The 1970s, remembered for bell-bottoms, disco, political upheaval, and sweeping cultural change, also marked a shift in tastes in fashion, music, and entertainment, paving the way for a new generation of talented Hollywood stars who would leave their mark on television, film, and the stage. While some celebrities who rose to fame during this era have since faded from the spotlight, many remain active in Hollywood, appearing in a variety of TV shows and movies over the years. Let’s explore some of the most popular stars of the 1970s and see what they are up to today.
Barbi Benton: Then
Barbi Benton, born Barbara Lynn Klein, launched her career as a model, appearing in Playboy magazine and on the show Playboy After Dark at just 18. Initially appearing as an extra, she later became a co-host after Hugh Hefner—nearly 30 years her senior—fell for her, sparking a relationship that lasted several years. Benton graced the Playboy cover four times and featured in two nude photo layouts in 1973 and 1975, and she is widely credited with persuading Hefner to purchase the Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills in 1974.
Barbi Benton: Then
Barbi Benton: Now
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Benton made numerous television appearances, guest-starring or leading on shows like Hee Haw, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and Sugar Time!, while also appearing in films such as The Naughty Cheerleader (1970) and Hospital Massacre (1980). In the mid-1970s, she found success as a country singer with hits like “Brass Buckles” and “Ain’t That Just The Way.” Benton married California real estate developer George Gradow in 1979 and had two children—son Alexander in 1986 and daughter Ariana in 1988—after which she semi-retired from entertainment to focus on family. Today, Benton and her husband split their time between homes in Colorado and California.
Barbi Benton: Now
Diane Keaton: Then
Diane Keaton, already a Tony Award nominee, made her film debut in the 1970 romantic comedy Lovers and Other Strangers, but her breakthrough came two years later as Kay Adams, Michael Corleone’s love interest, in the critically acclaimed crime film The Godfather. Throughout the 1970s, Keaton became a box office force, reprising her role as Kay Adams in The Godfather Part II (1974) and winning an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1977 for Woody Allen’s romantic comedy Annie Hall. Although Keaton and Allen were romantically involved in the early 1970s, they continued collaborating on several films even after their relationship ended.
Diane Keaton: Then
Diane Keaton: Now
Keaton returned as Kay Adams in The Godfather Part III (1990) and has starred in a string of popular films over the years, including Father of the Bride (1991), Father of the Bride Part II (1995), The First Wives Club (1996), Morning Glory (2010), Finding Dory (2016), and Book Club (2018). Beyond acting, she has a passion for photography, actively campaigns to preserve and restore historic buildings in Los Angeles, contributes to The Huffington Post since 2005, and has worked as a producer on multiple films and TV projects.
Diane Keaton: Now
Cybill Shepherd: Then
Cybill Shepherd began her career as a model before transitioning to acting, making her debut in the 1971 coming-of-age drama The Last Picture Show, which won two Academy Awards and earned her a Golden Globe nomination. In 1972, she starred in The Heartbreak Kid alongside Charles Grodin, and by 1974 she had launched a music career with the album Cybill Does It…To Cole Porter. One of her most notable roles of the decade came in Martin Scorsese’s critically acclaimed 1976 psychological thriller Taxi Driver. After a series of less-successful acting projects, Shepherd returned to her hometown of Memphis to work in regional theatre.
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Cybill Shepherd: Now
Shepherd returned to Hollywood in 1983, starring in shows like The Yellow Rose and Moonlighting, which earned her two Golden Globe Awards. She went on to appear in several films before leading her own CBS sitcom, Cybill, from 1995 to 1998, winning her third Golden Globe in 1997. From 2007 to 2009, she played Phyllis Kroll on The L Word, and in 2012, she made her Broadway debut in a revival of the 1960 play The Best Man. Throughout her career, Shepherd has been an outspoken activist, advocating for causes such as gay rights and abortion rights, and in 2009, she received a National Ally for Equality award from the Human Rights Campaign in Atlanta.
Cybill Shepherd: Now
Jodie Foster: Then
Jodie Foster has been in show business since she was a toddler, making her first TV appearance in a Coppertone commercial at just three years old. She debuted on television in 1968 on the sitcom Mayberry R.F.D., which starred her older brother Buddy. Foster appeared in other TV shows and several Disney films, but her first major breakthrough came in 1976 when she played the child prostitute Iris in Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. The film was a critical success and earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, as well as two BAFTAs, a David Di Donatello award, and a National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Jodie Foster: Then
Jodie Foster: Now
Following her breakthrough in Taxi Driver, Foster took on several unforgettable roles, including a rape survivor in the 1988 legal drama The Accused, which earned her an Oscar and a Golden Globe. She later garnered an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA for portraying Clarice Starling in the 1991 psychological thriller The Silence of the Lambs. Although her career faced some setbacks in the early 2000s, she rebounded with films like Panic Room, Flightplan, and Inside Man. In the 2010s, Foster reduced her acting work to focus on directing, and in 2013, she was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes.
