The 1970s had a significant impact, notably on the superstars who became well-known during this decade. This period saw the release of some excellent music, and it was also the moment when one of the greatest musical pairings ever—and top celebrity couples—broke up.
We're going to talk about some famous people who dominated this period. If you were living it up in the 1970s, you should undoubtedly know these actors, musicians, and other figures from TV, movies, and music. You may have even held some of them in high regard.
Today, although they now have crowded trophy cases and are revered by innumerable followers, the most well-known athletes originally sought their big break. The stars on this list are well-known performers with a wealth of life experience, including actors, singers, and even activists. Today, we list 13 of the biggest celebrities in their seventies, from Tim Curry to Ben Kingsley, as they are now and as they were back when they wanted tobes.
#1 Ben Kingsley: Then
Source: Doug McKenzie/Getty Images
Ben Kingsley, who was then 37, was still two years away from playing Mohandas Gandhi in the 1982 film Gandhi, for which he received the Academy Award. Kingsley's portfolio at this point was stacked with roles from British television programs and London theatre productions.
Ben Kingsley: Now
Source: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney
Kingsley, who is currently 77, released two
Movies this year. He appeared in both Locked Down, an HBO Max heist film, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, a
Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film in which he reprised his Iron Man 3 role.
#2 Diana Ross: Then
Source: James Kriegsmann/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
In 1964, at the start of the era when her group The Supremes ruled supreme, Diana Ross was only 20 years old. Their first significant chart-topper, "Where Did Our Love Go," was released that same year.
Diana Ross: Now
Source: Omar Vega/Getty Images
Ross, a solo artist who achieved great success, is still active at the age of 77. Her first album in 15 years, titled Thank You, will be released in November of this year.
#3 Dolly Parton: Then
Source: GAB Archive/Redferns
Dolly Parton joined country music artist Porter Wagoner's variety show as a featured singer in the late 1960s when she was in her 20s. A few years later, in 1973, she would have "Jolene" become her first significant solo hit.
Dolly Parton: Now
Source: Carl Beust / Shutterstock
Parton is now 75 and is a well-known singer-songwriter and philanthropist. She still writes, records, and performs, but for the past five years, her most well-known contribution was funding the creation of the Moderna COVID vaccination.
#4 Goldie Hawn: Then
Source: Joseph Klipple/Getty Images
When Goldie Hawn was 19 years old in 1964, she was working as a professional dancer and had not yet fully entered the acting business. She would land the gig that made her a household name four years later: Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.
Goldie Hawn: Now
Source: Tinseltown/Shutterstock
The Christmas Chronicles and its sequel were the most recent projects for Hawn, who is now 75, and her longtime partner Kurt Russell. The Clauses were portrayed by the adored Hollywood duo.
#5 Harrison Ford: Then
Source: Archive Photos/Getty Images
Harrison Ford, then 36, was a newly minted movie star in 1978, having just seen the first Star Wars film come out in 1977.
Harrison Ford: Now
Source: DFree / Shutterstock.com
Ford is still one of the most well-known movie stars in the world at age 79. He is now filming his sixth adventure as Indiana Jones, another of his well-known personas. In 2022, the latest edition is scheduled for release.
#6 Helen Mirren: Then
Source: David Farrell/Getty Images
Helen Mirren, a theater performer, was 24 years old in 1969. She performed as several of the playwright's well-known heroines while a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Helen Mirren: Now
Source: taniavolobueva/Shutterstock
But she couldn't drive a sports car through London with
Vin Diesel until she was 76 years old. The most recent movie Mirren appeared in was F9: The Fast Saga, in which she played Queenie once more.
#7 Samuel L. Jackson: Then
Source: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
For Samuel L. Jackson, fame came quite late. In this photograph from 1992, he is 44 years old, just a few years away from some of his early notable appearances, such as those in Coming to America and Do the Right Thing.
Samuel L. Jackson: Now
Source: DFree/Shutterstock
Jackson, who is 72 years old, is most known for playing the stern MCU character, Nick Fury. Alongside John David Washington, he will also be seen in a Broadway revival of The Piano Lesson the following year.
#8 Steve Martin: Then
Source: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
When Steve Martin was 25 years old, he made his Hollywood debut as a writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and was about to start receiving significant notice for his stand-up performances.
Steve Martin: Now
Source: Tinseltown/Shutterstock
Martin, 76, is well-known for his work as an actor and comedian as well as a writer, musician, and collector of fine art. He now co-created and stars in the Hulu crime comedy Only Murders in the Building.
#9 Stevie Wonder: Then
Source: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Stevie Wonder was in his early 20s when he released timeless songs like his 1972 hit "Superstition" throughout the 1970s.
Stevie Wonder: Now
Source: JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images
Wonder, who is still young at 71, has mentioned that he is working on a couple of projects right now. He put out two new singles in 2020 and performed at Joe Biden's campaign rally, as shown in the photo above.
#10 Susan Sarandon: Then
Source: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
Susan Sarandon, who was 33 when she appeared at the 1979 Tony Awards, had already been in movies like The Front Page, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Pretty Baby.
Susan Sarandon: Now
Source: Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock
Sarandon, who is now 74, is well renowned for both her political involvement and her career. She most recently made appearances in the movies Jolt and Ride the Eagle as well as a few Search Party episodes.
#11 Ted Danson: Then
Source: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
Cheers, the famous comedy that had been airing since 1982, made 39-year-old Ted Danson a TV heartthrob in 1986. He would later go on to win two Emmys for playing Sam Malone.
Ted Danson: Now
Source: Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock
Danson is still entertaining us on TV at the age of 73. Danson moved to the small-town political comedy Mr. Mayor after The Good Place ended in 2020. Since 1995, he has been wed to actress Mary Steenburgen.
#12 Tim Curry: Then
Source: Wood/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Tim Curry, who is best known for playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the 1975 film adaptation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, was 29 years old at the time. It was the future star's debut appearance in a movie.
Tim Curry: Now
Source: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
Curry, who is 75 years old now, needs a wheelchair after having a stroke in 2012. He has kept up his voiceover work and continued to show up at fan events. He even made a cameo appearance in the 2016 live Rocky Horror performance on television as the Criminologist.
#13 Tom Selleck: Then
Source: Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
When his television series Magnum, P.I. debuted in 1980 when he was 35 years old, Tom Selleck finally became a big star. He would perform the part until 1986.
Tom Selleck: Now
Source: Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock
Selleck has been a cast member of the police procedural Blue Bloods since 2010. Additionally, the 76-year-old made a cameo appearance on the Friends reunion special this year to acknowledge his recurrent part as Richard Burke, Monica's lover.