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Linda Evans (born on November 18, 1942) is an American actress known primarily for her roles on television. She rose to fame playing Audra Barkley, the daughter of Barbara Stanwyck's Victoria Barkley, on the 1960s Western TV series, The Big Valley (1965–1969). Evans' most prominent role was that of longsuffering heroine Krystle Carrington on the 1980s ABC prime time television soap opera Dynasty, a role she played from 1981 to 1989.
She was born Linda Evenstad in Hartford, Connecticut. The name Evenstad is Norwegian and Linda Evans is of Norwegian descent. Her parents were professional dancers.
Evans' first guest-starring role was on an episode of Bachelor Father, which starred her future series' lead, John Forsythe. She would co-star with him on Dynasty, as the wife of an oil multimillionaire more than two decades later. Before then, she co-starred opposite longtime actress Barbara Stanwyck on The Big Valley. During her third and fourth and final seasons on air, her screen time had been reduced, due to her new marriage with Derek, but was on the show for the entire run.
During the 1980s, Linda Evans and her Dynasty co-star, Joan Collins, became the two most celebrated female television stars of the decade, displaying an on-screen adversarial chemistry. For her role as Krystle, Evans was nominated five times for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a TV Drama series (every year from 1982 to 1986), winning in 1982 in a tie with Barbara Bel Geddes of rival soap Dallas. Evans won five People's Choice Awards as Favorite Actress in a Drama Series in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, and 1986, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead actress in a Drama Series in 1983.
Due to her character's name on Dynasty, she starred in an ad campaign for Crystal Light beverages, starting in 1984.
Evans has been married twice. She was first married to actor and film producer John Derek from 1968 to 1974. Evans' second marriage was to Stan Herman, a property executive, from 1976 to 1981. In the 1990s Linda dated Yanni.
Regularly listed as one of the most beautiful women in America, she appeared in Playboy magazine at the behest of her then-husband John Derek in 1971, those photos published a second time in 1982 when she was turning forty.
For her contribution to the television industry, Linda Evans has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6834 Hollywood Blvd. After she left Dynasty, Evans semi-retired from acting and only made occasional television appearances. She now resides in Rainier, Washington, and owns a small chain of fitness centers. In the 1990s, Evans hosted infomercials for Rejuvenique, a mask for toning facial muscles. She also published the "Linda Evans Beauty and Exercise" book in 1983.
In 2005 actress Melora Hardin portrayed Evans in Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure, a fictionalized television movie based on the creation and behind the scenes production of Dynasty.
In 2006, Evans reunited with her Dynasty castmates for the non-fiction reunion special Dynasty: Catfights and Caviar. She then starred in the stage play Legends opposite her former Dynasty rival Collins.
In 2009, Evans appeared in and won the British TV programme Hell's Kitchen, working under Michelin-starred chef Marco Pierre White.
All my life I kind of had the strangest career because whenever I fell in love, I stopped working.
Linda Evans
Joan Rivers once said that Linda Evans "is one of the only people in the business I've never heard anything negative about.".
Linda Evans
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Linda Evanstad
18 November 1942, Hartford, Connecticut
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Attended Hollywood High School with Stefanie Powers.
Engaged to Patrick Curtis (1960-1962).
Dated Yanni [1989 - January 1998]
Owner of Linda Evans Fitness Centers (15 locations)
As a teenager, she guest starred in a 1960 episode of TV's "Bachelor Father: A Crush on Bentley (#4.5)" (1960) as a girl who develops a crush on John Forsythe's character. Some twenty years later, she co-starred on the hit TV series "Dynasty" (1981) as John Forsythe's wife.
Measurements: 34-24-34 (self-described 1968), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
Her real last name, Evanstad, is of Norwegian origin.
She was one of the guests at Prince Charles' and Camilla Parker-Bowles' wedding.
Friend of Bo Derek.
Ex-stepmother of Sean Catherine Derek.
Best known by the public for her starring role as Krystle Carrington on "Dynasty" (1981).
In 1959, she was voted an "Honorary Colonel" at the Hollywood Legion Post 43. A gala night that featured upcoming female stars. Another girl in the group that same night was Barbara Parkins.
Had a nine-year relationship (89-98) with keyboardist Yanni. The New Age heartthrob would typically perform in concert in his trademark white suit with Linda gazing lovingly at him from a front row.
Due to her character's name on Dynasty, she starred in an ad campaign for Crystal Light beverages starting in 1984.
In 2006, Evans reunited with her Dynasty castmates for the non-fiction reunion special Dynasty: Catfights and Caviar.
Published the "Linda Evans Beauty and Exercise" book in 1983.
Regularly listed as one of the most beautiful women in America, she appeared in Playboy magazine at the behest of then-husband John Derek in 1971. Those photos were published a second time in 1982 when she was turning forty.
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A whole family would be absurd now. But one child would be wonderful.
Aaron Spelling went further than anyone has ever gone for television.
After "Dynasty" (1981), I wanted a reality check. I wanted to get in touch with real life, you know? That kind of world is kind of outrageous.
[On her very first meeting with John Forsythe, years before she was reunited with him, co-starring on "Dynasty" (1981)]: Well, he gave me my first speaking part ever when I was 15, "Bachelor Father" (1957), and I had a crush on him! I played his niece's friend, and he wrote on the script, 'You are going to be somebody someday.' And I brought that on the set of 'Dynasty,' about the third year I found it, and I said, 'John, look what you wrote.'
[When she was battling menopause and depression]: For the first time in my life, I understood what it was like to not be totally in control of my life. I am in a downward spiral to hell, it just got worse and worse. ... It was like all the lights were down low.
[About her longtime friendship with John Forsythe, who played Blake Carrington]: Because firstly, he's an amazing actor. And he got involved not only in his character but in making sure his character -- and I got involved in making sure my character -- set a certain path of not fooling around, cheating, being, you know -- we just, we stuck together on the show and demanded that we were the love lasting forever and we were the one thing on the show that was pure. And even though they kept trying to have me go off, you know, with different people and have him seduced by somebody, we said, 'Couldn't America have one couple that just sticks together?' And even though they kept trying to have me go off, you know, with different people and have him seduced by somebody, we said, 'Couldn't America have one couple that just sticks together?'
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