“Beautiful”, “talented”, “iconic”, these are all words to describe many of the starlets that appeared in films in the 1970s. They’d sell out movie theaters and have their posters plastered on walls. But, a lot’s changed since the 70s, including these young beauties. Let’s see how they’ve changed between then and now.
Candice Bergen
Candice Bergen was a famous fashion model in the 1960s and 1970s, even landing herself on major magazine covers like Vogue. In the 1980s, she began a successful acting career that she’s still keeping up. Although, normally, she’s casted as stuck-up, wealthy, and over-bearing motherly figures.
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour’s claim to fame was when she became a “Bond girl” in the 1973 film Live and Let Die. She also became an author, having written four novels and co-written a series of children’s books with James Keach. She has since become a celebrity ambassador for the nonprofit Childhelp. The organization is dedicated to helping save children subjected to neglect or abuse.
Goldie Hawn
Goldie Hawn appeared in nine films in the just the 1970s. And she became an Academy Award and Golden Globe in 1969 for her part in the move Cactus Flower. She continued acting all the way into the 90s, before switching to executive producer roles in the early 2000s. In 2003 she also founded the Hawn Foundation, providing educational program to improve the academic performance of struggling students, mostly those who live in poverty.
Pam Grier
The most popular of Pam Grier’s eight roles in the 1970s was as Foxy Brown in the film of the same name. She continued acting all the way through to the early 2000s, until she opted to stop acting to pursue her personal goals. By 2011 she actually finished two doctoral programs and founded the Pam Grier Community Garden and Education Center.
Cher
Cher doesn’t look like she’s aged a day since 1970. She entertained 30 million viewers every week on The Sonny & Cher Hour. She also had a chart-topping solo career in the music industry. She still tours in the present with her timeless style and unmatched music. And she’s also rather politically active, being a go-to keynote speaker at LGBT rallies and events.
Bo Derek
Bo Derek became famous after starring in the 1979 film 10. She just as quickly became an American sex symbol, having released a series of posters of her in a swimsuit with braided hair. Her acting career and sex appeal stayed strong all the way up until the early 2000s. In her spare time, she’s been shown to be a passionate advocate for disabled veterans. She even became an honorary chairperson for National Rehabilitation Special Events put on by Veterans Affairs.
Faye Dunaway
Faye Dunaway started acting on Broadway in the 1960s, but soon progressed to the silver screen. In 1967, she got her big break in Bonnie and Clyde, and later starred in 10 other movies in the 1970s. Over the course of her career, she’s managed to fill up her trophy case with many awards in the field of acting.
Erin Gray
Erin Gray began modeling at only age 15, becoming one of America’s top TV models by the mid-1970s. She had contracts with L’Oreal and Bloomingdales before she started acting. And through the decades she’s starred in many films and TV series.
Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975 and helped the band sell 40 million albums. Her unique vocal style also helped her launch a successful solo career. Her first album, Bella Donna, went platinum in three months. She would go on to make eight more albums of equal renown. She’s still producing music today, having released the album 24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault, in 2014. She also went on tour in 2016, with a few other projects that were released in 2017.
Jaclyn Smith
Jaclyn Smith’s rise to fame came from her role in Charlie’s Angels in 1976. She’s mostly appeared in TV movies and shows since then, including a few bigger gigs on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She’s also a business woman, having launched a clothing line in 1980s and a wig line in 2008. She’s been credited for encouraging celebrities to create their own brands instead of endorsing others.
Sally Field
Sally Field made it big in a show called The Girl With Something Extra in 1973-1974. Then, in the late 1970s, she migrated to the big screen. In 1979 she even won an Academy Award for her role in Norma Rae. In addition to acting, over the past few years Field has been loudly championing women’s rights. She’s on the board of directors for Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international women’s advocacy group.
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton first began her music career in the 1960s. Although, her first chart topper was with “Jolene” in the 1970s. Of course, with so much success from that song, she’s re-released it and performed it with Pentatonix on The Voice. Earlier on in her career, Dolly Parton also did some modeling for Playboy. And it seems as though she hasn’t aged much since then.
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton’s first major role came when she appeared in The Godfather, and subsequent appearances in films with Woody Allen helped catapult her to stardom. She even won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her roll in Annie Hall. And it certainly wasn’t her first award. She’s still starring in film projects today, but the most difficult part of her life, as described by Keaton, herself, was motherhood after adopting her two kids.
Cybill Shepherd
Cybill Shephard first began modeling as a teenager. It was her appearance on the Glamour magazine cover that helped her land her first movie role in The Last Picture Show. She appeared in other roles throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s as well.
Barbi Benton
At 18 years old, Barbi Benton co-hosted Playboy After Dark at 18 years old. During her modeling career, she also made the cover of Playboy four times. In 1975 she recorded a top five Billboard hit, and appeared in a few movies and television shows throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Catherine Bach
Catherine Bach portrayed Daisy Duke in the film The Dukes of Hazzard. A fun fact while filming the movie, her legs were actually so important that they were insured for $1,000,000. A show poster she posed for also sold five million copies. The classic “daisy dukes” that were named after her character were actually her idea. She was hired on the spot for the role after her audition.
Raquel Welch
Raquel Welch became a sex symbol in 1966 after appearing in a deer-skin bikini in the film One Million B.C. In the 1990s, she ranked No. 3 on Playboy’s “100 Sexiest Stars if the Twentieth Century” list. She also wrote an autobiography called Raquel: Beyond The Cleavage. She’s still acting in the present.
