The Top Movie Stars of the ’70s

Robert DeNiro was born in New York City, NY in 1943. He became a household name in the 1970s after his performance in “Bang the Drum Slowly” (1973) and is today widely recognized as one of Hollywood’s top talents. He’s won multiple awards throughout his career, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Not one to stray from his passions, DeNiro continues working in films. He’s most known for “Taxi Driver” (1976), “The Deer Hunter” (1978), “Raging Bull” (1980) and “Cape Fear” (1991).

Jack Nicholson has enjoyed a long career as an actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. Born in Neptune, NJ in 1973, Nicholson made his film debut in “The Cry Baby Killer” (1958), a B-rated film. While some actors seemingly rise to fame overnight, for Nicholson it was a slow burn. Nevertheless, he gained critical acclaim and is the proud recipient of three Academy Awards. He is most known for his roles as Robert Eroica Dupea in “Five Easy Pieces” (1970), J.J. Gittes in “Chinatown” (1974), R.P. McMurphy in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975), Melvin Udall in “As Good as It Gets” (1997) and Costello in “The Departed” (2006).

Marlon Brando (1924 – 2004) was born in Omaha, NE. He was a highly esteemed actor who spent some time on Broadway before focusing full-time on the big screen. He spent a full five decades dazzling audiences in a wide range of films, from crime dramas to comedies. He’s most popular for his roles as Don Vito Corleone in “The Godfather” (1972), Col. Walter E. Kurtz in “Apocalypse Now” (1979) and Paul in “Last Tango in Paris” (1972).

Al Pacino was born in New York City, NY in 1940 and became an iconic figure in Hollywood, rising to fame in the 1960s. Pacino’s love for acting keeps him taking on new roles into his eighties, most recently as Xavier Crane in “Knox Goes Away” (2023). He is most well-known for his roles as Michael Corleone in “The Godfather” (1972), Sonny in “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975), Serpico in “Serpico” (1973) and Big Boy Caprice in “Dick Tracy” (1990).

Martin Sheen, originally known as Ramon Antonio Gerard Estevez, was born in Dayton, OH, in 1940. Since the start of his career, Sheen has won multiple Emmy and Golden Globe awards. Sheen has graced both the small and big screen, consistently delivering grand performances. On the big screen, Sheen is most known for his roles as Capt. Benjamin L. Willard in “Apocalypse Now” (1979), Kit in “Badlands” (1973), Queenan in “The Departed” (2006) and Tom in “The Way” (2010).

Ellen Burstyn was born in 1932 in Detroit, MI. In the 1950s, she found some stability in her acting career, playing a dancer on a TV show. That same decade, she made her Broadway debut. In 1971, she broke out onto the big screen. Burstyn is most known for her roles as Chris MacNeil in “The Exorcist” (1973), Alice Hyatt in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” (1974) and Sara Goldfarb in “Requiem for a Dream” (2000).

Roy Scheider (1932 – 2008) was an athletic man whose film career began in the 1960s with a couple of low-rated films. It wasn’t until 1971 that he garnered the attention of a wider audience in several films. Schneider is most known for his roles as Brody in “Jaws” (1975) and later in “Jaws 2” (1978). He portrayed other memorable roles as Joe Gideon in “All That Jazz” (1979) and Buddy Russo in “The French Connection” (1971).

Mark Hamill was born in Oakland, CA in 1951. His acting debut occurred in 1961, when he took on the role of Henry in “The Bill Cosby Show” (1969). Hamill has starred in several fan favorites, taking on the roles of Luke Skywalker in “Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope” (1977), “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) and “Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi” (1983). Hamill hasn’t just graced the big screen for the Star Wars franchise, but he’s also taken on a range of other roles, including that of Albert in the action/comedy “The Machine” (2023).

Richard Dreyfuss was born in New York City, NY in 1947. His acting career started with bit parts until the 1970s when things started to kick off for him. Not one to squander his talent, he continues working into his seventies, most recently taking on the role of Maurice Podoloff in “Sweetwater” (2023). Dreyfuss is most known for his roles as Roy Neary in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977), Hooper in “Jaws” (1975), Elliot Garfield in “The Goodbye Girl” (1977) and Curt in “American Graffiti.”

Dustin Hoffman, born in Los Angeles, CA in 1937, didn’t do so great in college but began to thrive when he decided to pursue acting (initially with an interest in meeting pretty girls). Throughout his twenties and into his thirties, Hoffman lived below the poverty line. He rose to fame in the 1960s and 1970s. He is most known for his roles as Kramer in “Kramer vs. Kramer” (1979), Ratso in “Midnight Cowboy” (1969) and Raymond Babbitt in “Rain Man” (1988).

