Farrah Speaks: Cancer in Public Eye Is More 'Stressful'

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While battling anal cancer, the one thing Farrah Fawcett wanted was privacy, and that's exactly what she did not get.
The 'Charlie's Angels' star was diagnosed with the disease in 2006, and has been fighting it ever since.
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A Look at Farrah

    After a long battle with cancer, Farrah Fawcett has died at the age of 62. Her longtime partner Ryan O'Neal was by her side when she passed away.

    Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images

    The 'Charlie's Angel' star was diagnosed back in 2006. She filmed a documentary about her struggle with the disease called 'Farrah's Story.'

    Barry King, WireImage

    Fawcett has said of her cancer battle: "It's much easier to go through something and deal with it without being under a microscope. It was stressful. I was terrified of getting the chemo. It's not pleasant. And the radiation is not pleasant."

    Getty Images

    Farrah Fawcett poses with Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith. Many her of friends will be speaking out about the actress in 'Farrah's Story,' a video diary of the actress' fight against anal cancer that has spread to her liver.

    Jeff Kravitz, FilmMagic

    Fawcett is best known for playing Jill Munroe in the series 'Charlie's Angels' back in the 1970s. Her undeniable sex appeal helped make the show a gigantic hit and established the actress as the top pin-up model for millions of men (and adolescent boys).

    Everett Collection

    It quickly became clear who the top Angel was on the show when it premiered in 1976, though Jaclyn Smith, left, and Kate Jackson were no slouches themselves. Fawcett left the show after only one season, but came back sporadically in later years. She was replaced by the also saucy Cheryl Ladd. The show ran until 1981.

    Sony

    Fawcett has always had an idea as to why the show was such a success with viewers. "When the show was number three, I figured it was our acting," she has said about ratings. "When it got to be number one, I decided it could only be because none of us wears a bra."

    Everett Collection

    Here, Farrah can be seen in action during a scene from the 'Fallen Angels' episode of 'Charlie's Angels' during the show's first season.

    Everett Collection

    The Texas native began doing shampoo commercials and TV guest spots in the early 1970s and eventually caught the eye of producers who cast the unknown beauty in 'Angels.' Her tousled and feathered hair style was "The Rachel" of its time and has been copied by generations.

    Hulton Archive / Getty Images

    She showed her acting chops -- and garnered one of three Emmy nominations -- for her portrayal as a battered wife in the acclaimed 1984 TV movie 'The Burning Bed.'

    Michael Tighe, Hulton Archive / Getty Images

In an interview done back in August with the Los Angeles Times, but first published today, Fawcett speaks out for the first time about the pressure her celebrity has put her through.
"It's much easier to go through something and deal with it without being under a microscope. It was stressful. I was terrified of getting the chemo. It's not pleasant. And the radiation is not pleasant," she says.
"It becomes your life," she says. "People call, 'How are you?' 'How do you feel?' 'We're praying for you.' 'Do you still have your hair?' 'What do you feel like?' When every single call is that kind of call . . . it's all you talk about. It's all-consuming. Then, your quality of life is never the same."
The actress also rails against a tabloid that printed the headline "Farrah Begs: Let Me Die."
"God, I would never say something like that. To think that people who did look up to me and felt positive because I was going through it too and yet I was strong ... it just negated all that," she defends.
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2009-05-11 08:40:01
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