Jodie Foster: Now
Kate Jackson: Then
Kate Jackson studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City before landing a supporting role on the supernatural daytime soap Dark Shadows in 1970. Her performance impressed the show’s creator, who then cast her in the lead role of the horror film Night of Dark Shadows. Jackson later moved to Los Angeles, where she appeared in numerous TV series, made-for-television films, and horror movies such as Death Cruise, Satan’s School for Girls, and Killer Bees. She also played Nurse Jill Danko on the ABC crime drama The Rookies, which aired from 1972 to 1976.
Kate Jackson: Then
Kate Jackson: Now
Jackson reached stardom in 1976 when she was cast in a new TV show by The Rookies producers Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg. Originally slated to be called The Alley Cats, the show was reportedly renamed Charlie’s Angels at Jackson’s suggestion and became an instant hit, earning her multiple Golden Globe and Emmy nominations. She went on to star in other TV shows and films, including Scarecrow and Mrs. King, garnering additional award nominations. Though recurring health issues eventually affected her career, Jackson continued working in made-for-television movies and guest roles, and in 2003, she received the “Power of Love” award from the American Heart Association for her efforts in raising awareness of heart disease.
Kate Jackson: Now
Barbra Streisand: Then
After graduating high school in 1959, Barbra Streisand pursued Broadway roles while working menial jobs, singing in nightclubs, and performing in smaller productions, eventually landing a part as a secretary to the lead in I Can Get It for You Wholesale, a performance that earned her a Tony nomination for Best Supporting Actress. By the mid-1960s, Streisand had become a successful recording artist with three Grammy Awards, made numerous TV appearances, and starred in her first film, Funny Girl (1968), which won her an Academy Award for Best Actress. Her success continued into the 1970s with multiple albums and hit singles, and in 1976 she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for A Star Is Born.
Barbra Streisand: Then
Barbra Streisand: Now
In 1983, Streisand made history as the first woman to write, produce, direct, and star in a film with the release of Yentl, a romantic musical drama, earning a Golden Globe for Best Director—the only woman to achieve this honor. With over 150 million records sold worldwide, she is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time and among the few entertainers to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. Streisand has also received four Peabody Awards and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2015.
Barbra Streisand: Now
Goldie Hawn: Then
Goldie Hawn began her career as a professional dancer before gaining fame as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In (1968–1973). In 1969, she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Cactus Flower. Following her Oscar win, Hawn became one of Hollywood’s most sought-after comedy stars, appearing in films such as There’s a Girl in My Soup and Butterflies Are Free, as well as comedy-dramas like The Girl from Petrovka and Shampoo, and the crime drama The Sugarland Express. In 1980, she co-produced and starred in Private Benjamin, earning her second Academy Award nomination.
Goldie Hawn: Then
Goldie Hawn: Now
Hawn remained a prominent actress through the 1980s to the 2010s, appearing in numerous films and TV shows. In the early 1990s, she took a hiatus from show business to care for her ailing mother, who passed away in 1994. She returned in 1995, producing the satirical comedy Something to Talk About starring Julia Roberts and Dennis Quaid, and in 1997, she made her directorial debut with the made-for-TV movie Hope. Eight years later, she published her memoir, A Lotus Grows in the Mud. Hawn is also an outspoken supporter of the LGBTQ community and has criticized laws criminalizing gay people in countries like Nigeria. In 2003, she founded the Hawn Foundation, which provides children with social and emotional learning programs to help manage stress, regulate emotions, improve academic performance, and build resilience for lifelong success.
Goldie Hawn: Now
Cher: Then
Cher launched her music career in 1965 as one half of the folk-rock duo Sonny & Cher with Sonny Bono, to whom she was married from 1969 to 1975. Their debut single, “I Got You Babe,” topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became an instant hit. At the same time, Cher pursued a solo career, releasing the successful single “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” in 1966. When the duo’s chart-topping singles began to wane, they turned to television, launching The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour in 1971, which drew over 30 million viewers weekly during its three-year run. Throughout the 1970s, Cher continued recording music and releasing albums, solidifying her status as a pop icon.