Jackie Stallone
The mother of Sylvester Stallone, she had quite a lot of work done over the years. The amount of glamour she had in her younger years may have faded, but we’ll still always remember her work as a dancer and wrestling promoter. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2020.
Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett has been nominated for four Emmies and six Golden Globes. Her worldwide fame came when she posed for this particular photo. Not to mention, her role on Charlie’s Angels really increased her level of fame. Not to mention, her hairstyle is so iconic that the style itself was named after her.
Debbie Harry
Debbie Harry is the lead singer of the band Blondie, but has also had a rather large acting career. She’s been in over 60 films and made numerous appearances on television. She became an icon of punk music and has also been a part of many collaborations. Even today, the band is still producing music.
Suzanne Somers
Suzanne Somers is best known for her roles on the shows Three’s Company and Step By Step. She’s also written a series of best-selling self-help books, two autobiographies, four diet books, and a compilation of poetry. She became a Las Vegas entertainer in the 1980s and became the spokeswoman for the Thighmaster in the 1990s.
Melissa Sue Anderson
Melissa Sue Anderson played Mary Ingalls on the classic “The Little House On The Prairie”. Her character also was the only one to earn an Emmy nomination during the show’s run. She permanently relocated to Canada in 2007 following her retirement.
Mary Tyler Moore
The Mary Tyler Moor Show captivated audiences between 1970 and 1977. It’s witty leading lady and entertaining script helped to keep everyone invested. Her progressive attitude has always been a part of her career, and the show itself won her 29 Emmy Awards during its run.
Donna Summer
Chic disco owes its popularity to Donna Summer. She won five Grammies and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach number 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. She’s talented, and has been rewarded for it by becoming one of the world’s best-selling artists, ever.
Olivia Newton–John
Singer, songwriter, and actress, Olivia-Newton John has won four Grammies and sold over 100 million records worldwide. Of course, she’s also well-known for her role in Grease. She still actively tours the country and more recently made a guest appearance in RuPaul’s Dragon Race.
Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver’s best known for her contribution to science-fiction film history. Other than her iconic role as Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise, she’s also appeared in the box-office hits Ghostbusters and Avatar. She still appears in many, many films and TV series in the present, and doesn’t appear to be anywhere close to retiring.
Linda Gray
Linda Gray’s body debuted before her face did. She was the body double of “Mrs. Robinson” in The Graduate. Eventually she did end up getting her own roles as well. Her breakthrough role was on Dallas as Sue Ellen. While much older now, she’s aged extremely well.
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt was a musician, getting started at the Troubadour nightclub in West Hollywood. Over time, she ended up becoming known as the Queen of Rock and the First Lady of Rock. She got 30 gold and platinum records and ten Grammys. Unfortunately, she needed to retire from singing in 2013 due to contracting Parkinson’s Disease.
Morgan Fairchild
Patsy Ann McClenny, better known by the stage name Morgan Fairchild, moved into the spotlight thanks to her role in Search for Tomorrow. She played Jennifer Pace, and was able to get a lot of work afterwards. Happy Days, Kojak, and Dallas were all shows she starred in. Her most famous role was in the 80s in Flamingo Road. She’s still posting in the present, even acting in the soap opera Days of our Lives.
Kirstie Alley
Kirstie Alley debuted in 1978 onscreen. But in 1982, she really broke through into the industry with her role of Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. She’s has a pretty successful career over the years, appearing as Rebecca Howe in Cheers and, most recently, Suzanne in You Can’t Take my Daughter.
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand had a very impressive and wonderful music and film career. She appeared in movies such as Funny Girl and Hello, Dolly! in the 1960s, but it was in the 70s where her career truly flourished. She appeared in many movies and musicals, but was just as effective in the spotlight as she was out of it. Producer, director, composer, and writer, she seemed to be able to do it all. While not fully retired, she isn’t as active in show business as she used to be.
Kim Basinger
Kim Basinger started as a model, but after garnering much success as one she transitioned into acting. She first appeared Gemini Man, and continued getting roles into the 70s and 80s. She’s continued acting into the present, both with full roles and more minor cameos. And she’s also still just as a beautiful as she was back in the day.
Teri Garr
Most of these starlets got their starts in dramas or action films. Not not Terri Garr. Her first big role was in the comedy Young Frankenstein, opposite of Gene Wilder. And she continued to get more roles throughout her career. In 2002, she announced she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. But, she didn’t let that stop her. She became a Nation Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the National Chair for the Society’s Women Against MS program.
Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson is another model-turned-actress and has received much critical acclaim for her performances. She’s received critical acclaim for her roles in films and TV shows like Sounder, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman, Roots, and King. She didn’t seem to be slowing down, even at 92-years-old. Unfortunately, she passed in January 2021 at age 96.
Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews most famous role was as Mary Poppins in the film of the same name. Her beautiful singing voice was lended to many musicals and she continued to appear in many projects throughout her life. While the amount of projects she’s taken on has slowed down more recently, she still gets work. She appears to have moved on more to voice work, Playing Gru’s mother in Despicable Me 3 and the Kraken in Aquaman.
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep is perhaps one of the most celebrated actresses of our time. She’s been nominated for and won numerous awards, including Oscar and Golden Globes. But before all that, she started on Broadway in the 70s. She later moved on to film when she appeared in the TV movie Deadliest Season. And the rest was history. She’s still acting today, and her name has proven to be a big draw to the box office.
