the Fountain (1954), Sorry, Wrong Number (1948), Leave Her to Heaven (1945)) that couldn't help but pale in comparison. This attempt at seriousness was further hampered by messy tabloid headlines in her private life.
Loni Kaye Anderson was born with very dark (jet black) hair in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1946. An art student at the University of Minnesota, she entered (and won) beauty contests on the sly (including a "Miss Minnesota" runner-up placing in 1964). Married and divorced before she reached the age of 21, Loni took on a teaching position to support herself and baby daughter (Deidre) while completing college. Developing an interest in acting, she went the route many aspiring thespians do -- apprenticing in local commercials and theater shows. Still dark-haired, she played in several early 70s productions such as "Born Yesterday" (as Billie Dawn), "Send Me No Flowers", "Can-Can" and "The Star-Spangled Girl". She even played "Tzeitel" in "Fiddler on the Roof" and appeared in a production of "The Threepenny Opera".
Re-married in 1973 (to another actor, Ross Bickell), the couple decided to move away from Minnesota to Los Angeles in 1975 and actively pursue film and TV work. Pounding the proverbial pavement, she eventually went blonde and this, plus her gorgeous looks, helped her to secure minor but sexy roles on such shows as "S.W.A.T." (1975), "Police Woman" (1974), "Barnaby Jones" (1973), "Three's Company" (1976) and"The Bob Newhart Show" (1972). By the time she nabbed the "Jennifer" role on "WKRP" (and, with it, two Emmy nominations), she had grown quite admirably as an actress.
She and Howard Hesseman became the breakway stars of the TV sitcom and Loni skyrocketed to sexy status. On the other hand, her instant fame led to the breakup of her second marriage in 1981. Loni found hit-and-miss success outside the parameters of her comedy series. She was front-and-center in a number of TV-movies, notably playing tragic Hollywood sex sirens Jayne Mansfield in The Jayne Mansfield Story(1980) (TV), opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger as her muscle-bound husband Mickey Hargitay, and Thelma Todd, in White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd (1991) (TV), whose untimely death in 1935 is still questioned. Loni also appeared lusciously alongside Bob Hope, brightening up several of his classic TV specials. On the minus side, she fizzled in her teaming up with equally sexy "The New Adventures of Wonder Woman" (1975) star Lynda Carter in the tepid, short-lived series "Partners in Crime" (1984) and then played a former Las Vegas showgirl who inherits a bundle in the sitcom misfire "Easy Street" (1986). She also was given a chance to work in feature films such as Stroker Ace (1983). While her performance in that film was panned, it did have her meeting and co-starring opposite megastar Burt Reynolds.
Appearing in routine, mini-movie soap operas (via her own production company), if anything, kept Loni in the public eye as a serious-minded actress, but it was an uphill battle to rise above her manufactured image as a fantasy bombshell. Not helping things was her high-profile marriage to Reynolds in 1988, which began blissfully enough (and produced adopted son Quinton), then dissolved quickly into a nasty divorce that damaged the reputations of both stars.
In recent years, Loni has shown incredible perseverance. As always, the stalwart beauty continues to play up the glam but has since downplayed the dramatics. She seems more focused these days on having innocuous fun, playing a number of hearty vixens in sitcoms and series guest spots. Over time, she has enjoyed such lightweight sitcoms as "Nurses" (1991), "The Mullets" (2003) and as Tori Spelling's materialistic mom in "So noTORIous" (2006), which did not get the seal of approval from Tori's real-life mom.

Spouse

Bob Flick	(17 May 2008 - present)
Burt Reynolds	(29 April 1988 - 17 June 1994) (divorced) 1 child
Ross Bickell	(28 January 1974 - 20 August 1981) (divorced)
Bruce Donald Hasselberg	(1964 - 1966) (divorced) 1 child

Trade Mark
Platinum blonde hair

Voluptuous figure

Trivia
Loni says that when she was a teenager, her mother was very struck by an attractive actor on TV and told Loni that was the kind of guy she ought to marry. The star's name was Burt Reynolds.

Auditioned for "Three's Company" (1976).Adopted a son, Quinton, in 1988

Is a natural-born brunette.

As a high school senior, was voted Valentine Queen of her school's winter formal.

Won a bushel of local beauty contests as a teenager including her home town Miss Roseville pageant in 1963 which allowed her to compete (and become a finalist) in the Miss Minnesota competition. Among her other, less prestigious, titles were; Miss Thermo-Jac Clothing, Miss Thom McCann Shoes, Miss County Style Ford, Miss No Frost Eskimo and Queen of the Hole-In-One.

Described her early development and subsequent decision to have breast reduction surgery as follows, "When I was fourteen, my measurements were 37D-20-32. Now I feel more in proportion at 36-24-36 instead of outrageous."

Measurements before second reduction operation: 38E-25-36. After 1995 reduction surgery: 38C-25-36. (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine) At time of 1995 surgery reported to be a 34DD. (Source: National Enquirer).

Loni possesses a massive collection of Snow White miniatures and other Disney memorabilia, animation art, dolls, music boxes, plates and dachshund figures (which she inherited from her mother) that occupies a sizable room in her home.

Engaged to her former flame, Bob Flick. They first met when she was 17 years old and a model. They dated for six months. Planning to marry later in 2008 [January 16, 2008].Has a sister.

Is of Swedish descent.

Close friend of Bill Bixby.

Personal Quotes
They almost ran me off the road several times. There are so many chances that they take to get the right photo.

Look up the definition of rejection in the dictionary, get really comfortable with it, and then maybe you can go into acting.

[talking about how smoking used to be depicted in films] In the movies, Bette Davis lights two cigarettes and hands the second one to James Cagney. It was just so glamorous and romantic.

Loni Anderson