Linda Evans facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Linda Evans
Evans at Heart Truth in February 2012
Born	Linda Evenstad (1942-11-18) November 18, 1942 (age 82) Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Education	Hollywood High School
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1960–1997; 2020–present
Known for	Dynasty The Big Valley Avalanche Express Tom Horn
Spouse(s)	John Derek ​ ​ (m. 1968; div. 1974)​ Stan Herman ​ ​ (m. 1975; div. 1979)​
Partner(s)	Patrick Curtis (1960–1962) George Santo Pietro (1980–1984) Yanni (1989–1998)

Keenan Wynn, Evans and Jack Ging in television's The Eleventh Hour (1963)

Original cast of The Big Valley (1965) with Evans (Audra), Barbara Stanwyck (Victoria) standing in front of Richard Long (Jarrod), Peter Breck (Nick), Lee Majors (Heath) and Charles Briles (Eugene)

Evans in The Big Valley, 1965

With George Peppard in Banacek, 1974

Linda Evans (born Linda Evenstad on November 18, 1942) is an American actress. She is well-known for her roles on television. In the 1960s, she starred in the Western TV series The Big Valley. She played Audra Barkley, the daughter of Victoria Barkley. Later, in the 1980s, she became famous for playing Krystle Carrington. This was in the popular primetime soap opera Dynasty.

Early Life and Acting Start

Linda Evans was born in Hartford, Connecticut. Her parents, Arlene and Alba Evenstad, were both professional dancers. When Linda was six months old, her family moved to North Hollywood. She went to Hollywood High School. Linda took drama classes to help with her shyness. When she started acting, she changed her last name to "Evans."

Her first acting job was in 1960 on a show called Bachelor Father. She acted alongside John Forsythe in that show. Twenty years later, they would work together again on Dynasty.

Becoming a TV Star

After several guest roles, Linda got her first regular part in 1965. This was in the TV series The Big Valley. She played Audra Barkley, the daughter of Victoria Barkley. Victoria was played by the famous actress Barbara Stanwyck. Linda was a main character until the show ended in 1969.

Throughout the 1970s, Linda appeared in many TV shows. These included detective shows like The Rockford Files and McCloud. She also acted in films. In 1979, she was in the thriller Avalanche Express. In 1980, she co-starred with Steve McQueen in the Western film Tom Horn.

Dynasty: A Huge Success

Linda Evans then got the role of Krystle Carrington in Dynasty. This new primetime soap opera started in 1981. Linda played the new wife of a rich oil businessman, Blake Carrington. John Forsythe played Blake, her co-star from her very first acting job.

At first, Dynasty wasn't very popular. But after some changes and when British actress Joan Collins joined the cast, it became a huge hit. Joan Collins played Blake's ex-wife, Alexis Carrington. By the 1984–85 TV season, Dynasty was the number one show in America.

Linda Evans won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a TV Drama Series in 1981 for her role in Dynasty. She also won several People's Choice Awards. These awards showed how much fans loved her performance. She was also a spokesperson for the drink Crystal Light.

Linda left Dynasty in 1989. After that, she mostly stopped acting. She focused on fitness and even opened her own fitness centers. She also hosted TV commercials for a facial toning mask. In 1991, she returned to play Krystle Carrington again in a TV miniseries called Dynasty: The Reunion. After a few more TV movies, she retired from acting in 1997.

Later Career and Life

In 2006, Linda reunited with her Dynasty castmates for a special show. She also starred in a stage play called Legends with Joan Collins. In 2009, Linda won the British TV cooking show Hell's Kitchen. She worked under the famous chef Marco Pierre White.

In 2021, Linda Evans returned to acting for a small role. This was in the movie Swan Song. Linda Evans has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California.

Personal Life and Interests

Linda Evans has been married and divorced twice. She was married to actor John Derek and later to Stan Herman. She also had relationships with other people, including musician Yanni.

Linda is close friends with her ex-stepdaughter, Sean Catherine Derek. She is also friendly with John Derek's second wife, actress Ursula Andress, and his later wife, Bo Derek.

After a health issue, Linda became interested in different ways of healing and thinking. She explored Eastern philosophy and naturopathy. She moved to Rainier, Washington, where she lives on a large estate with her sister, nephew, and ex-stepdaughter.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

See also

In Spanish: Linda Evans para niños