The ‘70s is definitely an unforgettable period in history – flower power, technological advances, political unrest, and some very cringe-worthy fashion (which appears to be experiencing a revival). But how about the celebrities in that decade? Some have remained in Hollywood while others have switched to other equally glamorous careers. Either way, these stars remain to be close to our hearts.
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt started out by performing in West Hollywood’s Troubadour nightclub before the singer became popularly known as the “First Lady of Rock.” She went on to have more than 30 of her records go gold or platinum and win ten Grammys. Tragically, her career ended in 2012, when she got diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. In 2013, the “Queen of Rock” released a memoir titled Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir, which has details about her experience in the limelight.
Linda Ronstadt
Goldie Hawn
Goldie Hawn’s big break came when she made appearances on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In. She then went on to take various comedic roles and starred in films such as There’s a Girl in My Soup and Butterflies are Free. Major hits such as Death Becomes Her, The First Wives Club, and Overboard firmly solidified her career. After a short break from Hollywood, the star returned and starred in the 2017 action comedy film Snatched alongside Amy Schumer.
Goldie Hawn
Pam Grier
Pam Grier’s career began in the early 1970s, when she appeared in several Blaxploitation films such as Coffy, Foxy Brown, and Sheba, Baby. She also acted in several other action-filled thrillers like Mars Attacks!, Man with the Iron Fists, and Bad Grandmas. What’s more, Grier wrote an autobiography, which she recently revealed will be made into a biopic. Early in 2018, she made an appearance on This Is Us.
Pam Grier
Linda Gray
It might have been her acting roles for which Linda Gray has become known for, but her legs got her started. She worked as Anne Bancroft’s body double in The Graduate — Gray’s legs were on the film’s poster and it was reported she received a $25 payment for one leg! She then starred on the hit series Dallas as Sue Ellen and reprised her role in its remake. Gray has also appeared in movies such as Star of Jaipur, The Entertainers, Oscar, alongside Sylvester Stallone, and most recently Prescience, she played a lead role.
Linda Gray
Kim Basinger
In addition to being a model, Kim Basinger is also an actress who has enjoyed a successful career. After she made her debut in the 1976 mini-series Gemini Man, Basinger then played Lynn Bracken in L.A. Confidential. She continues to act today and recently appeared in The Nice Guys alongside Russell Crowe. She also took on a role in the film Fifty Shades Darker.
Kim Basinger
Barbara Streisand
Barbara Streisand doesn’t really need an introduction. She launched her career in the late 1960s, appearing in musicals such as Hello, Dolly! and Funny Girl, and experienced meteoric success. Aside from being among the all-time bestselling musicians, Streisand has also done some directing, composing, writing, and producing. She is also set to star in the upcoming Netflix series The Politician alongside Gwyneth Paltrow.
Barbara Streisand
Billie Jean King
In the now-famous 1973 “Battle of the Sexes,” tennis legend Bobby Riggs was pitted against another legend, Billie Jean King. When she emerged as the winner, King shot to fame as well as amassed a fortune. In 1981, King became the first-ever female athlete to admit publicly that she was gay and in 1987, she divorced Larry King. In addition, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the famous 1973 tennis match will be made into a movie starring Emma Stone as King.
Billie Jean King
Ann-Margret
Ann-Margret is probably best known for the movie adaptation of Bye Bye Birdie, where she played the breakout role of Kim Mcafee. However, she’s still active in the industry. In 2017, she played Annie in the film Going in Style, alongside Morgan Freeman, and in 2018, she portrayed Barbara in Papa. Ann-Margret has also received a Grammy nomination.
Ann-Margret
Alison Arngrim
Alison Arngrim is known for playing Nellie on the show Little House on the Prairie, but after the series ended, she struggled to find success of the same level. She took on minor roles and even penned a gut-busting memoir, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated. Alison Arngrim is also actively involved in a number of philanthropic endeavors.
Alison Arngrim
Teri Garr
Beloved for playing Igna in Young Frankenstein by Gene Wilder, Teri Garr went on to enjoy a really successful career. A few of the films she starred in are Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Tootsie. In 2002, she revealed that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and in 2007, she retired from acting. She now serves in the National Multiple Sclerosis Society as its National Ambassador and she is also the National Chair for Women Against MS.
Teri Garr
Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson started out as a model prior to becoming an actress. Famous for the roles she played in films like The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman, King, Sounder, and Roots, Tyson still continues to act even if she is already 93 years old! The most recent role she played was on the popular series How to Get Away with Murder.
