Photos: unforgettable actresses of the 1970s

A glorious past
Immortal icons
Jane Birkin
Farrah Fawcett
Ellen Burstyn 
Bo Derek 
Ursula Andress
Pam Grier
Lauren Hutton
Anita Pallenberg
Brigitte Bardot
Olivia Newton-John
Charlotte Rampling
Jane Fonda
Diane Keaton
Goldie Hawn 
Jaclyn Smith 
Linda Blair 
Tatum O'Neal
Maria Schneider
Lynda Carter
A glorious past

We all love a bit of nostalgia sometimes. In the case of the 70s, we look back at a glorious time in which cinema saw everything from big budget to small; from dark to powerful - with each movie just as successful and creative as the last.

Immortal icons

In this gallery, you'll see a host of actresses who are now considered cult legends. Who were the icons of the screen in the 70s? This will take you back...

Jane Birkin

The great muse of the 70s continues to be an inspiration in the world of fashion. An actress and singer, with her own recognizable style. Of course, we may not need to say that the Hermés Birkin bears that name in honor of her.

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Farrah Fawcett

She was the most desired Charlie's angel, her long hair was the most imitated and her sporty look still inspires current outfits. Farrah Fawcett swept the '70s to become ageless.

Ellen Burstyn 

Of the six Oscar nominations that she has accumulated, four were in the 1970s, where she also won the statuette for 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore' (1974). Another nomination, interestingly, came for 'The Exorcist', where she played the mother of Regan MacNeil.

Bo Derek 

Her breakthrough role was in the romantic comedy film '10' (1979). As beautiful as she was, acting was not her greatest asset, but with looks like that you belong on the big screen.

Ursula Andress

In the 60s, she was crowned the first Bond girl and her spectacular appearance in a bikini in 'Doctor No' (1962) will be remembered forever.

Pam Grier

A 70's career and then nothing until Quentin Tarantino reminded us all what we were missing by returning her to screens. Smart, sexy and sassy a legend of the decade.

Lauren Hutton

Her jump from fashion to movies brought her elegance into Hollywood, where her looks were loved all over the world. She also starred with Richard Gere in 'American Gigolo'.

Anita Pallenberg

A model and actress who seemed to evolve out of the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Joan Crawford. She ended up championing her own style that combined everything from the seventies: from cowboy boots to feathers to lace. She was the muse of the Rolling Stones and part of the mythical 'Barbarella'.

Brigitte Bardot

Born and raised in Paris, Bardot was an aspiring ballerina in her early life until she started her acting career in 1952. Bardot was one of the best known sex symbols of the 1950s and 1960s.

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Olivia Newton-John

The Australian stole our hearts as Sandy Olsson in 'Grease' (1978) and a whole generation discovered that knowing how to dance is a good way to win over your better half.

Charlotte Rampling

The English actress knew how to alternate between arthouse cinema and blockbusters and worked with stars such as Woody Allen, Paul Newman, Sidney Lumet and Luchino Visconti. She was also a fashion icon that made her the muse of Yves Saint Laurent.

Jane Fonda

As an actress, she won two Oscars and had five more nominations. As an activist, she continues to fight. But, it was the aerobics videos that actually made Jane Fonda a 70s icon.

Diane Keaton

Being Woody Allen's muse is something few actresses can say. Shestarred in 'Annie Hall', and gave one of the best performances ever. It is something only Diane Keaton can say. A benchmark in Hollywood.

Goldie Hawn 

The 1970s crowned Goldie Hawn as queen of romantic comedy, garnering four nominations throughout the decade. Her beauty, her smile and her talent for making people laugh took her straight to the top of Hollywood in the seventies.

Jaclyn Smith 

Along side Farrah Fawcett as the stars of 'Charlie's Angels' Jaclyn Smith's face was all over 70's.

Linda Blair 

Linda Blair has been, is and will be, forever and ever, the girl who made an entire generation afraid of pea soup. Her performance as Regan MacNeil, the possessed girl in 'The Exorcist' (1973) is a masterpiece.

Tatum O'Neal

She made her film debut in 1973, at the age of 10, in 'Paper Moon' and won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the role! If that doesn't make you an icon, nothing will.

Maria Schneider

'Last Tango in Paris' (1972), by Bernardo Bertolucci, made her a star. It was such a controversial film that we included Schneider in this icons list just for that reason alone.

Lynda Carter

Carter went from being Miss World USA in 1972 to the first Wonder Woman in history. Between 1975 and 1979 she was Diana Prince on television and, half a century later, the world still remembers her for it.

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