What 1970s Star Pam Grier Looks Like Now

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Pam Grier was one of the biggest and most important cultural figures of the 1970s. The iconic actor made her film debut in 1970, in "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls," and by the end of the decade she had already starred in multiple, legendary blaxploitation and action films, from "Coffy" to "Foxy Brown." But that was only the beginning of a long and celebrated career. Grier has since starred in sitcoms, animated movies, and even the beloved LGBTQ+ series "The L Word," alongside continuing her live action work on the silver screen in flicks such as Quentin Tarantino classic "Jackie Brown." 

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The Hollywood icon looked much different in the 1970s (main pic) than she does in the shot above, in 2026. Grier, now in her seventies, has swapped out her '70s retro afro hairstyle for lighter braids, but kept her thin eyebrows. In many public appearances, the prolific performer has worn a chic hat over her long locks. Grier is one of many stars from the 1970s still working today. "'Til I'm about 100," she told "CBS News Sunday Morning" in 2024 when asked how long she will remain in showbiz (via YouTube). "You take small steps, you still move forward. And my steps might get really small when I get older, I don't know, but I never want to lose my curiosity and respect for what we have."

Pam Grier has been a Hollywood mainstay for decades. Along the way, she's been nominated for an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a Saturn Award, among many others. However, she has not won, nor been nominated, for an Academy Award at the time of writing. While some fans understandably complain about this, the "Jackie Brown" star isn't upset about the snub. "My Oscar is just being alive and being asked to work and [...] share the narratives of so many Pams and other women that I'd like to be," Grier reasoned simply on "CBS News Sunday Morning."

To solidify her point, as of this writing, the actor has three projects in the works that could finally allow her to reach awards glory. She's developing her 2010 memoir, "Foxy: My Life in Three Acts," into a biopic and in 2024, Grier confirmed on "The Jennifer Hudson Show" that she's adapting Foxy Brown, one of her most famous blaxploitation films, into a stage musical. Likewise, in 2022, the '70s icon excitedly dished to Rolling Stone, "I'm writing something for me and Cardi B."