Obituary: Loni Anderson, actress

Loni Anderson was one of thousands of aspiring actresses waiting around Hollywood for their big break and hers, when it came, was bigger than most. Anderson, a Minnesota native, had been in California for more than a decade, with little more than bit parts on her resume, when the producers of a new sitcom about a flagging Ohio radio station trying to reinvent itself with rock music saw a poster of her in a swimsuit. They were looking for someone to play a character whose good looks were matched by her intelligence, and Anderson won the part of station receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on WKRP in Cincinnati. The show screened from 1978-82, and Anderson echoed her character’s narrative, keeping the show going despite network schedulers continually moving it. The role earned Anderson two Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe nominations.

In 1983 Anderson moved to the big screen, starring alongside Burt Reynolds (whom she later married) in the comedy Stroker Ace. He was the third of her four husbands: their messy divorce in 1994 was splashed all over the tabloids. Loni Anderson died on August 3 aged 79.  — Agencies/Allied Media