Loni Anderson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Loni Anderson
Anderson in 2019
Born	Loni Kaye Anderson (1945-08-05) August 5, 1945 (age 79) Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1966–present
Known for	WKRP in Cincinnati
Spouse(s)	Bruce Hasselberg ​ ​ (m. 1964; div. 1966)​ Ross Bickell ​ ​ (m. 1974; div. 1981)​ Burt Reynolds ​ ​ (m. 1988; div. 1994)​ Bob Flick ​ (m. 2008)​
Children	2

Loni Anderson (born August 5, 1945) is an American actress. She is best known for playing the charming receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the TV show WKRP in Cincinnati. This role earned her several awards and nominations.

Early Life

Loni Anderson was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Her father, Klaydon Carl "Andy" Anderson, was a scientist who studied the environment. Her mother, Maxine Hazel, was a model. Loni grew up in Roseville, Minnesota. When she was in high school, she was chosen as the Valentine Queen in 1963.

In her book, My Life in High Heels, Loni shared a fun fact about her name. Her dad first wanted to name her Leiloni. But he realized it might be shortened to "Lay Loni" when she was older. So, they decided to simply name her Loni.

Her Acting Career

Loni Anderson's first acting job was a small part in the 1966 movie Nevada Smith, which starred Steve McQueen. After this, she didn't act much for almost ten years. In the mid-1970s, she started getting guest roles on TV shows. She appeared in shows like S.W.A.T., Phyllis, Police Woman, and Harry O.

She tried out for a role on the show Three's Company. She didn't get that part, but she did appear in an episode in 1978. This appearance helped her get noticed by the ABC network.

Loni Anderson's most famous role was as Jennifer Marlowe on the TV show WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–1982). Producers offered her the role after seeing a poster of her in a red swimsuit. This pose was similar to a famous poster of actress Farrah Fawcett.

Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson at the premiere of City Heat (1984)

Even though WKRP in Cincinnati didn't always have high TV popularity rankings, it was very popular with teens and young adults. Because Loni became so popular, she asked for more money for her work during the show's summer break in 1980. While she was negotiating her contract, she starred in the TV movie The Jayne Mansfield Story (1980). When the network agreed to her requests, she returned to the show until it ended in 1982.

Loni Anderson also had an interesting life outside of acting. She was married to actor Burt Reynolds. They starred together in the comedy movie Stroker Ace (1983), which didn't do well in reviews or at the box office. She also appeared as herself in the movie The Lonely Guy (1984), starring Steve Martin. She lent her voice to the character Flo, a collie dog, in the animated movie All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989).

In the mid-to-late 1980s, Loni teamed up with Wonder Woman actress Lynda Carter for the TV series Partners in Crime in 1984. She also appeared in TV movies based on old Hollywood films, like A Letter to Three Wives (1985) and Sorry, Wrong Number (1989).

In 1991, Loni received good reviews for playing actress Thelma Todd in the TV movie White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd. She later returned as Jennifer Marlowe for two episodes of The New WKRP in Cincinnati, a show that continued the original series. In 1993, Loni joined the TV show Nurses as hospital administrator Casey MacAffee. The show was canceled soon after she joined.

In April 2018, Loni Anderson helped promote WKRP in Cincinnati and other TV shows on the MeTV network. She continues to act in TV series, though less often. From 2016 to 2020, she had a main role in the online series My Sister is So Gay.

In October 2023, it was announced that Loni Anderson would be in the Lifetime movie, Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas. The movie is about five soap opera actresses who reunite and try to play matchmakers during Christmas. Loni stars alongside Linda Gray, Morgan Fairchild, Donna Mills, and Nicollette Sheridan.

Personal Life

Loni Anderson has been married four times. Her first husband was Bruce Hasselberg (1964–1966). Then she married actor Ross Bickell (1974–1981). Her third marriage was to actor Burt Reynolds (1988–1994). On May 17, 2008, she married musician Bob Flick. He is one of the original members of the folk band The Brothers Four. They first met at a movie event in Minneapolis way back in 1963.

Loni has two children. Her daughter, Deidra, is from her first marriage. She and Burt Reynolds adopted a son named Quinton. Loni also has a sister named Andrea. Loni Anderson wrote a book about her life called My Life in High Heels, which was published in 1995.

Loni's parents both smoked, and she saw how it affected their health. In 1999, she became a spokesperson for an organization that helps people with a lung disease often caused by smoking.

Filmography

Film

Television films

Television series

See also

In Spanish: Loni Anderson para niños