EntertainmentPosted at: Aug 4 2025 1:20PM


Loni Anderson, star of 'WKRP in Cincinnati,' dies at age 79

New Delhi, Aug 4 (UNI) Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actress Loni Anderson, best known for playing Jennifer Marlowe on the 1978-82 sitcom 'WKRP in Cincinnati', died yesterday, two days before her 80th birthday.
Anderson died at a Los Angeles hospital following a “prolonged” illness, said her longtime publicist, Cheryl J Kagan.
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear wife, mother and grandmother,” Anderson’s family said in a statement.
Her efficiency often kept the station running in the face of others’ incompetence. The role earned Anderson two Emmy award nominations and three Golden Globe nominations. Her performance relied on quick wit and charm to make WKRP a cult classic in spite of low Nielsen ratings when it first aired.
Born onAugust 5, 1945 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Anderson started her professional career in musicals prior to entering television with guest appearances on Three's Company, Police Woman, and Phyllis. Her role in Jennifer Marlowe made her an iconic celebrity and cultural figure.
Her subsequent career saw her in TV movies like The Jayne Mansfield Story and the film Stroker Ace, in which she co-starred with then-husband Burt Reynolds, with whom she had a son, Quinton. More recent work saw Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas (2023).
Her vivacious character cemented her as a bona fide TV sex symbol and subverted stereotypical “dumb blonde” tropes, as Jennifer remained savvy among a team of often incompetent coworkers, refusing to do typical receptionist chores like fetch coffee or take dictation.
Steve Sauer, president and CEO of Media Four and Anderson’s manager for 30 years, said in a statement: “Loni was a class act. Beautiful. Talented. Witty. ALWAYS a joy to be around. 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. She will be forever missed.”
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