Loni Anderson, star ofWKRP in Cincinnati, has passed away at 79. Anderson was born in Minnesota in August 1945, and at age 21, she made her acting debut in the Steve McQueen-led WesternNevada Smith.
Her acting career spanned decades and included multiple well-known titles, likeAll Dogs Go To Heaven,Sorry, Wrong Number,andSabrina the Teenage Witch.She documented her life, and most notably her marriage to and public divorce from Burt Reynolds, in her 1997 autobiographyMy Life in High Heels.
On June 09, 2025, Anderson sadly passed away in a Los Angeles hospital from an ongoing illness, two days before her 80th birthday. She leaves behind two children. Steve Sauer, Anderson’s manager of 30 years and president/CEO of Media Four, shared that “Loni was a class act. Beautiful. Talented. Witty. ALWAYS a joy to be around.” He went on to say:
She was the ultimate working mother. Family first … and maintained a great balance with her career. She and I had wonderful adventures together that I shall forever cherish. I will especially miss that infectious chuckle of hers.
Anderson is best known for her work onWKRP Cincinnati, where she played Jennifer Marlowe, the sultry receptionist at WKRP radio station. Although she is, on paper, merely “eye candy” for the other radio station employees, Jennifer is easily the smartest staff member. She’s confident, informed, versatile, and very good at her job. On top of that, she’s kind and friendly to all of her coworkers.
Acting alongside Gary Sandy, Richard Sander, Gordon Jump, and Howard Hesseman, to name a few,WKRPearned a total of 10 Emmy nominations during its 4-year run, of which Anderson was nominated for two. AfterWKRP, Anderson had supporting roles in the sitcomsThree’s Company,Empty Nests, So Notorious,andThe Mullets.She also starred in the TV showsPartners in Crime(1994),Easy Street(1986-1987), andNurses(1993-1994).
Outside of her sitcom career, Anderson lent her voice to Flo in 1989’sAll Dogs Go to Heaven,starred as Cathy in 1992’sMunchie,a fantasy comedy movie about a young boy who meets a friendly creature with magic powers, starred alongside Hulk Hogan in3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain,and played Barbara inA Night at the Roxbury,a movie based on “The Roxbury Guys” sketch from SNL.
Most recently, Anderson starred alongside Morgan Fairchild, Nicolette Sheridan, Linda Gray and Donna Mills forLadies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas,a Lifetime movie that follows five soap opera stars who reunite to shoot one final, Christmas-themed episode of their long-running show. It was Anderson’s last role before her death.
Remembering Loni Anderson
Loni Anderson’s passing has come as a huge shock for many. Barbara Eden, star ofI Dream of Jeannie,wrote a heartfelt tribute to Anderson on X:
Morgan Fairchild, who co-starred alongside Anderson in the movieLadies of the ’80s, described her heartbreak at Anderson’s passing. She described her late friend as “the sweetest, most gracious lady” in a tribute onX.
Anderson will always be remembered for her impressive TV career and sheer rebuttal of stereotypes; her role as Jennifer Marlowe broke the mold for a woman on screen, and the character constantly challenged sexist stereotypes.