Cicely Tyson
Charlene Tilton
The fan-favorite Dallas is where Charlene Tilton got her start, playing Lucy Ewing. Because of her character’s short stature and nasty nature, Tilton earned the nickname “poisonous dwarf.” After her Dallas stint, she went into music and was a singer for some time but she set it aside, ultimately favoring charity work. Currently, Tilton works to raise awareness about Autism.
Charlene Tilton
Paula Prentiss
She initially started out playing comedic roles, but Paula Prentiss achieved major stardom after she played her memorable role in the thriller The Stepford Wives in 1975. She is most fondly remembered and best known for the characters she portrayed in movies such as The Black Marble and What’s New Pussycat and on the TV show He & She. Her most recent appearance was in the 2016 horror film I am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House.
Paula Prentiss
Kate Jackson
Kate Jackson portrayed the character Sabrina Duncan on Charlie’s Angels. However, she retired from the crime-fighting after three seasons. She then had appearances on shows such as Baby Boom and Scarecrow and Mrs. King. Jackson has a memoir which is set to be released in 2020.
Kate Jackson
Loretta Swit
Despite the Emmy Award-winning actress being best known for playing Major Margaret on M*A*S*H, Loretta Swit also penned A Needlepoint Scrapbook back in 1985. She has set aside her acting since the 1990s and did some voiceover work in the upcoming movie Play the Flute, which is scheduled to be released in 2019.
Loretta Swit
Debbie Harry
Born Angela Tremble, Debbie Harry is the singer who leads the band Blondie. In 1976, they released their first record to great acclaim but after some time in the industry, they took a break for fifteen years, only starting to make music again in the year 1997. Harry was inspired by Elton John’s devotion to charity, so she now also works to fight endometriosis and cancer. She said, “After witnessing Elton John and his tireless efforts against HIV/AIDS. These things are important to my life now. I have the privilege of being able to get involved, so I do. I applaud people like Elton John, who have used their position to do so much good.”
Debbie Harry
Ali MacGraw
Ali MacGraw started out in the industry by doing commercials. She took her first major role in the 1970 film Love Story where she played Jenny. Despite the film being a success, the actress only starred in three more films over the next decade: Players, The Getaway, and Convoy. The more recent projects she was involved in was the film Glam in 1997 and the stage production Love Letters, where she reunited with Ryan O’Neal, her Love Story costar.
Ali MacGraw
Loni Anderson
Loni Anderson experienced a somewhat slow start and he spent most of the 1970s playing minor roles on TV. However, in 1978, the actress had her big break when she was cast as Jennifer on WKRP in Cincinnati. She then went on to act on TV shows like Easy Street, Partners in Crime, and the made for TV movie White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd. Anderson recently starred opposite comedian Bridget Everett on Amazon’s Love You More.
Loni Anderson
Maureen McCormick
We all love The Brady Bunch and fans of the series will definitely remember Maureen McCormick, who played Marcia Brady. McCormick reprised the role in the film and on TV spin-offs. She has also appeared in reality shows such as Dancing with the Stars and I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!. In 2017, she played a lead role in The Neighborhood alongside Danny Aiello.
Maureen McCormick
BOLO YEUNG, 72 YEARS OLD
Bolo Yeung is a retired competitive bodybuilder, martial artist and martial arts film actor. In the films he stars in, he is usually cast as the villain. He is best known for his performances in Enter the Dragon with Bruce Lee, Bloodsport with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Bloodfight with Yasuaki Kurata and Simon Yam. Bolo is currently 72 years old and is still active in the industry.
BOLO YEUNG, 72 YEARS OLD
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour played Solitaire in Live and Let Die and from there, she launched quite a successful career. Seymour starred in films such as The Four Feathers and Battlestar Galactica, has penned a number of self-help books, and even works to help victims of child abuse and neglect. When Playboy interviewed her, she mentioned that she also experienced harassment from a Hollywood producer during the 1970s. In 2018, at 67 years old, Seymour was the oldest woman who posed for the magazine.
Jane Seymour
Diane Keaton
Despite making her official debut in The Godfather as Kay, Diane Keaton is best known for the work she has done with Woody Allen. She acted in a number of his movies, including Annie Hall, Love and Death, Sleeper, and Play it Again Sam. She even won an Academy Award for her performance in Annie Hall. She enjoys a successful career, acting in films like The Family Stone, Father of the Bride, and The First Wives Club, aside from working as an author, real estate developer, photographer, and even the occasional singer.
