Iconic Charlie’s Angels
star, Farrah Fawcett
Discussing favourite angels on TV show, Charlie’s
Angels, MBH (my better half) and I had a ‘snap’ moment when we both chose
Farrah Fawcett.
Although Fawcett will always be remembered for
that gorgeous mane, dazzling smile and sexy “burnt orange” swimsuit poster, her
tireless work raising awareness about cancer will never be forgotten. “Farrah
wanted to share her journey and let others battling cancer know they weren’t
alone,” says Mike Pingel, Fawcett’s former personal assistant.
Mike met Farrah in 2005 during the taping of
reality TV show, ‘Chasing Farrah’. She was looking for an assistant and Pingel
applied for the job. However, the
interview didn’t go very well. On being asked who his favourite angel was, Mike
made a gaffe by answering ‘Cheryl Ladd’. Needless to say, he wasn’t hired.
Surprisingly, a call came in several months
later from the show’s producer-director asking Mike whether Farrah could see
his vast collection of Charlie’s Angels memorabilia. “The next thing I knew, she
was in my apartment playing with my Charlie’s Angels toys,” he says. Mike and
Farrah hit it off immediately and he became her assistant shortly after.
Recalling his 2-year stint working for
Fawcett, Mike says one of the most memorable moments was being at the 2006 Emmy
Awards when Farrah, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith reunited for a tribute to producer
Aaron Spelling. “It was like walking back in time onto the set of Charlie’s
Angels,” he says. “It was priceless!”
Sadly, Farrah was diagnosed with anal cancer
shortly after the Emmys and had to begin treatment, including surgery and
chemotherapy. “I’ve always believed in fate and that God sends you where you
need to go,” says Pingel. “I was able to help Farrah during the most
devastating time of her life.”
To encourage others afflicted with the
disease, Fawcett designed a t-shirt and donated part of the proceeds to the
American Cancer Society. “Farrah’s motto
was ‘Fight the Fight’,” says Pingel. “We had it printed on the t-shirts along
with a picture of Farrah with her dukes up.” A 2-hour documentary chronicling
Farrah’s battle with her illness was aired in 2009, shortly before her death.
Unlike ‘Chasing Farrah’, ‘Farrah’s Story’ was a hit and was seen by close to 9
million viewers when it premiered.
Mike says he was blessed
to call Fawcett his friend. “Farrah was a strong woman with a huge heart. She
touched my life and I will miss her forever.”
Mike currently runs the
official websites of Cheryl Ladd, Tanya Roberts and Charlie’s Angels. He has
written several books on Charlie’s Angels, The Brady Bunch and Wonder Woman,
and recently published ‘Betty White Rules the World – The Ultimate (and
Unauthorized) Guide to Television’s Grande Dame‘; all available on Amazon.
For more information about Mike’s books, visit www.mikepingel.com. For Charlie’s Angels
news, go to www.charliesangels.com
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Farrah’s famous swimsuit
poster
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