Loni Anderson made waves and amassed several awards with her performance in WKRP in Cincinnati, playing the captivating receptionist, Jennifer Marlowe. Jennifer brought a bit of everything to the table, from her sparkling looks to her sharp mind to her caring heart.
The character came to mean a lot to Loni, who has seen the special place Jennifer has in the hearts of many other women of all backgrounds. Her performance earned Loni multiple Golden Globe Awards but it also saw her create something that endures today. So just what would Jennifer be doing today, according to Loni?
Loni Anderson paints a picture of Jennifer Marlowe’s life after ‘WKRP in Cincinnati‘
Speaking with Us Weekly, Loni reflected on Jennifer’s strength of character and what an unstoppable powerhouse she probably still is today, over four decades since WKRP in Cincinnati ended.
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“I do think that she’s running the show somewhere,” she mused. “She is definitely a CEO, because she really ran the station.”
That’s in large part because of the maternal nature Jennifer harbored, while still being a strong leader. “She was the smartest person in the room,” said Loni. “She spoke seven languages and she took care of everybody like she was their mom. And yet she was a bombshell, so it made her so interesting.”
The ongoing effect of ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ for Loni and the fans
On top of three Golden Globe wins, Loni also has two Emmy Award nominations to her name, all thanks to her memorable, balanced approach to bringing Jennifer Marlowe to life. But it’s not just the awards she wants people to know her for – not exclusively, but rather as part of a bigger picture.
“I hope that I’ll be remembered for changing the whole look of a young woman with a career,” said Loni. “My granddaughters are like, ‘What? Was it ever any different?’ Yes, it was,” she continued. “My daughter’s generation felt that they were able to do anything and still be cute — and my granddaughter’s generation doesn’t even think a thing of it.”
As for her own time as Jennifer, Loni recalled, “Young women, especially, identified with [the idea that] you can be hot and also be the smartest person in the room. It was a wonderful thing.” It was a unique message delivered by none other than Jennifer Marlowe, who assured women they could be the most of however many traits that they wanted.