Loni Anderson was one of the most prominent actresses of the 1980s. While she appeared in several roles, she is famous for starring in the American sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati.
Sadly, for fans of the actress (and the show), Anderson passed away recently. The actress might be gone, but she left behind a huge legacy.
Below is a detailed look at her life, from her acting career and rise to fame starring in WKRP in Cincinnati, to her personal life, and ultimately, her death.
Loni Anderson’s life before WKRP in Cincinnati
Loni Anderson was born on August 5, 1945, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Her father, Carl Anderson, was an environmental chemist, while her mother, Maxine Hazel Anderson, was a former model.
She grew up in the suburbs of Roseville, Minnesota, where she attended Alexander Ramsey Senior High School.
Anderson began acting shortly after finishing high school, with her debut a small part in the 1966 film Nevada Smith. Unfortunately, after that, she spent the next ten years or so without any acting roles.
However, things changed in 1975, when she landed several guest roles, appearing in TV shows like S.W.A.T., Harry O, The Invisible Man, Phyllis, Police Story, Police Woman, Barnaby Jones, and The Love Boat.
WKRP in Cincinnati’s role and rise to fame
Loni Anderson’s big break in her acting career came in 1978 when she was cast in the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. In the show, she portrayed Jennifer Marlowe, a sophisticated, intelligent, and well-spoken blonde receptionist working at a struggling radio station.
From the get-go, Anderson’s role in the sitcom was sexualized; she reportedly landed the role after producers saw a poster of her in a red swimsuit.
As a result, her appearance in the show propelled her to fame and turned her into one of the most recognized 80s sex symbols.
While she may have gotten the role due to her looks, her acting skills captivated the audience. It also helped that the show creators turned her into the smartest character on the show, allowing the actress to redefine the “dumb blonde” stereotype.
In a 2021 interview with Fox News, Anderson also revealed how she embraced the sex symbol status that the role gave her, and an image that continued to follow her for many years:
“I never thought I would be Loni Anderson, sex symbol. But I embrace it. I think I was lucky enough to have been able to play so many different things and sex symbol was a part of it. I took whatever my career threw at me. So, I embrace it.”
Anderson remained in the show until its cancellation in 1982. And while the sitcom struggled with ratings during this time, her acting was so impressive that she was nominated for two Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards.
Carer after leaving WKRP in Cincinnati
After leaving the show, Loni Anderson went on to have an impressive acting career, appearing in several films and TV shows.
In 1983, she starred in the film Stroker Ace with Burt Reynolds, who would later become her husband.
Unfortunately, the movie was a failure and received a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture, with Anderson herself being nominated in the Worst Actress and Worst New Star categories.
Despite the failure, she went on to star in several roles, including TV shows like Partners in Crime, Easy Street, The New WKRP in Cincinnati (where she reprised her role as Jennifer Marlowe), Nurses, The Mullets, and So Notorious.
Anderson also appeared in several films, including All Dogs Go to Heaven, Munchie, A Night at the Roxbury, Blondie & Dagwood, Too Good to Be True, Coins in the Fountain, and Without a Warning.
Her last acting role was in the 2023 comedy film Ladies of the ‘80s: A Divas Christmas. Her last appearance on TV was in the sitcom My Sister Is So Gay (2016-2020).
Loni Anderson’s personal life
Besides acting, Loni Anderson was famous for her colorful personal life; the actress got married four times, with three of those ending in divorce.
First marriage at the age of 19
The first marriage was to real estate developer Bruce Hasselberg in 1964. The marriage was short-lived, ending in divorce in 1966, but it led to the actress’s first child, daughter Deidra.
The second marriage ended with an affair
In 1974, she married actor Ross Bickell. Despite both being actors, their relationship was low-key, and it lasted for seven years before the couple quietly divorced in 1981.
However, the second marriage was not without its share of drama, as the actress admitted to having an affair with her WKRP in Cincinnati co-star, Gary Sandy, towards the end of the marriage.
Third marriage with a messy, public divorce
Loni Anderson’s third – and most high-profile – marriage was with actor Burt Reynolds in 1988. The couple had begun dating in 1982, shortly after meeting.
Shortly after the couple got married, they adopted a son, Quinton. Unfortunately, starting a family did not help, as the marriage got rocky and ended in a messy divorce five years later.
Reynolds filed for divorce in 1993, in a messy split that played out in tabloids. In a TV interview, he claimed that he was unhappy and had caught Anderson cheating on him, which is why he called the marriage off, although he also later admitted to having a two-year affair.
Anderson, on her part, denied the infidelity accusations and claimed that the divorce blindsided her, as there were no signs of discontent or talks about divorce.
The couple’s messy split continued to play out for years. In 1995, Anderson, who had been mostly quiet about the divorce, claimed that Reynolds was physically abusive, something she attributed to drugs.
Then in 2015, Reynolds wrote a memoir in which he accused Anderson of being extravagant, claiming she maxed out a $45,000 credit card limit in half an hour.
In an interview with People Magazine, the actor, who passed away in 2018, called his decision to marry Anderson “a really dumb move.”
In a 2023 documentary, I Am Burt Reynolds, Loni Anderson painted a similar picture of him, financially, claiming that he spent everything he earned.
Fourth marriage, until her death
Loni Anderson was fourth-time lucky in her marriage. She tied the knot to musician Bob Flick in 2008, and the couple stayed together till her death in 2025.
Flick, a founding member of The Brothers Four folk band, met Anderson during a movie premiere in 1963. They reconnected years later at a COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) campaign, where Anderson was the speaker.
Cause of death – what we know
Loni Aderson passed away on August 3, 2025, at the age of 79 (a few days before her 80th birthday).
Little is known about her cause of death, with her publicist only revealing that she died at a Los Angeles hospital after a prolonged illness.
Likewise, her family has not said much, only revealing a short statement saying:
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear wife, mother and grandmother.”
The WKRP in Cincinnati actress is survived by her husband, two children, a step-son (from her marriage with Bob Flick), two grandchildren, and two step-grandchildren.