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Cher: Now
As her music career slowed in the 1980s, Cher shifted her focus to acting, appearing in films such as Silkwood and Mask, as well as the Broadway production Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, and by the decade’s end, she had become one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars. Cher revived her music career in the late 1980s, reaching a new peak in 1998 with the dance-pop album Believe, whose title track became her best-selling single ever. She retired from performing in 2005 after her record-breaking 326-date Farewell Tour but returned in 2008 for a three-year Las Vegas residency. Cher has continued to release albums and appear in films and TV, including Burlesque (2010) and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018).
Cher: Now
Susan Dey: Then
Susan Dey began her career as a model before being cast as Laurie Partridge in the musical sitcom The Partridge Family, which aired on ABC from 1970 to 1974. She made her film debut in the 1972 disaster movie Skyjacked, playing a passenger aboard a hijacked airliner, and in 1977, she starred as a troubled young mother in the TV movie Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night and appeared in the comedy-drama First Love alongside William Katt. Dey later gained acclaim for her role in the 1986 comedy-drama Echo Park, portraying a struggling actress who becomes a stripper delivering singing telegrams, and that same year, she was cast as deputy district attorney—and later judge—Grace Van Owen on L.A. Law, a role that earned her a Golden Globe Award in 1988.
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Susan Dey: Now
Dey continued appearing in films and TV shows throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, earning three Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. By 2004, she retired from acting, with her final TV appearance as Dr. Breene in two episodes of the NBC crime drama Third Watch. Today, Dey serves on the board of UCLA Medical Center’s Rape Treatment Center and co-narrated a documentary on campus rape with her L.A. Law co-star Corbin Bernsen. In 2013, her Partridge Family co-star Shirley Jones noted in her memoir that Dey is the only cast member who “consistently refuses” to participate in any Partridge Family reunions.
Susan Dey: Now
Fabio Lanzoni: Then
Fabio Lanzoni gained fame in the early 1970s as a teenager after being discovered by a photographer while working out at a gym in his hometown of Milan, Italy. At 19, he signed with Ford Modeling Agency and moved to New York City, where his muscular build and long hair helped him stand out. Lanzoni went on to model for major brands like Gap, Versace, and Nintendo, and he became a prolific cover model for romance novels, appearing on over 400 covers and sometimes shooting up to 16 in a single day.
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Fabio Lanzoni: Now
Lanzoni also pursued acting, appearing in the syndicated series Acapulco H.E.A.T. in 1993 and making multiple guest appearances on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful as Sally Spectra’s close friend, a character played by his real-life friend Darlene Conley. Now in his 60s, Lanzoni retains his signature long hair and continues to appear in films and TV, often portraying a version of himself. He has co-written a series of romance novels with Eugenia Riley and Wendy Corsi Staub, served as a spokesman for the American Cancer Society, and became a U.S. citizen in 2016.
Fabio Lanzoni: Now
Alison Arngrim: Then
Alison Arngrim began her acting career in 1974 at the age of 12, landing the role of the antagonist Nellie Oleson on the NBC series Little House on the Prairie. Before acting, she was a child model appearing in various commercials. Her father, Thor, worked as a Hollywood manager, and her mother, Norma, was a voice actress for animated children’s shows like Casper the Friendly Ghost, Gumby, and Underdog. Arngrim played Nellie for seven seasons, having originally auditioned for the roles of Laura and Mary Ingalls, but the creators felt she was perfect as Nellie. Her performance received critical acclaim and became a template for future “bad girl” characters on television.
Alison Arngrim: Then
Alison Arngrim: Now
Arngrim went on to appear in shows like The Love Boat and Fantasy Island and recorded a comedy album titled Heeere’s Amy before transitioning to a career in stand-up comedy, where she famously described playing Nellie on Little House on the Prairie as “like having PMS for seven years.” She also built a career in France as a stage actress and comedian, while dedicating time to charity work focused on AIDS awareness and child abuse. In 2010, she published her autobiography, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated.
Alison Arngrim: Now
Susan Sarandon: Then
Susan Sarandon made her acting debut in the 1970 drama Joe, portraying a rebellious young woman drawn into a dangerous underworld. She followed this with roles in the soap operas A World Apart and Search for Tomorrow and made her Broadway debut in 1972 with An Evening with Richard Nixon. Throughout the 1970s, Sarandon appeared in numerous films, most notably the musical comedy-horror The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which later became a cult classic, and her performance in the 1981 romantic crime film Atlantic City earned her first Academy Award nomination.
