Martha Stewart
Before she became the first lady of American home life, Martha Stewart was a model. She began modeling at the age of 15 and continued to work in the industry in order to pay for her studies. After that, she also worked as a stockbroker for a boutique firm for a while.
Today, Stewart has an empire of cooking books, shows, and retail. After a short period as an outlaw in 2004, Stewart came back to her brand, and in the last years, the '70s star is still expanding her brand by adding dozens of products to her retail lineup, which includes books, cookbooks, television specials, and collaborations. In June 2018, she agreed to be a guest judge on Chopped. She spends the rest of her time in her estates in New York and Maine.
Diane Keaton
Keaton was born in 1946 to a mother who was a former pageant contestant. While watching her mother perform, Keaton decided quite early that she wanted to become an actress. Her first prominent role was in The Godfather as Kay Adams-Corleone. Her career took off afterward with the actress starring in Annie Hall, Love and Death, Sleeper and Play it Again Sam.
Her performance in Annie Hall won her the Academy Award for Best Actress. As the years passed, Keaton continued to act, becoming one of the most established actresses in Hollywood. Recently, she acted as Sister Mary in the TV Series The Young Rope, and even did some voice-over work in the animated film Finding Dory.
Rebecca De Mornay
This American actress has charmed us from the very beginning. Her role as Lana in the movie Risky Business was definitely her breakthrough role and it put her on the showbusiness map at the very early age of 19.
Not long after that, a series of successful movie roles followed, such as the one in which she played Debby Huston in the Neil Simon film The Slugger's Wife. De Mornay is also known for her roles in Runaway Train, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and, more recently, Wedding Crashers. Rebecca also dated her famous co-star Tom Cruise. Their romance lasted for 2 years.
Jane Birkin
The '70s were defined by freedom and love, and Jane Birkin definitely went all in. Jane Birkin became an icon of inspiration for women across the globe when she decided to follow her own path by creating her own trends and by being as free-spirited as she could be.
From her exciting duet with French superstar Serge Gainsbourg, “Je t’aime…moi non plus”, or opting to use a straw basket over a regular handbag, the star has continuously lived by her own rules. All of this would certainly explain why Jane Birkin has constantly been the 'It Girl' since the '60s – with her style staying forever in season.
Marlo Thomas
Margaret Julia Thomas, otherwise known as Marlo Thomas, was born in 1937. Her rise to stardom began when she was cast in 1966 in the popular television series That Girl, maintaining a starring role until 1971. Then in 1980, she married the beloved talk-show host Phil Donahue, and they became a well-known power couple in the world of entertainment.
Marlo went on to become a staple in Hollywood productions, starring in countless movies and series, even producing a few of her own. She now is an active philanthropist for St. Judes Children's Hospital, which her father founded.
Linda Ronstadt
Linda originally kicked off her music career in the folk and country-rock scene at the famous Troubadour Theatre. But soon after, she made a few tweaks to her music style to an extent that the media ended up naming her the “First Lady of Rock” and “Queen of Rock”.
She won 10 Grammys and earned 31 platinum and gold records. Unfortunately, her singing career ended in 2013 when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and she announced she would no longer be performing. She remains creative, however, and has since written a memoir about her life called Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir.
Pam Grier
Pam is known for her strong and courageous roles in African-American centered movies of the 1970s. In 1973, she began her career in Jack Hill's Coffy, and continued to grow in movies like The Man with the Iron Fists, and the TV series The L Word. At the time, Grier became a huge influence within black culture and was an important performer who paved the way for other African-American artists in the industry.
After the '70s were over, Grier continued to grow and to shine in ways that only she could. The actress was the only choice for the role of Foxy Brown in Quentin Tarantino’s classic Jackie Brown. Until today, Grier’s performance in the movie is widely acclaimed, having become one of the best performances of her career.
Samantha Fox
At the age of three, Samantha Fox acted in theater shows. Her first musical album Lamborghini Records didn’t get much attention, but the following album titled Touch Me got her a lot of popularity in 17 countries from all over the world.
In 2016, Fox took part in Celebrity Big Brother, giving her a renewed popularity amongst her fans. Samantha Fox has fans from all over the world, who both love her singing and her reality television presence. She now lives a quieter life in comparison to her old days in the spotlight.
