What The Biggest '70s Heartthrobs' Careers Look Like Today

The 1970s was a decade known for funky fads like feathered hair, bell bottoms, and the inescapable allure of the roller disco. During the polyester-loving time period, there were a handful of heartthrobs who ruled the screen, rocked the stage, and graced the cover of teen magazines like Tiger Beat.

Some of the '70s Hollywood hunks — such as John Travolta and Kurt Russell — continue to grind away at the business we call show; now in his 80s, rocker Mick Jagger seems as vivacious as ever. However, not all the teen idols and heartthrobs of the groovy decade managed to stay in the limelight 50-plus years later. The popularity of a celebrity can ebb and flow and sometimes a person's career just can't survive the ever-changing industry. Regardless of their current level of fame, these superstars of the '70s left their mark on Hollywood.

John Travolta got his big break on "Welcome Back, Kotter," which aired from 1975 to 1979. During the show's run, Travolta became a coveted leading man thanks to iconic performances in "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease," the former of which earned him his first Oscar nomination. 

"I knew then that he was a star. Certain people, when you're with them, you can see the magnetism that the camera loves. He has that magic," his "Grease" co-star Kelly Ward told The Guardian. Travolta did experience a career dip in the '80s, but the '90s brought hits like "Pulp Fiction," "Get Shorty," and "Face/Off." He received his second Oscar nomination for his performance in "Pulp Fiction."

"I had a great first chapter, and I was desperately looking for a second one. And [Quentin] took me to the moon and back," he said at a "Pulp Fiction" screen at the 2024 TCM Classic Film Festival (via Variety). Travolta went on to appear in films like "Hairspray" and "Savages," and he portrayed Robert Shapiro in the acclaimed miniseries "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story." In 2026, he made his directorial debut with the film "Propeller One-Way Night Coach."

One half of the iconic brother/sister duo Donny and Marie Osmomd, Donny Osmond was a bona fide teen idol in the '70s. Donny showcased his impressive pipes in covers of hit songs like "Sweet and Innocent" and "Puppy Love" and starred in the variety show "Donny & Marie" from 1976 to 1979.

"It was exhilarating. It was... euphoric to hit the stage and all these thousands of girls were screaming your name. What guy wouldn't want that?" Donny told Yahoo! Entertainment in 2021 of his colossal fame, which floundered in the '80s. "I can't find the words to tell you what the feeling was of being rejected after selling out stadiums and all this stuff and then playing half-filled high school gymnasiums."

Donny didn't call it, however. In the '90s, he played Joseph in a touring production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." In the 2000s, he launched a Las Vegas residency with Marie. He has appeared in reality competition shows including "Dancing with the Stars" — which he won — and "The Masked Singer." In 2024, he returned to "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," this time playing Pharaoh. 

Leif Garrett got his start in the '60s, but things didn't really take off until the short-lived 1975 series "Three for the Road." That decade, Garrett regularly graced the covers of magazines like Tiger Beat and Teen Beat. He appeared in movies like "Walking Tall" and "God's Gun" before launching his music career. He found success on the charts with hit singles like "I Was Made For Dancin'" and "Feel the Need."

Garrett continued to thrive in the '80s and had roles in "The Outsiders" and "Thunder Alley," though his career was derailed by his struggles with addiction. The former teen idol had multiple run-ins with the law in the 2000s and beyond. Garrett appeared on "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" and has since found sobriety, and he released his autobiography "Idol Truth" in 2019.

"I look back at my life and there are many things I got to experience that other people never get to do. And I'm grateful for that. I just wish it could have been a better situation. I wish I had made better decisions," Garret told Fox News while promoting his memoir. 

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

John Schneider became an overnight sensation at just 18 when he began playing Bo Duke in the 1979 series "The Dukes of Hazzard." The action comedy ran for seven seasons, and in the wake of its massive success, Schneider pursued a country music career. Schneider went on to have roles in shows including "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman," "Touched by an Angel," and "Walker, Texas Ranger."

By the new millennium, Schneider was staying busy and appeared as Jonathan Kent in "Smallville" as well as in "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" and "Desperate Housewives." He also starred in "The Haves and the Have Nots" from 2013 to 2021, and was a contestant on "The Masked Singer" in 2023.

As the decades roll on, Schneider continues to be appreciative of "The Dukes of Hazzard" and its enduring legacy. "It's a wonderful show. There's no show that's ever been like it and the proof is in the fact it's still going all these years later," he said to Digital Journal in 2016. 

Known for playing eldest son Greg Brady in the '70s juggernaut "The Brady Bunch," Barry Williams blossomed in front of America's eyes during the show's five-season run. He starred in numerous spinoffs and TV movies such as "The Brady Kids" and "The Brady Bunch Hour."

