Most people will likely remember Michael Biehn from two major roles in the eighties: Sgt. Kyle Reese in the 1983 sci-fi thriller “The Terminator,” and Corporal Dwayne Hicks in the 1986 movie “Aliens.” But during the seventies, he had lots of roles in traditional media as well as science fiction that held lots of viewers tuning in just to see him.
He paid his dues in the acting world, working his way up the ladder on shows such as “James at 16,” “Logan’s Run,” and “Family.” It was the short-lived series “The Runaways” from 1979 that got him his place in teen magazines.
Loni Anderson (1970s)
From a childhood of playing dress-up to getting second place in the Miss Minnesota pageant at eighteen, Loni Anderson was destined for greatness. When she and her family relocated to California, both Anderson and her husband started getting acting roles. Anderson found herself in popular shows such as “S.W.A.T.,” “Police Woman,” “Three's Company,” and “Barnaby Jones,” though she never had starring roles.
That changed in 1978 thanks to a poster she posed for, which caught the attention of Hugh Wilson, who needed someone to star in the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati.” Anderson proved to be the breakout star of the series. She went on to get plenty of roles after the series ended and even got married to Burt Reynolds.
Sandra Dee (1950s - 1960s)
Sandra began her entertainment career as a child model, later moving on to televised advertisements, breaking into the film when she was a teenager. She became famous for playing ingénues and earned a Golden Globe Award as a promising newcomer. She became a household name thanks to “Imitation of Life” in 1959. She was darling, driving men wild with just one look.
Her career continued into the sixties, but by the end of the decade, it had begun to dwindle. Her publicized divorce with Bobby Darin marked the beginning of the end, and she rarely acted after 1970. Dee died in 2005 of complications from kidney disease.
Dirk Benedict (1970s)
Long before he was the handsome and skilled space pilot Lt. Starbuck in the original “Battlestar Galactica,” Dirk Benedict had a role in the short-lived 1974 TV series “Chopper One,” and also starred in the cult classic horror film “Sssssss” from 1973. Yup, that is the name of a movie, folks.
He played a lab assistant to a scientist who had a bad habit of turning his assistants into snakes. Benedict is best known for his role on the classic eighties show “The A-Team,” in which he played Lieutenant Templeton “Faceman” Peck. The opening to that show references his “Battlestar Galactica” role.
The Bay City Rollers (1970s)
Formed in 1967, this Scottish group went through plenty of lineup changes before they struck it big and caused music and fashion crazes alike. They had major chart success in the United Kingdom and later got all the way to number one on Billboard with “S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night.”
The boys seemed unstoppable when their next song, “Money Honey,” got to number nine. Teen gals of the era loved the music and looks of the boys, but their star power faltered thanks to a revolving door of members who couldn't take the strain. Several of the members still play the songs, but there is no official Bay City Rollers anymore.