Jane Seymour
After gaining fame for her role in Live and Let Die as a Bond girl, Jane Seymour continued to act in movies and TV series such as The Four Feathers and Battlestar Galactica.
In the 1980s, she wrote a lot of self-help and inspirational books, such as Romantic Living and Among Angels. She still writes and has continued to work in movies, and has even dabbled in other fields like jewelry design. Even though she is widely known for her role as a Bond girl, '80s and '90s kids probably know her better for her performance in Doctor Quinn: Medicine Woman.
Goldie Hawn
Goldie started her career with a small role in Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. Soon after, she acted in many comedies, such as Butterflies are Free and A Girl in My Soup. Since then, Hawn has never stopped acting and has become a household name. She did, however, hit a small bump in her career when she agreed to star in the 2001 movie Town & Country alongside well-known actors Diane Keaton and Warren Beatty. Unfortunately, the movie didn’t do so well, becoming a huge box office failure.
Hawn decided to take a couple of years off, but came back in full force when she gave her voice to the children's animated series Phineas and Ferb and in 2017, she came back to the big screen in the movie Snatched.
Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks is most famous for working as a songwriter and singer in the band Fleetwood Mac, but she also had an extraordinary solo career. She prides herself on writing songs with meaning, giving poetry and symbolism to her lyrics.
Today, Stevie Nicks runs a charity called "Stevie Nicks' Band of Soldiers", where she provides aid to wounded soldiers. Since 2004, Nicks has dedicated much of her time to volunteering at Army and Navy hospitals in the nation's capital.
Barbi Benton
Barbi gained enormous popularity from a young age when she posed for several Playboy magazine issues. She remained on the covers of the popular men’s magazine for many years between 1969 and 1985. Eventually, she made her acting debut on Hee Haw.
Later, she got many roles in TV series such as The Love Boat and Sugar Time! She has also become well-known because of her previous relationship with Hugh Hefner, and of course, her appearance on The Girls Next Door. Today, Barbi lives a quieter life with her two children and husband George Gradow, in their pretty impressive real estate holdings.
Linda Gray
Linda first appeared in The Graduate as a body double for Mrs. Robinson, but her career really took off when she starred in Dallas and surprised everyone with the memorable role of Sue Ellen. After Dallas, Linda was featured in several movies like Hidden Moon, Expecting Mary, and The Entertainer.
Linda even reprised her role in the remake of Dallas, from 2012 to 2014. Some of her latest projects were in 2016 where she portrayed Tabby Maxwell-Brown in the TV series Hollyoaks, and her 2017 appearance on just two episodes of Hand of God. She has also managed to make a pretty good name for herself as a director and producer.
Kim Basinger
After spending some time as a model, Kim Basinger started her acting career in the TV show Gemini Man. People saw her star potential, and throughout the 1970s she appeared in many more TV series and movies. In the 1980s, Kim finally got the chance to be on the big screen with her most famous role being Lynn Bracken in L.A. Confidential, a role that earned her an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
In 2016, she acted alongside Russell Crowe in The Nice Guys and appeared in Fifty Shades Darker in 2017.
Nancy Kerrigan
Time to introduce Nancy Kerrigan. Just like Tonya, she too was a great skater. However, her life was filled with a bunch of incidents. As we have mentioned previously she was injured by a fellow competitor in 1994. She did not let that destroy her career and recovered quickly. Just five weeks after the incident, she was standing on the podium at the 1994 Winter Olympics when she won her silver medal.
After her career ended she remained as an Olympics correspondent. She is now enjoying life as she pleases, and she even had the chance to perform on ‘Dancing with the Stars’.
Susan Dey
Susan Dey is famous for her role in the TV sitcom The Partridge Family where she played the role of Laurie Partridge. But before joining the show, she did a couple of modeling gigs after her grandmother submitted her photo, alongside one of her sister, to a modeling agency when she was only 18 years old.
After the show, she continued acting, joining the cast of the LA Law from 1986 until 1992. Dey also succeeded in the writing industry after publishing a book titled Susan Dey’s Secrets on Boys, Beauty, and Popularity. Even though she remained in the industry for a while after her latest role, she decided to retire from acting in 2004.
