When your career starts only months after you’ve come out of the womb, surely that means you’re destined for stardom right? After a TV commercial for Firth Carpet, she starred as the adorable Prudence Everett in TV series “Nanny and the Professor.”
After a number of film roles in the 70s, she guest-starred in a slew of TV series’ including “Emergency!,” “Diff’rent Strokes,” “Alice,” “Fantasy Island,” “The Love Boat,” “CHiPs,” “Magnum, P.I.,” “The Dukes of Hazzard” as well as “Little House on the Prairie.” In 2010, Richards joined “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” and was a regular cast member for five seasons!
Linda Kozlowski
“Mick, give him your wallet.” “What for?” “He’s got a knife.” “That’s not a knife. THAT’s a knife.” Who can forget the iconic scene in "Crocodile Dundee" which catapulted Juilliard graduate Linda Kozlowski to fame? Playing the female lead opposite Australian larrikin Paul Hogan, Kozlowski and Hogan’s on-screen chemistry became more, with the pair starting a real-life relationship!
Since the film, Kozlowski appeared in "Almost an Angel," "Backstreet Justice," "The Neighbor," and "Village of the Damned." However, Kozlowski was tired of being typecast, stating “these straight to-video…films I was getting were giving me an ulcer…I was the only one on the set that cared about anything...I decided to give it all away.” In regard to her personal life, it seems her role in "Crocodile Dundee" was fated, marrying Hogan in 1990, and giving birth to a son, Chance. In 2013 however, the duo split, and she married her Moroccan lover, Moulay Hadid Babaa!
Raquel Welch
Raquel Welch's role in "One Million Years B.C." caught the attention of many men (and still to this day may we add!) and women, as well as subsequently producing one of the highest-selling pin-up posters of all time. After the death of Monroe in 1962, Raquel assumed her place, and rid the world of the idea that sex goddesses came in one form only; peroxide blondes.
Of Bolivian and Irish heritage, she was constantly reminded of her beauty even as a teenager, with nicknames “Miss Photogenic” and “Miss Contour.” With two kids at the age of 25, and one divorce behind her, she moved to Dallas, working as a model. Unfortunately, her acting career didn’t take off quite as she’d hoped, typecast as the sexy, va-va-voom bombshell. In 2023, at the age of 82, she sadly passed away.
Nancy Kerrigan
No one can forget the scandal surrounding Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding at the 1994 Winter Olympics. Recently they made the film I, Tonya starring the ever-glamorous Margot Robbie as Harding, and Caitlin Carver as Kerrigan. After consecutive wins in 1992 and 1993, Kerrigan was shockingly attacked by the ghastly ex-husband of her arch-nemesis Tonya Harding.
Despite an excruciatingly painful knee injury, Kerrigan recovered and went on to take home silver in the same year. Whilst her claim to fame isn’t a graceful ascent, and was marred by the nastiness of others, she is a celebrity in her own right. Her skill and talent on the ice proved her resilience and tenacity, which are the makings of a true role model. She then went on to appear in season 24 of "Dancing with the Stars," with her Foxtrot with Artem Chigvintsev remembered as one of the most memorable performances of the season!
Jaclyn Smith
A regular in "Charlie's Angels," Jaclyn Smith played the feisty Kelly Garrett, and was, in fact, the only original female lead to see the whole show through till the end. In a cheeky cameo, she reprised her famous role in the 2003 film "Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle." But her role in the original TV series propelled herself, and the other Angels to stardom, even appearing on the cover of Time magazine!
After "Charlie’s Angels," Smith turned to more entrepreneurial pursuits, pioneering the idea of celebrities developing their own lines, with a range of women’s apparel for Kmart. She has since gone on to introduce her own bedding and bath accessories, as well as a wig collection for Paula Young Wigs. Whilst the wig path may seem quite niche, it is for good reason; in 2003, Smith herself battled breast cancer – this was a way of giving back.