LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The ‘Hawaii Five-O’ star Sharon Farrell died at the age of 82 on May 15. Her son Chance Boyer, also an actor, confirmed her death to The Hollywood Reporter. The octogenarian actress who appeared on TV and in films with equal elan made her acting debut in 1959.
During her illustrious career, Farrell was infamously in a love triangle with Bruce Lee and Steve McQueen. The actress not only acted alongside stalwarts like Chuck Norris but also starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s productions.
How did Sharon Farrell die?
As per Sharon Farrell’s son Chance Boyer, the octagenarian actress died unexpectedly of natural causes on May 15, per The Hollywood Reporter. Farrell was hospitalized during the time of her death in Orange County.
She was born Sharon Forsmoe on December 24, 1940. She made her acting debut in 1959 with ‘Kiss Her Goodbye’. Her last starring role was in 1995 film ‘A Gift from Heaven’ where she essayed the role of Ma Samuels. However, her last appearance in a film was in 1997’s ‘Last Chance Love’. Starting with 1961’s ‘Naked City’, she made several appearances on television with the last being in 1999 with ‘JAG’. She appeared as Grandma Geraldine in just two episodes of the 2013-14 web show ‘Broken at Love’.
Sharon Farrell's acting career
After debuting in 1959, Farrell worked steadily for decades appearing in films like ‘A Lovely Way to Die’, ‘Marlowe’, ‘The Reivers’, ‘The Love Machine’, ‘It’s Alive’, ‘Lone Wolf McQuade’, among others. She has been credited for numerous television shows including ‘Wagon Train’, ‘Saints and Sinners’, ‘Empire’, ‘My Favorite Martian’, ‘Gunsmoke’, ‘Dr. Kildare’, ‘The Beverly Hillbillies', ‘Iron Horse’, ‘Insight’, ‘Premiere’, ‘Quarantined’, ‘Hawaii Five-O’, ‘Matlock’ among others. Her longest starring role in a TV series was in ‘The Young and the Restless’ from 1991 to 1996 where she portrayed the role of Florence Webster.
She was married five times
Like her expansive career, her romantic life also requires special mention. The actress had been married five times. She married actor Andrew Prine in 1962. However, the very same year, the couple annulled the marriage. In 1965, Farrell got married to Ron LeBlasio. The couple later divorced in 1969. In that year, Farrell married John F Boyer with whom she had her only son, Chance Boyer. They divorced in 1972. In the next year, the blonde beauty got married to Steve Salkin before divorcing him in 1975. He also married Dale Trevillion. The couple were together for over thirty years before divorcing in 2006.
Farrell was famously in a love triangle with the legendary Bruce Lee and Steve McQueen. The famous love triangle was revealed when Farrell told the author of 2018 book, ‘Bruce Lee: A Life’, Matthew Polly, “Bruce took me to the Moon and back, he just turned me inside out. But he was married and didn't have a pot to pee in,” before adding, “Steve [McQueen] was so successful—he was my protector…I was in lust with Steve, but Bruce was the love of my life.”
In the book, Polly narrated the secret affair between Farrell and Lee in 1968, “When Bruce spotted Sharon next to her trailer, he snuck up behind her and put his hand over her mouth. 'Why didn't you return my calls?' Bruce asked,” before adding, “'Did you really think I wouldn't be able to find you?' Bruce dragged her into her dressing room and they made love as quietly as possible, hoping no one would hear them.” Later, Farrell confessed to Lee that she was conducting an affair with Steve McQueen. Polly wrote that Farrell said, “I'm just using him to get over you,' she told Bruce. 'But we can't do this again, Bruce. I'm so sorry.'”
