Actor Loni Anderson, whose quick-witted turn as receptionist Jennifer Marlowe made CBS’s “WKRP in Cincinnati” a late-1970s staple, died Sunday in a Los Angeles hospital after what her publicist called a prolonged illness. She was 79, passing two days before her 80th birthday on Aug. 5.
Her family said they were “heartbroken” by the loss of their wife, mother and grandmother. Anderson’s four-season run on “WKRP” (1978-82) earned two Emmy and three Golden Globe nominations and transformed an initially one-note blonde into a self-possessed character who steadied the station’s chaos. Viewers embraced her mix of glamour and deadpan timing, turning the Ohio-set workplace comedy into a syndicated favorite that still airs on classic-TV outlets.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Aug. 5, 1945, the University of Minnesota graduate taught briefly before pursuing acting, working in community theater and landing early guest roles on “S.W.A.T.” and “Police Woman.”
Film assignments followed, including the NASCAR comedy “Stroker Ace,” where she met Burt Reynolds; the pair married in 1988, adopted a son, Quinton, and divorced six years later amid heavy tabloid scrutiny. Anderson wed musician Bob Flick in 2008, appeared in projects such as “So noTORIous,” and returned to screens in 2023’s “Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas.” She chronicled her personal and professional upheavals in the 1995 best-seller “My Life in High Heels,” stressing perseverance under unrelenting press attention.
Motivated by her parents’ struggles with emphysema, Anderson spent decades raising awareness of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, even while managing her own health challenges. Tributes poured in online: actor Barbara Eden praised her “razor-sharp wit,” and Morgan Fairchild called her “the sweetest, most gracious lady.” A private service is planned at Hollywood Forever Cemetery; survivors include Flick, daughter Deidra Hoffman, son Quinton Reynolds, two grandchildren and extended family.