Williams stuck to the small screen following his meteoric rise, appearing on shows like "Full House," "That '70s Show," and "Scrubs." He also dabbled in the reality TV world, popping up in "The Masked Singer," "Dancing with the Stars," and most recently in "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!" in 2026.

The seasoned star has opened up about the literal growing pains he experienced while in the spotlight. "The years were very intense years for me. All my teen years, 14 to 20, were on 'The Brady Bunch,'" he said on "Today Extra" (via People) in 2021. "There were a lot of changes. You could hear the voice changing, you could see the hair changing, you could see the growth spurts going on with all of us."

Before he sent audiences into a frenzy as Noah Drake on the soap opera "General Hospital," Rick Springfield launched a successful music career in the '70s with his debut single "Speak to the Sky." The Australian superstar released his debut album "Beginnings" in 1972 and emerged as a pop sensation, Springfield spawning further albums like "Wait for Night."

Springfield landed the "General Hospital" role in 1981 and released the hit single "Jessie's Girl" that same year. He won a Grammy for best male rock performance in 1982 and stayed busy working in the years after, touring around the globe while nabbing roles on shows including "True Detective," "Hot in Cleveland," and "American Horror Story."

In March 2025, Springfield revealed that he has been dealing with brain damage after suffering from a fall 25 years prior. "I thought I had just broken my wrist, but on the scan I found out I have some brain damage from the fall, so I'm working on trying to repair that," he shared with People. 

Scott Baio famously played Chachi Arcola in the beloved sitcom "Happy Days" from 1977 to 1984, reprising the character for the short-lived spinoff "Joanie Loves Chachi." For his performance in "Happy Days," Baio received two Emmy nominations and won two Young Artist Awards. He later headlined "Charles in Charge" for five seasons and made guest-star appearances in '90s shows like "Full House," "Touched by an Angel," and "The Nanny."

The TV staple has praised series creator Garry Marshall for helping him navigate Hollywood in his early impressionable years. "I worked for Garry Marshall for 10 years and I don't know what people did at home, but the 'Happy Days' set was relatively clean and it was always fun...we were happy people. Good citizens. I was lucky," he told Ability Magazine in 2013. 

Baio remained on the small screen on shows like the scripted comedy "Arrested Development," the reality series "Scott Baio is 45...and Single," and the sitcom "See Dad Run," the latter of which ran on Nick at Nite for three seasons. 

After starring in the Western series "The Big Valley," Lee Majors landed his breakthrough role as Colonel Steve Austin in the sci-fi classic "The Six Million Dollar Man" in 1973. The show became a global sensation and was aired in over 70 countries, Majors becoming a swoon-worthy heartthrob. He was also married to fellow TV icon Farrah Fawcett at the time, the pair becoming an iconic power couple who ruled the '70s.

Majors starred in "The Six Million Dollar Man" until 1978 and he reprised the role in three TV movies. He then headlined "The Fall Guy" for five seasons and appeared in films like "Big Fat Liar" and "The Brother's Solomon." Majors continued acting into his late '80s and even made a cameo role in the 2024 remake of "The Fall Guy." The veteran actor hit it off with Ryan Gosling while filming his exciting appearance.

"You can't help but be friends with [Gosling]. I think we gave off really good vibes between each other. We're both kind of laid back," Majors said to People in 2024. "I would say he's cool. He kept saying I was cool, so I guess we were cool." 

Mark Hamill was thrust into the spotlight when he began playing legendary cinematic hero Luke Skywalker in the 1977 blockbuster "Star Wars: A New Hope." His life completely changed when he joined the George Lucas franchise, and he went on to reprise the beloved character in multiple films in the series. "We never expected it to become a permanent franchise and a part of pop culture like that," Hamill said to Comicbook.com (via Variety) in 2025.

Since 1992, Hamill has voiced the Joker in DC Comics Media and other cartoon characters like Fire Lord Ozai in "Avatar: The Last Airbender." Hamill has continued dominating Hollywood since "Star Wars" thanks to performances in "The Fall of the House of Usher" and in recent movies like "The Life of Chuck" and "The Long Walk."

"I certainly didn't expect to have this sudden burst of life so late in the game, I should be spending time wandering the beaches with a metal detector. I can't explain why, all of a sudden, I have five features this year," he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2025.  

English icon Mick Jagger has been the charismatic frontman for the Rolling Stones since the band's inception in 1962. By the '70s, Jagger's love life and provocative on-stage persona were the stuff of legend. The band was already established as one of the music world's most successful attractions, Jagger's energetic performances endearing him to fans all over the globe.

"I used to do mad things — go on my knees and roll on the ground... People were shocked. It was a bit wild for what was going on at the time in the suburbs," Jagger once said (via Marie Claire UK) of his daring stage antics. In 1989, Jagger and his bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and they have gone on to sell more than an estimated 250 million albums worldwide.