Diane Keaton
Sissy Spacek
Sissy Spacek rose to fame after her performance in Badlands won critical acclaim. She then went on to play a role that was even more monumental. She portrayed the titular character in the film Carrie and her performance in it earned her an Academy Award nomination. She also acted in films such as In the Bedroom, Missing, Coal Miner’s Daughter, and The Help.
Sissy Spacek
Faye Dunaway
Faye Dunaway started her career on Broadway, but in 1967, she made her debut on the big screen with the movie The Happening. However, what truly launched her career was her portrayal of the character Bonnie in the film Bonnie and Clyde, for which she won an Oscar. Dunaway most recently starred in the movie Inconceivable alongside Nicolas Cage and Gina Gershon. Despite being very private, Dunaway is known to have been married twice – her second husband was Terry O’Neill (but they divorced) and they have a son together.
Faye Dunaway
Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews’ career also started on Broadway and she performed in shows like My Fair Lady and Camelot. Beloved for her great musical ability and wonderful voice, Andrews captivated audiences in films such as Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. In addition, she headlined variety specials during the 1970s. Her talents extend much further – she has lent her voice to animated characters, like Gru’s mom in Despicable Me 3, and she has written a memoir and a number of children’s books.
Julie Andrews
Beverly Johnson
Beverly Johnson went down in history for being the first ever African American who was featured on the cover of Elle in France and Vogue in America. She has also acted in a number of films. In a Vanity Fair article in 2014, she wrote about Bill Cosby drugging her in the 1980s. She also included the incident in the memoir she released in 2015.
Beverly Johnson
Karen Lynn Gorney
Karen Lynn Gorney, who was on All My Children as Tara Martin, is probably best remembered for the popular classic Saturday Night Fever opposite John Travolta. After a short hiatus from Hollywood during the 1980s, Gorney returned and took roles on shows such as Law & Order and The Sopranos. Recently, she starred in the film H.O.M.E. and has a number of films in production as well.
Karen Lynn Gorney
Lorraine Gary
Best known for Spielberg’s famous Jaws where she played the lead role, Lorraine Gary made a decision to retire after appearing in the movie 1941. However, Gary reprised her role in Jaws: The Revenge, which was released back in 1987. She now works with different philanthropic initiatives like the Human Rights Watch Africa Advisory Committee and the Human Rights Watch Women’s Rights Advisory Committee.
Lorraine Gary
Ellen Burstyn
Ellen Burstyn is one of the more critically acclaimed actresses on this list. She received two nominations for her roles in The Exorcist and The Last Picture Show and won an Academy Award for her portrayal of the titular character in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. In addition, she starred in the movies Requiem for a Dream and Resurrection. Burstyn most recently appeared alongside Laura Dern in The Tale, an HBO movie released in 2018.
Ellen Burstyn
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep needs no introduction. She started on Broadway, and in 1977, landed a role in the made-for-television film Deadliest Season. She then got cast in Kramer v Kramer and her performance in the film garnered her a Golden Globe and an Oscar. Streep is one of the most acclaimed stars in Hollywood and her most recent projects include the Mamma Mia! remake and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and season two of HBO’s Big Little Lies.
Meryl Streep
Marilu Henner
Yet another actress who started out on Broadway, Marilu Henner was one of the original cast members of Grease. She then took roles in films like Between the Lines and Bloodbrothers, opposite Richard Gere, but playing the character Elaine on the sitcom Taxi cemented her stardom. She has also worked as a radio host and producer and has penned books advocating healthy living through exercise and non-dairy diets. She is very open about the unique condition she has – Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, which enables her to remember a lot of details about her life.
Marilu Henner
Carol Kane
Carole Kane’s big break came when she played Gitl in the 1975 film Hester Street, which got her nominated for a Golden Globe. She then starred in Addams Family Values, Annie Hall, Scrooged, and The Princess Bride. She is just so lovable as Lillian on the original series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt by Netflix.
Carol Kane
Talia Shire
Talia Shire is famous for her roles in The Godfather as Connie and in Rocky as Adrian, alongside Sylvester Stallone. Her performances in both films earned her nominations for the Academy Awards. Her most recent appearances were on the TV series Kingdom and in films like Con Man, Dreamland, and Palo Alto.
Talia Shire
Diana Ross
The legendary Diana Ross was The Supremes’ lead singer before she launched a very successful solo career and released singles like “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand).” She has also acted in movies. The Supremes were recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and they are still considered to be among the best in America. In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded Diana Ross with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Diana Ross
Mindy Cohn
Mindy Cohn, who started her career playing Natalie on The Facts of Life, went on to appear on shows such as The Secret Life of an American Teenager and The Second Half. She still captivates audiences with her voice acting on The Kids from Room 402 and lending her voice to mystery-solving Velma on Scooby-Doo. Recently, she appeared on the show Hollywood Dirt.
