What Your Favorite Stars Of The '70s Look Like Today

The '70s was a decade full of memorable pop culture moments. In music, the original rock 'n' roll sound ended when Elvis Presley died. And the Beatles disbanded, releasing their last collective album "Let It Be," per Pitchfork. But other rock bands like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin were just getting started. And outside of rock, disco started to take over dancefloors all across the country. While the following decade made a greater stride forward in technology, the '70s still gave us floppy disks, the first Apple computer, VCRs, and the first video game Pong, Paste summarized.

The nostalgia for the decade was so strong that it was the basis for the hit TV series "That '70s Show," which debuted in 1998, while frightening events impacted pop culture, too, like the movie "Apollo 13," based on the nearly disastrous journey to space in 1970 (via The New York Times). The '70s opened possibilities for celebrities in all types of entertainment. Many continued their craft for decades and seemed to never fall out of the public eye. Some reached a level of fame never achieved again — either by the celebrity or those who came after. 

Looking at celebrities from the '70s over 50 years later provides a one-of-a-kind connection between the past and future. Find out who is aging gracefully as we dive into what your favorite stars of the '70s look like today.

As a young woman, Goldie Hawn was a gifted dancer, thanks in part to her mother who taught the practice. Hawn "performed as a ballerina and go-go dancer before being spotted on a can-can line in Los Angeles and drafted into TV comedy," The Guardian explained. And by 1969, she earned an Oscar at the age of 24 for her performance in the comedy "Cactus Flower." This started an impressive career in film and the actor became "a box-office favorite for much of the 1970s." She still delighted audiences on TV, too, regularly appearing on the sketch series "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In." Looking back at the '70s, Hawn admitted, "It was a very strange ride, a quick rise to stardom. I was unsettled. I didn't know where I was going."

Becoming a household name at such a young age created a lot of confusion for Hawn. She recalled going to a psychologist "for about eight years to try to understand more about my mind, my psyche, how I could return back to my sense of joy." The actor also looked to the Beatles for help. She knew the rock band practiced meditation, so she decided to start the Transcendental Meditation practice as a 26-year-old.

In her personal life, Hawn had multiple children, including Kate Hudson, and multiple husbands, until settling long-term with Kurt Russell. Plus, even in her 70s, Hawn continued to dance — showing off her moves in Instagram videos.

Prior to becoming a famous actor in the U.S., Olivia Newton-John was a well-respected singer across the pond. "In 1974, she represented the UK in the Eurovision song contest with the song 'Long Live Love,' coming in fourth," The Guardian reported. And she was up against some stiff competition, with Abba winning the contest that year for their song "Waterloo." After the loss, Newton-John pivoted to country music and relocated to Los Angeles. Off the success of her album's title track "Let Me Be There," she won the Grammy Award for "Best Country Vocalist," per Newton-John's official website.

Though she proved sustained success as a musician, Newton-John is often best remembered for her role as Sandy in the 1978 movie "Grease." The film is reportedly "the most successful movie musical in history" as of 2021, and it earned Newton-John a Best Actress nomination at the Golden Globes.

She continued to sing and sold over 100 million albums. And perhaps her most well-known single, "Physical," ruled the airways in the '80s. Billboard ranked "Physical" as number one in the Top Songs of the '80s chart. But outside of her amazing success, Newton-John faced many health issues. As of 2020, she was diagnosed with cancer three times, The Guardian reported. But she remained optimistic and said of her diagnoses, "It has been a gift. I don't wish it on anyone else. But for me, it's been important in my life."

As a 17-year-old, John Travolta auditioned for the lead role in the film adaptation of the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar." The teen lost out on the part but impressed producer Robert Stigwood. Years later, Stigwood wanted to have Travolta be the lead in a film adaption of "Grease," the Broadway musical. In fact, "Travolta had already appeared as Doody, one of the T-Bird gang members, in a road company," Vanity Fair reported. But the stage version was so popular that Stigwood needed to push back production until the run on Broadway finished. To secure his star actor, Stigwood gave Travolta a three-movie worth a million dollars. 

The move was a big risk because, at that time, Travolta was only known for his role on the TV series "Welcome Back, Kotter." Travolta delivered and danced into the hearts of fans in "Saturday Night Fever." Released in the height of disco fever — and forever a relic of the era — the film showcased Travolta's smooth dance moves. Then, Travolta went all-in with song and dance as the heartthrob Danny Zuko in the movie musical "Grease."