Barbara Eden: Star Of Film, TV, and Stage
Well, she's not dreaming of Jeannie anymore! Barbara Eden has had a long and successful career in film, TV, and on the stage. Her first feature film was back in 1956 and her latest, 2019. However, we will always know her best for her title role in the '80s favorite, I Dream Of Jeannie. She played Jeannie for 139 episodes!
Barbara has also released a music album and has spent years headlining hotels and casino resorts. She's sung for the troops overseas and the President of the US. She is an active charity worker. She has written a memoir, entitled Jeannie Out Of The Bottle, which tells of her 50 years in Hollywood. That sounds like it could be an entertaining read!
Mandrell Sisters
In 1978, Barbara released country songs “Sleeping Single in a Double Bed” and “I Don’t Want to Be Right”, and both were popular. Later, she had her own show titled Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters. The show had two successful seasons. In 2015, the sisters served as the hosts for the Unleashed Fundraiser.
In addition to their career success, the Mandrell Sisters have stayed in the spotlight throughout the years due to their rocky family relationship, particularly Louise Mandrell’s controversial love choices. Today, some of them still perform.
Teri Garr
Although she had originally starred in The Conversation, Teri Garr really became famous for her role in Young Frankenstein as Igna. Afterward, she was featured in multiple major motion pictures like Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The Black Stallion.
To this day, she is still known for her iconic roles, but this doesn't mean she only worked in the movie industry. Teri Garr is now quite the philanthropist, making a difference in people's lives all around the world. She used her fame for good, showing her influence is not limited to being on the big screen.
Cheryl Ladd
Cheryl acted in the series Charlie’s Angels between 1977 and 1981. After her debut, she found herself with a pretty busy agenda. TV and movie roles kept coming out of nowhere, and the actress could be seen in a number of movies and TV shows.
After the success of her first musical single titled “Think it Over”, she released three more. In 1980, for the Super Bowl, she sang the National Anthem. Her prominent roles were in Millennium and Poison Ivy. Recently, she acted in TV short series, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.
Loni Anderson
Anderson’s career started in 1966 when she had supporting roles in various shows like S.W.A.T and Three’s Company. Her big breakout role was in the comedy WKRP in Cincinnati where she starred as Jennifer Marlow. After the show ended, Anderson appeared in Stroker Ace, A Night at the Roxbury and others. She remained busy in her TV career and starred in Nurses and Melrose Place. Besides her acting career, Anderson published an autobiography named My Life in High Heels in 1997.
Today, Anderson’s hands are still full. In 2016, she starred in Baby Daddy in addition to other web series and is living a happy life.
Bo Derek
We don’t need to have been born during the 1970s to know who Bo Derek is. The actress had her first real successful performance in the movie 10. Her performance was superb, and the movie also did pretty well, scoring very high in the box office. Just like that, Bo Derek had become an overnight star and she appeared in several movies such as Tarzan, the Ape Man, A Change Of Seasons, and Fantasies.
She also ended up appearing in Playboy a number of times. In 2005, she decided to move away from the spotlight for a while, and today, she donates to many organizations, such as Richard Branson’s Wild Aid. Also, she introduced a line of products for dogs, which is titled Bless the Beasts.
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer is certainly one of the most popular actresses of the '80s and '90s. She won awards and international fame for her work in the film industry and is considered one of the most talented women of her time. Her breakout came when she played in 1983’s Scarface, and later on, she received recognition for her performance in Dangerous Liaisons and in The Fabulous Baker Boys, for which she was nominated for two Academy Awards. At a later stage, she also started to produce films herself.
Pfeiffer took a five-year break from acting and since she has returned to the screen, she's played in a few movies and TV series. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance in The Wizard of Lies in 2017. In 2018 she appeared in the Marvel movie Ant-Man and the Wasp, and it sure seems like she's not going anywhere soon!
Erika Eleniak
Erika Eleniak was born in 1969 in sunny California, and even though she appeared in various TV shows and movies, she is probably most remembered for her unforgettable role in Baywatch. She was easily one of the most loved stars of the show, where she played Shauni during the first seasons.
