In 1971 she had a featured role in the ABC movie "The Feminist and the Fuzz" in addition she appeared on numerous TV shows including "S.W.A.T." and "The Six Million Dollar Man". In 1973 she co-starred in "The Great American Beauty Contest". Her breakout year was in 1976-1977 as a TV series regular on "Charlie's Angels" (ABC), as Jill Munroe. She also Posed for her best-selling poster. In 1978 Fawcett played her first leading role in a feature film: "Somebody Killed Her Husband". Fawcett made her stage debut as Jill in "Butterflies Are Free" at the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theater in Jupiter, Florida. She returned to the stage in 1983 in a critical hailed performance in the off-Broadway debut of "Extremities". In 1984 Fawcett earned critical praise as a battered wife in "The Burning Bed" (NBC); garnered her a first Emmy nomination. In 1986 she starred in title role in "Nazi Hunter: The Beate Klarsfeld Story" (ABC). Then in 1989 Farrah returned to feature film with "See You in the Morning". A very yound Drew Barrymore and Jeff Bridges were co-stars. In 1989 she had the lead role as Diane Downs in the ABC miniseries "Small Sacrifices"; and received her second Emmy nomination. In 1989 she played lead in biopic "Margaret Bourke-White" (TNT). Fawcett took the cable ACE award for Best Actress for this performance.

In 1991 she starred opposite Ryan O'Neal in short-lived CBS sitcom, "Good Sports". In 1994 she co-starred in the above average TV-movie "The Substitute Wife" (NBC). In 1995 Fawcett received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1995 Farrah returned to features after a six-year absence as co-star of the Jonathan Taylor Thomas-Chevy Chase vehicle "Man of the House". Fawcett, in 1995, posed for Playboy. In 1996 she had the lead role in the Western "Dalva" (ABC). In 1997 Fawcett starred in the pay-per-view special "Farrah Fawcett: All of Me"; later released on video.

In 1997 she had one of her best feature roles as Robert Duvall's straying spouse in "The Apostle". In 1997 Fawcett appeared on "Late Night with David Letterman"; people thought she was erratic which prompted speculation about drug or alcohol abuse. In 2000 Farrah had a supporting role as Richard Gere's disturbed wife in "Dr. T & the Women".

In 2000 she starred in TNT's "Baby". In 2001 she had the leading role as the mother of a Downs Syndrome child in "Jewel" (CBS). In 2001 she Joined the cast of the ABC sitcom "Spin City" in the recurring role of a judge who has an affair with the mayor (Barry Bostwick). In 2003 Farrah received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series for her role in "The Guardian". In 2004, Farrah had a supporting role in "The Cookout." In 2005 Fawcett returned to television with her own reality show "Chasing Farrah."

In 2007 Fawcett along with Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith paid tribute to Aaron Spelling at the Emmy awards. On October 4th, 2006 Fawcett announced she had been battling rectal cancer and was undergoing treatment which included chemotherapy and surgery. The AP wire service reported (On Farrah's 60th) that she was "cancer free" but on May 16, 2007 it was reported that a malignant polyp was found and Farrah continued to battle the disease as well as video tape it. Ironically Fawcett took a hand held recorder with her when it was discovered that the cancer was still present and continued to film her ordeal with the help of her friend Alana Stewart. Fawcett over the course of the next two years traveled to Germany for treatments and continued to document her struggle. The end project "Farrah's Fight" would air on NBC.