Susan Sarandon: Then
Susan Sarandon: Now
Sarandon’s career continued to thrive in the 1980s and 1990s, earning her four Academy Award nominations between 1991 and 1994, and culminating in her first Oscar win for Best Actress for portraying Sister Helen Prejean in the crime drama Dead Man Walking. Off-screen, Sarandon is known for supporting progressive causes; she became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1999, received the Action Against Hunger Humanitarian Award in 2006, and was one of eight women to carry the Olympic flag at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. In 2010, she was appointed an FAO Goodwill Ambassador.
Susan Sarandon: Now
Talia Shire: Then
Talia Shire, born Talia Rose Coppola, came from a family that would become renowned in filmmaking and acting. In 1972, she was cast as Connie Corleone in The Godfather, directed by her brother Francis Ford Coppola, and reprised the role in The Godfather Part II (1974) and The Godfather Part III (1990). In 1976, Shire starred as Adrian Pennino, Rocky Balboa’s love interest in Rocky, a role that earned her multiple awards and nominations and solidified her place in Hollywood. She reprised the role in four sequels released in 1979, 1982, 1985, and 1990.
Talia Shire: Then
Talia Shire: Now
Shire continued acting in films and TV over the following decades, though none matched the impact of her roles in The Godfather and Rocky. In 2016, she appeared in her son Robert Schwartzman’s directorial debut Dreamland, and in 2020, she played Iola Parkes in the drama Working Man, written and directed by Robert Jury. Today, Shire’s other son, Jason, is an actor, musician, singer-songwriter, screenwriter, and producer. She is also the aunt of actor Nicolas Cage and director Sofia Coppola, known for films like Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, and The Bling Ring, and the niece of opera conductor and composer Anton Coppola.
Talia Shire: Now
Pam Dawber: Then
Pam Dawber, born in Detroit, moved to New York City to pursue modeling, signing with Wilhelmina Models and appearing in TV commercials for brands like Noxzema, Neet, Fotomat, and Underalls during the 1970s. She screen-tested for the lead in Tabitha, a Bewitched spin-off, but the role ultimately went to Lisa Hartman. Dawber’s big break came when she was cast as Mindy in the ABC sitcom Mork & Mindy, starring opposite the then-unknown Robin Williams as the extraterrestrial Mork. The show aired from 1978 to 1982, achieving high ratings and paving the way for Dawber to star in other sitcoms, including My Sister Sam, where she played the title character.
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Pam Dawber: Now
Although best known for her television work, Dawber also appeared in films, including the 1992 comedy Stay Tuned and the 1999 family drama I’ll Remember April, in which she starred alongside her husband, Mark Harmon. In September 2013, she reunited with her Mork & Mindy co-star Robin Williams, playing his love interest on the sitcom The Crazy Ones, though the show was canceled by April 2014 due to low ratings. Dawber currently serves as a spokesperson for the non-profit Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
Pam Dawber: Now
Ellen Burstyn: Then
Ellen Burstyn began her acting career on Broadway in 1957 and joined Lee Strasberg’s The Actors Studio ten years later. During the 1960s, she appeared on numerous television shows, including Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare, The Big Valley, and The Doctors. Burstyn’s film breakthrough came in the early 1970s with The Last Picture Show, earning her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She followed this with the iconic role of Chris MacNeil in The Exorcist (1973), receiving a Best Actress Oscar nomination, and won her first Academy Award in 1974 for her performance as Alice in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
Ellen Burstyn: Then
Ellen Burstyn: Now
Burstyn continued to deliver critically acclaimed performances, including in the 2000 psychological drama Requiem for a Dream, where her portrayal of a lonely, drug-addicted woman earned her Academy Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. In 2006, she stirred controversy when she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Mini-Series or Movie for her brief 14-second, 38-word role in the TV drama Mrs. Harris. In 2013, she was honored with induction into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.
Ellen Burstyn: Now
Carol Kane: Then
Carol Kane began her acting career in 1971 with the comedy-drama Carnal Knowledge, playing Jennifer. Her performance as Gitl in the 1975 romantic film Hester Street earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, and in 1977, she appeared as Allison Portchnik in Annie Hall. Kane also found success on television, joining the sitcom Taxi in 1980 as Simka Dahblitz-Gravas for 17 episodes, and she won two Emmy Awards—one for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and another for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy, Variety, or Music Series.
Carol Kane: Then
Carol Kane: Now
Between 2005 and 2014, Kane played the villainous headmistress Madame Morrible in various productions of Wicked. She also appeared in the off-Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore in 2010 and starred in a 2011 revival of Lillian Hellman’s The Children’s Hour at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End. Kane later appeared in several episodes of the Netflix series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt as Lillian Kaushtupper, Kimmy’s quirky landlady, and lent her voice to animated shows including Phineas and Ferb, Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, Star vs. the Forces of Evil, F Is for Family, and Summer Camp Island.
