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Loni Anderson

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
83

Gender
Female

Birthday
August 5, 1945 (80 years old)

Place of Birth
Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA

Loni Anderson

Biography

Loni Kaye Anderson (August 5, 1945 – August 3, 2025) was an American actress who played the role of Jennifer Marlowe on the television sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati.

Anderson was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, August 5, 1945, the daughter of Maxine Hazel (née Kallin), a model, and Klaydon Carl "Andy" Anderson, an environmental chemist and grew up in suburban Roseville. As a senior at Alexander Ramsey Senior High School in Roseville in 1963, she was voted Valentine Queen of Valentine's Day Winter Formal. She attended the University of Minnesota. As she says in her autobiography, My Life in High Heels, her father was originally going to name her "Leiloni," but then realized to his horror that when she got to her teen years it was liable to be twisted into "Lay Loni." So it was changed to just plain "Loni." Anderson's most famous acting role came as receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on WKRP in Cincinnati. Her pinup photo in a bikini became one of the best-selling wall posters of the 1970s. She and husband Burt Reynolds made one film together, the 1983 stock-car racing comedy Stroker Ace, a huge box-office failure. Shortly after her divorce from Reynolds, she appeared as a regular in the final season (1993–1994) on the NBC sitcom Nurses. Anderson portrayed actress Jayne Mansfield in a made-for-TV biopic with Arnold Schwarzenegger as her husband, Mickey Hargitay. She teamed with Lynda Carter in a 1984 television series, Partners in Crime. Anderson made a series of cameo appearances on television shows in the late 1990s and early 2000s, such as the Spellmans' "witch-trash" cousin on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and Vallery Irons' mother on V.I.P. Anderson has been married four times; her first three marriages were to: Bruce Hasselberg (1964–1966), Ross Bickell (1973–1981), and actor (and one-time co-star) Burt Reynolds (1988–1993). On May 17, 2008, Anderson married musician Bob Flick, one of the founding members of the folk band The Brothers Four. The couple had met at a movie premiere in Anderson's native Minneapolis a few years after Flick's group hit No. 2 on the pop charts with "Greenfields" in 1960. The ceremony was attended by friends and family, including son Quinton Reynolds. She has two children: a daughter, Deidra Hoffman (from her first marriage), who is a school administrator in California; and a son, Quinton Anderson Reynolds (born August 31, 1988), whom she and Burt Reynolds adopted. Her autobiography, My Life in High Heels, was published in 1997.

She died at a Los Angeles hospital following a “prolonged” illness on August 3, 2025.

Known For

Acting

2023Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmasas Lily Marlowe
2020I Am Burt Reynoldsas Self - Interviewee
2019Valerieas Self
2017Love You Moreas Jean
2016My Sister is So Gayas Frances
2012Baby Daddyas Nana Lyle
2012Carol Channing: Larger Than Lifeas Self
2009Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohenas Self - Guest
2009Annul Victoryas Self
2007Back to the Grindas
2006I Love the '70s: Volume 2as Self
2006So NoTORIousas Kiki Spelling
2005Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-Listas Self
2003The Mulletsas Mandi Mullet-Heidecker
2003Duck Dodgersas Herself (voice)
1998A Night at the Roxburyas Barbara Butabi
1998V.I.P.as Carol Irons
19983 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountainas Medusa
1997Fast Trackas
1996Sabrina, the Teenage Witchas Racine
1996Cluelessas
1996E! True Hollywood Storyas
1995Deadly Family Secretsas Martha
1995Women of the Houseas Self
1994Burke's Lawas Claudia Loring
1993Intimate Portraitas Self
1992Melrose Placeas Teri Carson
1992Munchieas Cathy Dobson
1992The Price She Paidas Lacey
1991Nursesas Casey MacAfee
1991The New WKRP in Cincinnatias
1991White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Toddas Thelma Todd
1990Coins in the Fountainas Leah Crawford
1990Blown Awayas Lauren
1989All Dogs Go to Heavenas Flo (voice)
1989Blondie & Dagwood: Second Wedding Workoutas Blondie Bumstead (voice)
1989Sorry, Wrong Numberas Madeleine Stevenson
1989B.L. Strykeras
1988Too Good to Be Trueas Ellen Berent
1988Whisper Killas Liz Bartlett
1988Necessityas Lauren LaSalle
1987Blondie & Dagwoodas Blondie Bumstead (voice)
1986Strandedas Stacy Tweed
1986Easy Streetas
1985A Letter to Three Wivesas Lora Mae Holloway
1985Amazing Storiesas Love
1984Partners in Crimeas Sydney Kovack
1984My Mother's Secret Lifeas Ellen Blake
1984The Lonely Guyas Herself (uncredited)
1983Stroker Aceas Pembrook Feeney
1982Country Goldas Mollie Dean Purcell
1982Night of 100 Starsas Self
1982Women I Love: Beautiful But Funnyas Self
1982Magic with the Starsas Self - Host
1981All-Star Party for Burt Reynoldsas Self
1981Sizzleas Julie Davis
1980The Jayne Mansfield Storyas Jayne Mansfield
1980The Fantastic Funniesas Host
1980The Big Showas Self
1980Siegfried and Roy - Superstars Of Magicas Self
1979The Muppets Go Hollywoodas Self
1978The Magic of David Copperfieldas
1978WKRP in Cincinnatias Jennifer Marlowe
1978Three on a Dateas Angela Ross
1977The Incredible Hulkas Sheila Cantrell
1977The Love Boatas Barbie
1977The Love Boatas Kim Holland / Doris Wilson
1977The Love Boatas Kitty Scofield
1977Three's Companyas
1976The McLean Stevenson Showas
1976Vigilante Forceas Peaches (uncredited)
1975The Invisible Manas Andrea Hanover
1975S.W.A.T.as
1974Police Womanas Waitress
1974Harry Oas
1973Barnaby Jonesas Joanna Morgan
1972The Bob Newhart Showas Leslie Greely
1966Nevada Smithas Brunette Saloon Girl (uncredited)
1962The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carsonas Self
1962The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carsonas Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1950The Bob Hope Showas Self
1944Golden Globe Awardsas Self - Nominee
Amazing Stories: The Movie IIIas (archive footage)

Production