For millions of television viewers, she was the picture of glamorous beauty.
With her long blonde hair, radiant smile and elegant features, she became one of the most recognizable women on television.
During the 1980s, her face was everywhere—and her character on one of the biggest shows of the decade turned her into an international star.
But decades later, the woman audiences remembered looked dramatically different.
Linda Evans had already been working in television and film for years when she landed the role that would define her career. In 1981, she joined the cast of Dynasty as Krystle Carrington, the glamorous wife of oil tycoon Blake Carrington.
The series became a worldwide television phenomenon, and Evans quickly became one of its most recognizable stars. The Golden Globes describes her as a television icon who rose to worldwide fame through Dynasty.
Her performance brought her major recognition. In 1982, Evans won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama, and she received four more nominations for the same role in the following years.
At the height of Dynasty’s popularity, her image represented a very specific kind of 1980s glamour. Her blonde hair, polished style and youthful appearance made her instantly recognizable to audiences around the world.
Then the years began to pass.
Dynasty ended in 1989, closing one of the most important chapters of Evans’ career. But photographs continued to document her changing appearance as she moved through different stages of life.
The contrast between the glamorous young star of Dynasty and the woman seen decades later became increasingly striking. The blonde hair and youthful features that audiences remembered so vividly had naturally changed with age.
And that is what makes her transformation so fascinating.
The woman who once appeared every week in millions of homes eventually stepped away from the constant spotlight. Yet her image as Krystle Carrington remained frozen in the memories of the generation that watched Dynasty.
Looking back at photographs from the height of her fame beside images from her later years, the change is impossible to miss.
She was once one of television’s most recognizable beauties.
But decades later, even longtime viewers might need a second look to realize they were seeing the same woman.