The third film in the deal "Moment by Moment" flopped and started a downward trend for Travolta until Quentin Tarantino cast him in "Pulp Fiction." Travolta continued to act but never quite reached the height of his fame from the '70s. Sadly, his wife Kelly Preston died in 2020, with Travolta posting a tribute on Instagram.

Alan Alda won over audiences as the charming Army doctor Hawkeye Pierce in the long-running TV series, "M*A*S*H." The role earned him five of his six Emmy Awards during the 11 years the show aired (via The Washington Post). What's more, as of 2020, the series finale remained "the most-watched episode in television history," via AARP. 

Alda later transitioned into numerous roles in the entertainment industry. He became an author, releasing his book in 2017 and the next year, launching a podcast. Both tools were created because Alda "wants us all to relate and communicate better." And this focused heavily on science. "One of the most basic things I've tried to do is give people a greater understanding of how science works," Alda explained. To help accomplish this, he stayed actively involved in the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University, which he established in 2009. As part of various initiatives to help the fields of STEM, "Alda and his colleagues have taught to 15,000 scientists over the last decade," Forbes reported. 

In his personal life, Alda revealed in 2021 how he met his wife Arlene Weiss in 1956. The two met in their college days at a dinner party hosted by a mutual friend. Alda confirmed in a tweet that he and Weiss bonded over eating a "rum cake off the floor and were inseparable after that."

Michael Douglas was born with acting in his blood — he's the son of old-school Hollywood star Kirk Douglas. And by the time the younger Douglas was in his 20s, he "was already quite the prince, playing a heartthrob cop in 'The Streets of San Francisco,'" The Guardian recapped. And he thrived behind the scenes too, producing the film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Reportedly, the film was "a long-cherished project of his father's." Douglas continued to thrive in Hollywood and only increased his fame as he approached middle age. Two of his most famous movies, "Wall Street" and "Fatal Attraction" both came out in 1987.

In 2000, Douglas married the much younger Catherine Zeta-Jones. The pair later had two children together and lasted through difficult times, like when Douglas revealed in 2010 that he had stage-four throat cancer. The actor went through intense chemotherapy sessions, which he remembered, "made me very weak." And years later, the actor hinted that the cancer may have been caused by a sexually transmitted disease. According to Douglas, a specific sexual act with his wife could both cause and cure the disease. 

Later, Douglas admitted he actually had tongue cancer but lied to downplay the severity while promoting a new film. And he apologized to Zeta-Jones for revealing intimate details of their marriage, The Guardian explained. Things smoothed over for the couple, who relaxed together on the island of Mallorca in 2021, Douglas told Ultima Hora.

As the Beatles were at the peak of their career, the group founded Apple Records in 1968. John Lennon reportedly said the record label would be "a place where anybody with a good idea could get funding," NPR detailed. An unknown young artist at the time, James Taylor, played songs for Paul McCartney and George Harrison and became the first artist to sign with Apple Records. 

During an interview on "Late Night with Seth Meyers," Taylor recalled also working at the Beatles' studio. "When they weren't there, I was there. I would sort of scamper in there, you know, and put down a few of my little tracks. And then clear out before they came back," he said. After his time in the U.K., the singer "moved to Laurel Canyon with the rest of the denim-draped California dreamers who defined the sound of the late 60s and far beyond," according to The Guardian. Then, Taylor's breakout came with his 1970 sophomore album "Sweet Baby James," where the folk album featured his most famous song, "Fire and Rain." In response to the heartbreaking lyric, "I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend," singer Carole King wrote her song "You've Got a Friend."

In 2000, McCartney inducted Taylor into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And over 20 years later, Taylor was still performing for live audiences. In 2021, he and fellow singer-songwriter Jackson Browne were on tour together, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

British actor Michael Caine first became a star in the '60s and by the time the '70s rolled in, he continued to star in films with other famous actors from the U.K., like Sean Connery. The two men starred together in the 1975 film "The Man Who Would Be King," even though their roles were originally intended for American actors Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart. Instead, Caine used the opportunity to deliver his best performance ever, according to The Guardian. 

The actor then appeared in films, ranging from comedies like "Austin Powers in Goldmember" to dramas like "The Cider House Rules," often speaking in his distinct accent. For example, a hilarious scene from the British series "The Trip," shows two men imitating what they believe is the best Michael Caine accent. "Cockney is my natural dialect," Caine explained for TimesTalks. He revealed that at the time he started acting, most of his peers were very posh and in films about upper-class society. So, he used his natural accent "to encourage other people from working-class backgrounds to say that they could do it."