She left the show in 1993 but didn't stop acting - she appeared in small films and productions afterward until her career reached a quieter stage. In 2006, Erika appeared in Celebrity Fit Club on VH1, but has been out of the spotlight ever since. Today she lives in Calgary with her family.
Lisa Whelchel
Lisa Whelchel's rise to stardom began at the young age of 12 when she was cast as a member of The New Mickey Mouse Club in 1977. From there, she was cast as Blair Warner on the hit series The Facts of Life where she would remain for nearly a decade, transforming her career.
Leaving behind her childhood, she has since become known for her roles in reality television as a contestant on Survivor: Philippines in 2012. She then stepped into the world of adult comedy, starring in A Madea Christmas in 2013. In 2019, she became the host of her own show Collector's Call, and has recently become semi-retired to take a step away from show business and focus on raising her three children.
Nancy McKeon
Nancy McKeon joined the industry as a child actress when she appeared in TV commercials alongside her brother. In 1980, she played Jo Polniaczek in The Facts of Life, with the part she is most recognized for. She played in the show for eight seasons until 1989. Through the 1990s she appeared in movies and TV shows such as Where the Day Takes You, Teresa’s Tattoo and Just Write.
In 2011 she appeared in the TV film Love Begins and in 2016 she played herself in a special episode of Home & Family titled “The Facts of Life Reunion”. Today, she lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and two daughters.
Marisa Tomei
Academy Award-winning actress Marisa Tomei continues to outshine other younger Hollywood starlets to this day. And while one might assume that surgery had something to do with that, the native New Yorker has discovered other, more natural ways to keep her gorgeous glow.
She has appeared in a handful of shows and movies, such as the Spider-Man series, where she played the role of Aunt May, Spider-Man’s aunt, and also found enormous success in the romantic comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love. Over the years, Tomei has had an incredibly successful career but has recently been pretty vocal about the lack of roles for women her age in the industry.
Margot Kidder
Margot Kidder broke out as Louis Lane in Superman in 1978 and was a busy actress in the '70s and '80s playing in TV series such as Shell Game, and in all of Superman's sequels.
Kidder kept playing even in her later years, acting in different movies and shows. In the 1990s she struggled with bipolar disorder and became a mental health advocate after many reached out to help her. Sadly, she passed away in May 2018 in her home in Montana, at age 69.
Liv Ullmann
In the '70s, Norwegian actress Liv Ullman was known as one of the "muses" of Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. She played in 10 of his movies and was one of his wives. She was nominated for awards over 40 times during her acting career, and later started a directing career of her own.
In 2014, Ullman directed a film adaptation of Miss Julie that was widely praised by the Norwegian press. She published two autobiographies and also received an honorary degree from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Busy woman!
Barbra Streisand
After becoming a singing sensation in the 1960s, Barbra Streisand decided to give it a try in the acting industry. She really took the leap with her role in Funny Girl in 1968 and even won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for her performance.
Since then, she has continued to be a sought-after actress and singer. She released two more platinum albums and appeared in many different films, including Meet the Fockers. Unfortunately, in 2016, Streisand was due to work on the remake of the movie Gypsy, when a distributor suddenly tapped out. But in 2019 it was announced that the movie was back on track, and we’ll hopefully hear more details about it soon.
Billie Jean King
King became a well-known figure in 1973 when she played male tennis champ Bobby Riggs and won the match. It was aptly titled the “Battle of the Sexes” and has since become the storyline for a movie with the same title. In 1981, King came out as gay, becoming the first major female athlete to do so.
She was given a place in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. She has used her stardom to create the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative in 2014, with the aim of helping people embrace diversity at work.
Ann-Margret
After her performance as Kim McAfee in the movie adaptation of the musical Bye Bye Birdie, Ann-Margret became an overnight sensation. The actress’s career hit off around 1961, and has only grown exponentially over the years. She starred in multiple films throughout the 1970s and received Oscar nominations for her performance in Tommy and Carnal Knowledge.