Mindy Cohn
Cybill Shepherd
Another multitalented celeb on this list is Cybill Shepherd. She started her career in 1971 when she appeared in the movie The Last Picture Show. She then appeared in The Heartbreak Kid and Taxi Driver. She also ventured into Broadway in 2012 in The Best Man alongside James Earl Jones, aside from playing in shows such as The L Word, Psycho, and Rose, which included Pam Grier and James Brolin.
Cybill Shepherd
Agnetha Faltskog
The Swedish pop sensation ABBA is one of the few bands who has had so much influence in the world. The band’s hits include “Dancing Queen” and “Waterloo,” which have been entertaining listeners for many decades. Agnetha Faltskog (one of the As in ABBA) got her big break when she joined the band but unfortunately, they broke up in the 1980s. After more than 35 years, however, ABBA made and released new music. Faltskog, on the other hand, found some success when she went solo, and in 2016, she wrote an autobiography.
Agnetha Faltskog
Carly Simon
Carly Simon’s first album was released in 1971 and it included the popular single “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard it Should Be.” It was such as big hit that she released another album within only a few months. However, Simon only experienced true stardom when she released the hit song “You’re so Vain” in 1972. Simon continues to perform to this day, recently toured with Taylor Swift, and wrote a memoir in 2015, which included details about her childhood and her failed marriage to fellow singer James Taylor.
Carly Simon
Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver got started in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall, but despite her playing only a minor role, the exposure aided her in landing her major role in the Alien franchise, which spanned several movies. She also starred in movies like Ghostbusters, Holes, and Avatar. She also performed on Broadway and was nominated for a Tony.
Sigourney Weaver
Catherine Bach
Catherine Bach played the iconic character Daisy Duke on The Dukes of Hazzard. This helped her get cast in films and shows. She was Anita Lawson on The Young and the Restless, the soap opera, and she appeared in the made-for-television movie My Best Friend.
Catherine Bach
Lynda Carter
Before portraying Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter won Miss World America in the year 1972, which helped her land her career-defining role. In 1979, she became Wonder Woman on the small screen. Some of her more recent roles were in movies like Sky High, The Dukes of Hazzard, and Super Troopers 2 and on the show Super Girl. Aside from acting, Carter has also done some singing.
Lynda Carter
Chris Evert
Chris Evert began playing tennis at five years old. She was a world champion in tennis from 1974 to 1981 and became the first-ever recipient of Sports Illustrated’s “Sportswoman of the Year” Award in 1976. Evert has retired from tennis, but she keeps busy as an ESPN analyst and coach, aside from selling an active apparel line. She is even tied with Serena Williams for the most wins at the US Open, with six championships.
Chris Evert
Shelley Duvall
Shelley Duvall got her start in Robert Altman films and they helped in getting the attention of Hollywood producers. She then went on to play roles in films such as McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Nashville, Brewster McCloud, Thieves Like Us, and 3 Women, but her roles in The Shining and Popeye were what made her well-known. In the early 2000s, Duvall retired from acting but these days, she still works as a producer for various children’s shows. Back in 2016, Dr. Phil and USA Today called Duvall mentally ill, which captured the headlines.
Shelley Duvall
Cloris Leachman
By the 1970s, Cloris Leachman was already popular but during this decade, her career took off, owing to her Academy Award-winning performance in the film The Last Picture Show. She went on to play the character Phyllis on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, for which she won numerous awards. With more than 300 acting credits to her name, 90-year-old Leachman is among the most prolific and hardworking women in Hollywood!
Cloris Leachman
Jodi Foster
Jodie Foster started acting in the 1960s, with roles in commercials. She then moved on to TV and in the 1970s, she landed her first lead role on the ephemeral sitcom Paper Moon, based on the 1973 film. However, her role in Taxi Driver as Iris was what launched her career, having won two Oscars and many other awards for her performance. Today, her focus is more on directing rather than acting.
Jodi Foster
Rene Russo
Rene Russo started her career doing some work as a model. She appeared on the covers of various magazines like Cosmopolitan and Vogue. In the 1980s, she went into acting and took the role of Sable. From there, she starred in films such as Tin Cup, Major League, Nightcrawler, Thor, and The Intern.
Rene Russo