Carol Kane: Now
Olivia Newton-John: Then
Olivia Newton-John began her singing career in the 1960s after winning a talent contest on the Australian TV show Sing, Sing, Sing. She released her first single, “Till You Say You’ll Be Mine,” in 1966, and her debut album, If Not For You, followed in 1971. Over the years, she released numerous albums and received multiple awards. Newton-John’s career reached new heights with her role in the 1978 film adaptation of the hit musical Grease, the highest-grossing movie of that year, which earned her a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Film Actress and made her the second woman to have two singles from the same film in the Billboard Top 5.
Olivia Newton-John: Then
Olivia Newton-John: Now
After Grease, Newton-John reinvented her image and musical style, adopting a more edgy, uptempo sound. In 1981, she released her most successful album, Physical, whose platinum-certified title track became one of the decade’s biggest hits. In 1992, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and, after recovering, became a passionate advocate for breast cancer research. She helped raise funds for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne in 2008 and faced cancer diagnoses again in 2013 and 2017.
Olivia Newton-John: Now
Rene Russo: Then
Rene Russo began her career as a model in the 1970s after reportedly being spotted at a Rolling Stones concert. She signed with Ford Modeling Agency and quickly became one of the decade’s top models, gracing the covers of magazines like Vogue and Cosmopolitan and appearing in advertising campaigns for various perfume and cosmetics brands. By her thirties, Russo’s modeling career had slowed, prompting her to study acting and theater and perform in small California stage productions. Her first television role came in 1987 as Eden Kendell on the ABC mystery crime drama Sable, followed by her big-screen debut in the 1989 comedy Major League.
Rene Russo: Then
Rene Russo: Now
Russo’s breakthrough came in 1992 with Lethal Weapon 3, where she played a female assassin, and she went on to star in several hit films throughout the 1990s, including In the Line of Fire, Outbreak, and Get Shorty. She reprised her assassin role in Lethal Weapon 4 (1998) and produced and starred in Two for the Money (2005) before taking a break from acting. Russo returned in 2010 as Frigga, Thor’s mother, in Thor, reprising the role in Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). In 2014, she earned a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress and a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as Nina Romina in the psychological thriller Nightcrawler.
Rene Russo: Now
Stefania Sandrelli: Then
Stefania Sandrelli began her acting career in 1961 at just 14, playing Angela in the Italian dramedy Divorce Italian Style, directed by Pietro Germi. She continued working with Germi in Seduced and Abandoned (1963), L’immorale (1967), and Alfredo, Alfredo (1970). Sandrelli’s compelling performances made her highly sought-after, and in the 1970s she starred in several dramas directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, including The Conformist and 1900, while also appearing in numerous French and international productions.
Stefania Sandrelli: Then
Stefania Sandrelli: Now
In 1980, Sandrelli won the Nastro d’Argento for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Giovanna in Ettore Scola’s La Terrazza. She went on to appear in the 1983 erotic film The Key and a series of other successful erotic movies. In the 2000s, Sandrelli slowed her pace to spend more time with family, though she continued acting occasionally in films such as Sons and Daughters (2002), People of Rome (2003), The Woman of My Dreams (2010), and The Passion (2010). In 2005, she was honored with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 62nd Venice International Film Festival.
Stefania Sandrelli: Now
Candice Bergen: Then
Candice Bergen began her career as a model, following in her mother Frances’s footsteps, before turning to acting and studying at HB Studio in New York City. She made her film debut in 1966 as a university student in the social satire The Group. Following its success, Bergen appeared in The Sand Pebbles, which received multiple Academy Award nominations, and went on to star in numerous leading roles throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, including the political satire The Adventurers and the controversial Western Soldier Blue. She also earned critical acclaim for her supporting role in the 1971 comedy-drama Carnal Knowledge.
Candice Bergen: Then
Candice Bergen: Now
Bergen stayed active in show business through the 1980s to 2010s, appearing in TV shows like Murphy Brown, Sex and the City, and Boston Legal, and in films such as Sweet Home Alabama, Miss Congeniality, and Bride Wars. In 2008, she contributed to the now-defunct women’s website wowOwow.com and starred in Broadway revivals of The Best Man (2012) and Love Letters (2014). In the late 1990s, Bergen declined an offer from CBS to work as a journalist for 60 Minutes. In 2016, she launched a business hand-painting handbags, managed by her daughter Chloé Malle, with proceeds donated to charity.
Candice Bergen: Now