Tanya Roberts of Charlie's Angels and That '70s Show passes away following premature death announcement

The former Bond Girl was 65.

Everett Collection

UPDATE: Roberts was hospitalized after collapsing on December 24, and her passing was erroneously reported on Sunday, January 2. Inside Edition was interviewing her boyfriend on January 3 about the death when he received word that she was still alive. (Watch the video here.) Later that same evening, the hospital phoned to say that Roberts had died, according to TMZ.

Charlie's Angels were a trio, but more than three super investigators cycled through the Charles Townsend Agency. Six women played Angels on the original television series that ran from 1976 to 1981. Farrah Fawcett, perhaps the first name that comes to mind, lasted a mere season as Jill Munroe. Cheryl Ladd took over as her younger sister, Kris. 

Following the departure of Kate Jackson as Sabrina after the third season, two gorgeous actors filled her shoes for the final two years. Shelley Hack portrayed Tiffany, and in the final season, Tanya Roberts took over as a tough model with a mean punch named Julie Rogers.

It was a breakthrough role for Roberts, who landed on the cover of People magazine to promote Angels. Most television viewers at the time would have known her from Seventies commercials, as she has popped up in spots for Excedrin headache medicine, Ultra Brite toothpaste, Clairol and Cool-Ray sunglasses.

The New York City native was married to a screenwriter, and the couple moved to Los Angeles to pursue Hollywood careers. Roberts landed roles in B-movies such as the slasher flick Tourist Trap — which featured former Rifleman Chuck Connors as the killer! — California Dreaming, a 1979 beach-party film from the genre's dominant studio, American International Pictures.

A year later, she had landed her gig on Aaron Spelling's Charlie's Angels. Spelling clearly championed Roberts, as she also turned up on his Fantasy Island and The Love Boat. Her time as an Angel lasted just one season, as the show was canceled, but the exposure launched Roberts' career to a new level.

Everett CollectionRoberts on That '70s Show

In the early Eighties, she became an icon of fantasy thanks to her roles in the movies The Beastmaster and Sheena. Then, in 1985, the brunette made the ultimate leap to Bond Girl, opposite Roger Moore and Christopher Walken in A View to a Kill.

She would prove herself to be more than a pin-up icon of the 1980s. Around the turn of the millennium, Roberts showed off her comedy chops in the hit sitcom That '70s Show. She played Midge Pinciotti, Donna's mom.

On January 3, Roberts was reported as having passed following a health scare on Christmas Eve, according to The Hollywood Reporter. A day later, in the evening of January 4, Roberts died, as reported by her partner to TMZ.

Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
Close

46 Comments

WJStMarie 38 months ago
Thank you for all info you give
DanielIMF22 39 months ago
God Bless You, Tanya; you left us way too soon. Rest in peace.
Wiseguy 39 months ago
Many times there are a total of six members of a trio. Charlie's Angels was one case. Three's Company had six roommates and the Three Stooges also had six members.
ELEANOR 39 months ago
So sad that premature notice of her passing occurred. So why wasn't her boyfriend with her at the hospital? Why was he even taking the time for an interview? So sad that she was alone.
WF 39 months ago
I never watched Charlie's Angels, but I am a long-time Bond movie fan, and, though I feel bad saying it at this time, I thought Tanya Roberts as Stacy Sutton in "A View to a Kill" made one of the poorer Bond Girls. It didn't help her that AVTAK was easily the worst of the Roger Moore Bond movies, and what made it worse still was that Roger Moore looked old enough to be her grandfather. She wasn't the worst Bond Girl though, that honor going to Denise Richards as Christmas Jones in "The World is Not Enough". Again, sorry to say something bad about someone I have nothing against and someone who seemed to have otherwise been a fine actress (and one who has left us too soon).
Bardown1 39 months ago
Pretty lady. Gone too soon. Our past is dwindling away. Sad.
LHorton 39 months ago
I really like her in Charlie's Angels. I know that I may be in the minority. I liked her grit as Julie and I thought that she was absolutely beautiful. I remember writhing to her and asking for an autographed picture and she sent it. I still have it. May she rest in peace
AlF 39 months ago
Pretty lady. Sad to hear it.
scott 39 months ago
Ms. Roberts was a smart actor; much more than a pretty face. She did not seek out fame — she simply wanted to act. This is very sad news.
Mob39 39 months ago
I didn’t really care for her character and Charlie’s Angels, But I really enjoyed watching her in that 70 show! She was a beautiful lady and a funny lady with good comedic timing. May she Rest In Peace🙏🏻❤️🙌🏻
Vee Mob39 39 months ago
Me too! I didn't think she fit on Angels but was fantastic on the 70s show.
Vee 37 months ago
This comment has been removed.
denny 39 months ago
Didn't care much for her on Charlie's Angels, but she was great on That 70s Show. RIP.
StrayCat 39 months ago
Sadly, it seems although reports of her passing were premature, Tanya Roberts did pass away a day later. Complications from a urinary tract infection was the listed cause of death.
Wow, really? I'm not a doctor but I've known lots of women who have had urinary tract infections. I have never before heard of one being fatal. So sad.
CouchPotato987 StrayCat 39 months ago
I’ve never heard of anyone passing from a UTI either. She and the Lois Chiles from Moonraker were my two favorite Bond Girls. R.I.P.
OldTVfanatic StrayCat 39 months ago
It was a UTI combined with lingering hepatitis C.
They said the UTI had spread to her other organs. I'm no doctor either but i would have thought this could have been prevented.
cperrynaples 39 months ago
Glad you corrected yourself! Now how about doing a tribute to someone who's REALLY dead? William Link passed away last week, and he's only the co-creator of Columbo, the centerpiece of MeTV Sunday night!
cperrynaples cperrynaples 39 months ago
UPDATE: Roberts is dead now, so RIP! And now how about William Link? Certainly, he's at least as deserving a tribute as Roberts was!
MrsPhilHarris 39 months ago
I loved her as Midge on That ‘70s Show. It wasn’t the same after she left.
justjeff 39 months ago
As Mark Twain once said... "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated"!
justjeff 38 months ago
This comment has been removed.
StrayCat 39 months ago
How can such a mistake be made? Then apparently it took a day to notify anyone she was alive. Ms. Roberts is still alive but she's remains in intensive care.
texasluva 39 months ago
How does this happen? Then getting a call she is still alive? Whom told him she was deceased in the first place? The agent? Where did the agent get this info? Well I am certainly happy that this got straightened out .
texasluva texasluva 39 months ago
All the stations reported her death without any iron-clad proof. Just by word alone. What next? A siren and warnings in Hawaii they are to be nuke in minutes .
Welcome to Journalism in the year 2021.
Invidinvasion texasluva 39 months ago
Oh, that end sentence is just unnecessary stupidity!
Wiseguy texasluva 39 months ago
..."who" told him...
Journalism has nothing to do with it. Somebody made a mistake. Are you so perfect you never made one? (Maybe in your own mind...)
Jeremy 39 months ago
'What!? Are you serious!?" My exact words when I heard the news just now!
Jeremy Jeremy 39 months ago
Three hours later

I went to Wikipedia on a whim and it's a good thing I did otherwise I wouldn't have learned the truth so quickly. She's alive, folks, in case you don't know. I wish it were the case with Dawn Wells and the others but it's not.
Jayme Jeremy 39 months ago
And gone again... RIP.
Jeremy Jayme 39 months ago
I know. I just heard about it from Wikipedia.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?