Since then, she has stayed in the spotlight in various movies and TV shows, most recently starring in Showtime's Ray Donovan in 2014. Today, she is one of the most admirable stars in Hollywood, having been nominated for literally everything: two Grammys, five Golden Globes, six Emmys and two Oscars!
Allison Arngrim
Allison Arngrim is best known for her role as Nellie Oleson in Little House on the Prairie between 1974 and 1982. Afterward, she worked in many different TV series and TV movies.
In 2010, Allison Arngrim released the book titled Confessions of A Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated, a hilarious memoir all about growing up in the spotlight as one of TV's most famous characters. Nowadays, she is involved in a charity in order to raise awareness for child abuse and AIDS.
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton has gone beyond her label of a national country star to become one of the most praised musicians and cultural icons in the world. The singer was born in 1946, and started singing and playing instruments at an early age. She was so determined that as soon as she finished high school, she knew exactly what she wanted to do.
She started by writing songs for other artists, starred in the movie 9 to 5 and even got to record the theme song for the film. Since then, her career has been non-stop! Between 1976 and 1977, she hosted Dolly!, her own variety show, and in 2016, she performed in 60 cities in the USA. Recently, she re-released hit single "Jolene" with the Pentatonix.
Maureen McCormick
Maureen McCormick is famously known as Marcia, the eldest daughter on The Brady Bunch. After the show ended in 1974, she appeared in several shows such as Love Boat and Happy Days. However, her performance in The Brady Bunch was so iconic that she became linked to the show for years. In fact, the actress found herself getting other roles after the show ended because of her strong association with the show.
Since 2015, Maureen has been involved in celebrity reality TV shows like the Australian version of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! and Dancing with the Stars. The actress has also been pretty open about her addictions throughout the years before she finally decided to get some help and get sober.
Cicely Tyson
Since 2015, Maureen has been involved in celebrity reality TV shows like the Australian version of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! and Dancing with the Stars. The actress has also been pretty open about her addictions throughout the years before she finally decided to get some help and get sober.
She continued to work in TV, movies, and even on Broadway. Most recently, she appeared in the popular TV show How to Get Away with Murder, which has gained critical acclaim for its brilliant cast. Today, the legend is still glowing, has won an honorary Oscar, and has become a huge inspiration for younger generations.
Charlene Tilton
Charlene Tilton gained popularity for her role as Lucy Ewing in the hit show Dallas. During the show, she continued to act in other movies and TV series and even got to be a part of the 2012-2014 remake of Dallas. Unfortunately, the series didn’t succeed so much in the remake attempt, so Tilton tried her luck in pop music in the 1980s. Although she can really sing, she didn’t manage to break the charts and make a career out of music.
She has also been credited in the movie Road Less Traveled that was released in 2017, and appeared in her last movie Vengeance, A Love Story, also in 2017. Recently, she has been involved in charity work for foster children.
Paula Prentiss
Paula became popular for her comedic performances in The Honeymoon Machine, Bachelor in Paradise, and Where the Boys Are. She also really showed off her acting range as Bobbie Markowe in The Stepford Wives.
In the past 30 years, she was featured in a few movies but just in minor roles. In 2016, however, she starred in the horror movie titled I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in This House. Even so, her impressive resume includes a variety of movies and TV shows that are to be admired. In a recent interview, the actress shared how she loved choosing roles just for the experience, be it big or small.
Loretta Swit
Loretta is remembered for her role as a nurse in the M*A*S*H TV series. She was one of the four actors in the show from the first season to the last - all eleven seasons.
Her performance in M*A*S*H won her two Emmy Awards. In 2015, she narrated Never the Same: The Prisoner of War Experience. Although her biggest role was in M*A*S*H, Loretta continued to act in small budget movies and TV series. She decided to take a step back from Hollywood a couple of years later, and has since been working on jewelry design and fighting for animal rights.
Debbie Harry
As a lead singer of the famous band Blondie, Debbie Harry achieved huge success in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She rose to fame so quickly that in 1979, she was on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
She has been involved in charity work since 2011. The singer never had children, and has consequently dedicated most of her life to creating music. In 2014, she released Ghosts of Download, her 10th studio album, and has been singing and performing till this day. Interestingly, those who still listen to her music will identify a different sound from her earlier days.