One of the secrets to his captivating performances might have come from a bizarre acting technique. Cain read in an acting book to never blink, so, "For the next eight years, I walked around trying not to blink. People around me, my mother and everybody, thought I had gone nuts," he told The Mirror.

At the age of 16, Cher met singer Sonny Bono, more than 10 years her senior, The Guardian summarized. Both were singers and soon, the pair started dating. The musical couple began to work with producer and future convicted murderer Phil Spector. In fact, both appeared as backing singers on The Ronettes' masterpiece "Be My Baby," per BBC. Cher also appeared on another Spector-produced classic, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," by the Righteous Brothers. After her backup work, Sonny and Cher became popular with their single "I Got You Babe" and starred in their own TV show. "They were the most famous couple on the planet as a singing duo, a comedy act, and husband and wife," according to The Guardian. 

In 1975, Sonny and Cher divorced, which nearly ruined Cher financially. Sonny reportedly "took the money -– 95% of it, with 5% going to lawyers." Cher later explained, "We worked side by side for 11 years and I ended up with nothing. I worked really hard for that money, and it never occurred to me that he would take it." And to make matters worse, she had to pay her ex-husband an additional two million dollars for not fulfilling the "contract for Sonny and Cher as a couple."

Cher not only recovered but thrived, becoming a singing legend. And in 2008, she landed a Las Vegas residency, earning an estimated $60 million per year and only stopping due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A young man from the Bronx in New York City, Jimmie Walker started off as a standup comedian in 1969, but audiences all over the country were introduced to Walker for his role as J.J. Evans on the TV series "Good Times" (via PBS). The show took place in Chicago and "pioneered the portrayal of Black families on network TV, setting the stage (literally) for shows like 'The Jeffersons' and 'The Cosby Show,'" plus modern-day hits like "Black-ish," The Florida-Times Union summarized. On the series, Walter's character was "the show's comic relief, balancing the show's tender family moments with bouts of his signature goofy, physical comedy," PBS reviewed. Walker became known for his hilarious catchphrase, "Dy-no-mite!" 

Reportedly, the show's producer wasn't pleased with the goofy trajectory of the show driven by Walker. His one co-star, John Amos, shared a similar sentiment, "I thought that we had lost the focus, which was the family as a whole and not just, you know, buffoonery." But Walker defended his acting and said that any comedy needs someone to provide comic relief.

As of 2021, Walker continued to act and appeared in the movie "Chaaw," Chestnut Hill Local reported. What's more, he never lost touch with his roots as a standup comedian. The Florida-Times Union reported that Walker performed standup at a venue in Jacksonville, Florida. The article noted that Walker was based out of Las Vegas and travels on the weekends.

Dustin Hoffman's career took off first as the lead character in "The Graduate." In the 1967 film, he played a recent college graduate who is "seduced by a woman who is twice his age — Mrs. Robinson," The Atlantic dished. In the following decade, he starred in many popular films of the '70s, and then, in 1979, Hoffman and his co-star Meryl Streep starred in the film "Kramer vs. Kramer." The movie dominated the Oscars, winning Best Picture and Best Director. Plus, Hoffman won Best Actor and Streep Best Supporting Actress. 

The movie also helped launch Streep's amazing career, but while making the film, Hoffman used extreme method acting techniques. For example, Streep's boyfriend John Cazale had recently died of cancer. In preparation for a scene, Hoffman allegedly taunted his co-star about "Cazale, jabbing her with remarks about his cancer and his death," according to Vanity Fair. Richard Fischoff, one of the film's executives remembered Hoffman "was goading her and provoking her, using stuff that he knew about her personal life and about John to get the response that he thought she should be giving in the performance."

More troubling news about Hoffman came out in 2017 as several women accused the actor of "sexually predatory behavior," per The Hollywood Reporter. But, Hoffman continued to act — for example, he signed on to appear in Mayim Bialik's movie "As Sick as They Made Us" in 2021 (via The Hollywood Reporter).

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

The soulful singer Diana Ross first rose to fame as part of the Supremes in the '60s. The group helped define the Motown sound with songs like "You Can't Hurry Love." One of the members, Florence Ballard, "not only chose the name the Supremes, but also sang lead vocals on many of their first songs," Harper's Bazaar detailed. But in 1967, she left the band leaving room for Ross to truly shine. 