John Belushi (1949 – 1982) was born in Chicago, IL and was both an actor and comedian, known for his performances on “Saturday Night Live.” His sense of humor has been appreciated by others since he was in school and after earning his associate’s degree in college, he broke out into the Chicago comedy scene. Belushi is best known for his roles as John Blutarsky in “National Lampoon’s Animal House” (1978), Capt. Wild Bill Kelso in “1941” (1979) and “Joilet” Jake in “The Blues Brothers” (1980).

Clint Eastwood, born in San Francisco, CA in 1930, became a prominent figure in Hollywood, thanks to his signature tough guy roles across a large body of work. His acting career began in the 1950s but he didn’t become a household name until the 1960s. Eastwood cemented his status as an iconic figure in his roles as Harry in “Dirty Harry” (1971) and Josey Wales in “The Outlaw Josey Wales” (1976). Before this decade, Eastwood starred in Sergio Leone’s trilogy, which included “A Fistful of Dollars” (1964), “For a Few Dollars More” (1965) and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (1966).

Sissy Spacek (previously Mary Elizabeth Spacek) was born in Quitman, TX in 1949. She wasn’t a stranger to popularity — she was the homecoming queen as a teen. After high school, she went on to pursue a career in acting in New York. Spacek is most known for her roles as Carrie in “Carrie” (1976), Loretta Lynn in “Coal Miner’s Daughter” (1980), Ruth Fowler in “In the Bedroom” (2001) and Missus Walters in “The Help” (2011).

John Travolta, with his signature dimpled chin, is an American actor who was born in Englewood, NJ in 1954. Encouraged by his mother who was a dancer and actress, Travolta started working professionally at age 16. He quit school at that time and pursued his career full-time, looking to combine his voice, dancing and acting skills. Travolta is most known for his roles as Tony Manero in “Saturday Night Fever” (1977), Danny in “Grease” (1978), Vincent Vega in “Pulp Fiction” (1994) and Chili Palmer in “Get Shorty” (1995).

Sylvester Stallone was born in 1946 in New York City, NY. He is not just an actor, but a director, producer and writer. He worked several odd jobs before his rise to fame in the 1970s. It took him just over three days to write the screenplay for the movie he would star in that would become a cult classic, “Rocky” (1976). He held onto it until he met two producers who agreed to let him star in it. Stallone is also known for his roles as Rambo in “First Blood” (1982) and Barney Ross in “The Expendables” (2010).

Farrah Fawcett (1947 – 2009) was born in Corpus Christi, TX. Though she studied microbiology in college, her true passion was for acting. She made her way over to Los Angeles, where her classic beauty caught the eyes of executives. She was cast in several TV series and commercials and made her film debut in 1969. Fawcett is most known for her roles as Holly in “Logan’s Run” (1976), Alex in “Saturn 3” (1980), Pamela in “The Cannonball Run” (1981) and Marjorie in “Extremities” (1986).

Gene Hackman was born in San Bernardino, CA in 1930. He studied journalism and television production at the University of Illinois but it wasn’t until the 1960s that he got his first acting role on a Broadway play. By the 1970s, he was the proud recipient of an Oscar award for his role as Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in the film “The French Connection” (1971). Hackman is also well-known for his roles as Agent Rupert Anderson in “Mississippi Burning” (1988), Little Bill Daggett in “Unforgiven” (1992) and Royal Tenenbaum in “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001).

Dean Martin (1917 – 1995), originally Dino Paul Crocetti, was born in Steubenville, OH in 1917. He was dedicated to finding success in Hollywood and got his first taste of stardom in the 1950s when he and Jerry Lewis formed a team. They went on to star in 16 movies together. Martin is most known for his roles as Eli Whitney in “Swing Out, Sweet Land” (1970), Matt Helm in “The Silencers” (1966) and as the host of “The Dean Martin Show” (1965 – 1974).

Born in Santa Monica, CA in 1936, Robert Redford first pursued the life of a painter before shifting gears to pursue acting. He was in several Broadway plays before his breakout role in the film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).” He went on to star in several notable films, including “All the President’s Men” (1976) and “The Natural” (1984). Most recently, he’s been working as an executive producer. His most recent work was in “All Illusions Must Be Broken” (2024). (Also Read Complete List: Best Actor Winners at the Oscars Every Year)