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Loni Anderson

Loni Anderson

Actor · Died August 3, 2025, aged 79 · Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA

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.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 5, 1945
Died
August 3, 2025 (aged 79)
From
Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
27 on MovieCove · 59 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 10% in 30 days

What are Loni Anderson's films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 36th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 20th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 10th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 90th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
43%
Self
25%
Society
13%
Morality
12%
Power
3%
Survival
2%
Ideas
1%
Family bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 9 · Serious 5 · Dark 2

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 12 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 8 · Charged 6 · Intense 2

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 14 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 7

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 13 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 16 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

11 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 5 of 11 analyzed roles.

Hero
5 of 11
Shadow
2 of 11
Threshold guardian
1 of 11
Ally
1 of 11
Shapeshifter
1 of 11
Trickster
1 of 11
Show the 11 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
13
Warm
8
Tense
5
Absurd
5
Melancholic
4
Other
8

How their films linger

Feel-good11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Loni Anderson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Loni Anderson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

59 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page; 22 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas(2023)

    as Lily Marlowe

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Love You More (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Show 1 episode · as Jean

  • My Sister is So Gay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Show 13 episodes · as Frances

  • Baby Daddy(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Nana Lyle

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Back to the Grind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • So NoTORIous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 10 episodes · as Kiki Spelling

  • The Mullets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 11 episodes · as Mandi Mullet-Heidecker

  • A Night at the Roxbury(1998)

    as Barbara Butabi

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • V.I.P. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Carol Irons

  • 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain(1998)

    as Medusa

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Amazing Stories: The Movie III (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Love

  • Fast Track (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Sabrina the Teenage Witch(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Racine

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • Clueless (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • E! True Hollywood Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Deadly Family Secrets(1995)

    as Martha

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Burke's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Claudia Loring

  • Melrose Place(1992)

    Show 3 episodes · as Teri Carson

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all shows

  • Munchie(1992)

    as Cathy Dobson

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • The Price She Paid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Lacey

  • Nurses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 22 episodes · as Casey MacAfee

  • The New WKRP in Cincinnati (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Thelma Todd

  • Coins in the Fountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Leah Crawford

  • Blown Away (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Lauren

  • All Dogs Go to Heaven(1989)

    as Flo (voice)

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Blondie & Dagwood: Second Wedding Workout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Blondie Bumstead (voice)

  • Sorry, Wrong Number (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Madeleine Stevenson

  • B.L. Stryker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Too Good to Be True(1988)

    as Ellen Berent

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Whisper Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Liz Bartlett

  • Necessity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Lauren LaSalle

  • Blondie & Dagwood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Blondie Bumstead (voice)

  • Stranded(1986)

    as Stacy Tweed

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Easy Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 22 episodes · Actor

  • A Letter to Three Wives(1985)

    as Lora Mae Holloway

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Amazing Stories(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Love

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Partners in Crime(1984)

    Show 13 episodes · as Sydney Kovack

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows

  • My Mother's Secret Life(1984)

    as Ellen Blake

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Stroker Ace(1983)

    as Pembrook Feeney

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Country Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Mollie Dean Purcell

  • Sizzle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Julie Davis

  • The Jayne Mansfield Story(1980)

    as Jayne Mansfield

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Fantastic Funnies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Host

  • The Magic of David Copperfield (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • WKRP in Cincinnati(1978)

    Show 90 episodes · as Jennifer Marlowe

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Three on a Date(1978)

    as Angela Ross

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Incredible Hulk(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Sheila Cantrell

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • The Love Boat(1977)

    Show 2 episodes · as Barbie · as Kim Holland / Doris Wilson · as Kitty Scofield

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • Three's Company(1976)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • The McLean Stevenson Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Vigilante Force(1976)

    as Peaches (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Invisible Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Andrea Hanover

  • S.W.A.T.(1975)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows

  • Police Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Waitress

  • Harry O (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Barnaby Jones(1973)

    Show 1 episode · as Joanna Morgan

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • The Bob Newhart Show(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Leslie Greely

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Nevada Smith(1966)

    as Brunette Saloon Girl (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 91st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 59 titles from 1966 to 2023; peak year 1998.

Biggest box office

A Night at the Roxbury (1998)

$30M worldwide

Highest rated

WKRP in Cincinnati (1978)

Midcredits 90th

Film career

19662023

Peak 1998 · their film career is on the way up. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1966Screen debut· Nevada Smith
  • 1980First top-billed film· The Jayne Mansfield Story

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting59 of 59: 59 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score38th

By decade

1960s1 · acting1970s14 · acting1980s19 · acting1990s18 · acting2000s3 · acting2010s3 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 29% of 7 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Loni Anderson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 23rd percentile, the median of all 15; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 32nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

32ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

34thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 27 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th11

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 27 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed14

Most divisive · actor

Three on a Date (1978)

88th percentile spread · 40% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

WKRP in Cincinnati (1978)

Midcredits 90th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 49/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 64, detractors 28. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Loni Anderson's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 31 · mildMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Loni Anderson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Loni Anderson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Burt Reynolds shares the most, 3.

Actors

Producers