The musician has also released solo work in addition to his projects with the Rolling Stones, including "Primitive Cool" and "Wandering Spirit." In his eras-spanning career, Jagger has been praised as a trailblazer in the rock and roll genre. 

The brother of fellow heartthrob David Cassidy, Shaun Cassidy also dominated the decade. Shaun signed a contract with Warner Bros. Records when he was still in high school, and then released four popular albums, including his multi-platinum self-titled album. He also starred in the TV series "The Hardy Boys," cementing his status as a teen idol.

Shaun steadily performed his music on stage but pivoted into producing and writing later in his career in the '90s, the star helping create shows like "American Gothic," "Invasion," and "New Amsterdam." "I've never enjoyed being a public figure. I don't like all the attention. I'm basically an introvert. I don't really like being famous," he told People in 2025.

"But the only thing more ridiculous than being famous is being formerly famous, because you're still famous, but a lot of people don't necessarily know why anymore. And if it were up to me, I'd prefer neither of those things." In 2021, Shaun delighted fans when he starred in his sold-out one-man show "The Magic of the Midnight Sky" and resumed touring in 2025 after 45 years. 

Singer and songwriter Peter Frampton started out his enduring career in the '60s as a teenager when he was a member of the rock bands The Herd and Humble Pie before branching out to pursue his solo career. Frampton released his debut album in 1972 and later spawned hit songs like "Baby, I Love Your Way" and "Show Me the Way," showcasing his signature sound and artistic flair.

Frampton emerged as a heartthrob in the rock world with his blond tresses and handsome looks, though the musician didn't like being seen as a sex symbol. "I couldn't go to a magazine store without seeing a picture of me on the front cover of a magazine with my shirt off," he said in his documentary "Frampton" (via People). "I was on the cover of every magazine known to man at that point. That really didn't help the situation."

Frampton has been certified platinum a whopping eight times, collaborating with popular artists like George Harrison and David Bowie throughout his career. In 2024, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

With long golden locks and a strong jawline, Kurt Russell seemed destined to be a teen idol after he first got his start as a child star in the Western series "The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters." Russell's roles in "Now You See Him, Now You Don't" and "The Strongest Man in the World" further propelled him to stardom, and he memorably portrayed rock and roll icon Elvis Presley in the 1979 biopic "Elvis," receiving an Emmy nomination.

Russell's career only continued to gain steam in the following decades, as he starred in a slew of films including "Escape From New York," "The Thing," "Overboard," and "Tombstone." He also became one half of a beloved Hollywood relationship: Though they never tied the knot, Russell and Goldie Hawn have been an A-list power couple since the '80s.

In 2026, Russell appeared alongside Michelle Pfeiffer in the streaming hit "The Madison" and he shows no signs of slowing down. "I still don't feel any different in terms of what I'm doing, in terms of the interest in it, the fun of it. Ours is an interesting industry in that regard," he told AARP. 

Warren Beatty has had a decorated career that spans decades. By the '70s, Beatty was already an established star known for his striking looks and impressive acting chops, and during the decade he appeared in films like "Shampoo" and "Heaven Can Wait," the latter of which he directed. What's more, Beatty's personal life — particularly his romantic escapades — became something of legend.

In his 2010 unauthorized biography of Beatty, Peter Biskind alleged that the actor had slept with 12,775 women in his life. Beatty has cheekily refuted this claim. "Think about it, sleeping with 12,775 people," he told AARP in 2016 of the long-standing rumor. "That would mean not just that there were multiple people a day, but that there was no repetition."

Beatty eventually met and fell in love with fellow star Annette Bening and the two were married in 1992. In that decade, he both starred in and directed "Dick Tracy" and "Bullworth." Now approaching 90, Beatty still maintains his signature charm but has largely retreated from the limelight since directing and starring in 2016's "Rules Don't Apply." 

Though it wasn't his first acting gig, playing the Fonz on the sitcom hit "Happy Days" made Henry Winkler a household name. With his slicked-back hair and trademark leather jacket, both the character and Winkler received the adoration of millions and was a standout in the trailblazing sitcom.

He went on to nab roles in TV hits like "Parks and Recreation" and "Arrested Development," and has also appeared in movies like "Scream," "The Waterboy," "Click," and "The French Dispatch." In 2018, Winkler won an Emmy — his first ever — for his performance in the HBO drama "Barry."

Winkler has attributed his enduring career to the show's creator, Garry Marshall. "He was loyal. He was your friend. He was like my surrogate dad," Winkler told The Hollywood Reporter in 2016. "I learned how to be a producer from him. That you took care of everyone with great respect. That no one was better than anybody else on that set."