The group rebranded as Diana Ross and the Supremes but two years later, Ross also left the band, effectively ending the iconic group. Then, "In 1970, she released her first solo studio album, which housed the hit single 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough.'" The song wasn't an original but Ross turned it into a classic — her version topped the Billboard pop chart, The Wall Street Journal revealed. Following the success of her first single, Ross married her manager Robert Ellis Silberstein. The couple had an adorable meet-cute in the '60s and went on to have two children together, including Tracee Ellis Ross.

Continuing her hot streak, Ross jumped into film and starred in the 1972 film "Lady Sings the Blues." And later in the decade, she played Dorothy in the film version of the musical "The Wiz." But Ross then focused on music and continued to record solo material. In 2021, she released two singles "Thank You" and "If the World Just Danced," Rolling Stone reported.

As Liza Minnelli told Variety, "I was born and they took a picture." The performer was referring to her life as the child of two famous parents, Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli. This meant the young girl grew up "on movie sets and in concert halls." And at just over a year old, Minnelli made her movie debut in "The Pirate," which was directed by her father and starred her mother. 

The incredibly talented Minnelli pursued a career on Broadway and in 1965 she won her first Tony award at 19, making her "the youngest person to win the leading actress in a musical Tony." By the end of the decade, Minnelli's role in "The Sterile Cuckoo" earned her an Oscar nomination. In 1972, Minnelli combined her love of musical theater and film by appearing in the movie version of "Cabaret." She won Best Actress at the Oscars for her role in the film directed by famous choreographer Bob Fosse. One of her co-stars in the film, Joel Grey, wasn't surprised by the win, since he saw Minnelli perform in Los Angeles years before. "She was this fresh, bursting, bright-eyed talent," he said of the future star. "You could see that connection to her mother and father," he added.

Continuing her career, Minnelli became an EGOT winner with an Emmy, a lifetime achievement Grammy Award (not to mention two Grammy noms), an Oscar, and four Tony Awards as of 2020 — and the star admitted that she would still return to acting for the right opportunity.

The song that made Patti Smith famous wasn't an original but a cover of a cover that she completely changed. In 1974, she recorded her first song "Hey Joe" at Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studio, NPR described. The track was, "originally written by Billy Roberts in 1962 but made famous by The Jimi Hendrix Experience," via Genius. "Smith's version inverts the patriarchal violence of the original as it is dedicated to Patty Hearst," the teen who was kidnapped in the mid-'70s. 

This ability to use words so beautifully came from her experience first as a poet. After initially just writing, Smith started to perform to combine "poetry and rock," per NPR. And she "developed a high-energy performance style that was sometimes aggressive, sometimes ecstatic." All these factors led to Smith earning the nickname, the Godmother of Punk. Outside of music, Smith dated photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. He was responsible for cover art on Smith's debut album "Horses" in 1975. But sadly, the man she called her soulmate died of AIDS in 1989.

Despite the tragedy, Smith continued to make music, like her album "Dream of Life" in 1998. She also became an author, writing both memoirs and novels, per The New York Times. And going full-circle on her career, Smith returned to the Electric Lady Studio in 2021 to stream live performances, Billboard reported.

After the Beatles debuted in America in 1964, it kicked off the "British Invasion" era, Rolling Stone recapped. And one of the biggest groups to follow in their footsteps was the Rolling Stones, led by frontman Mick Jagger. But, "unlike the Beatles, the Stones came on unsmiling and without manners — the kind of group parents had every right to feel uneasy about." And in 1971, the group released one of their timeless albums "Sticky Fingers." Staying true to their attitude, the cover "featured a risqué photograph from the mind of Andy Warhol of a male model in tight jeans seen only from the waist down," NPR detailed, adding, "the songs were often just as provocative — booze, drugs, sex all there." 

The group continued to release albums while Jagger grew into his status as a rock legend. As GQ wrote, in the '70s, "no one quite mastered the decade's lean, louche style quite like Mick Jagger." Later, the singer remained a pop culture icon for younger generations, inspiring the Maroon 5 song "Moves like Jagger."

The band continued to play live shows, wrapping up their "three-year, three-leg No Filter Tour" in 2019 (via Billboard). And reportedly, the group earned $415.6 million for the tour, making it their second in the "top 10 highest grossing tours in Boxscore's history." In 2021, Jagger went on tour once again, but, sadly, drummer Charlie Watts died months before the first show, Rolling Stone reported.