Long before she shot to fame as one member of the iconic first season trio of Charlie’s Angels, Farrah Fawcett had aspirations to be a different kind of creative — an artist specializing in sculpture.
In the mid-1960s, the Corpus Christie native attended the University of Texas at Austin to study art. But prior to graduating, Hollywood came calling.
“She wanted to do sculpture and art when she went to the University of Texas, and then she got discovered and came here [to Los Angeles] and her whole life changed.” Fawcett’s longtime friend Alana Stewart tells PEOPLE in a recent interview.
Even after her trademark feathered hair and bright smile led to her becoming a household name — and the subject of what is likely the best-selling pinup poster of all time — Fawcett never abandoned her creative pursuits.
“She never gave up her art,” says Stewart, 79. “And even when she was battling cancer, when she had time, she would go in and work on her art. It was something she really loved.”
Stewart was both a close friend of the late actress and now serves as the president of her eponymous foundation, which works to advance cancer research, prevention and public education, On Oct. 24, 2024. the organization will host its annual gala — one co-chaired by Stewart, Dallas star Linda Gray and Fawcett’s Charlie’s Angels costar, Jaclyn Smith.
Stewart was also by the actress’s side during her public battle with anal cancer, with which she was diagnosed in 2006. Fawcett died in 2009, at age 62.
“She said one time that the reason she loved [art] so much was because it was just totally hers,” Stewart muses. “It wasn’t a script that someone wrote that she had to memorize, and it wasn’t like working with the director on how to play it. It was just her. It was 100% her creation.”
Stewart keeps a selection of Fawcett’s works — all of which were gifts from the actress — close at hand.
“I have a sketch that she did on my wall,” she says. “It’s beautiful. It’s a nude and it’s in black and white. And then I have a couple of her sculptures, which she gave me.”
Those sculptures — which are displayed in Stewart’s office — offer an ever-present reminder of her longtime friend.
“It’s a place I really like to be, because I feel like her spirit is there,” Stewart says. “And sometimes when I’m not sure about something … I’ll just think about it, and it’s like I get a message from her. I always call it ‘the Farrah chills.’ “
