What happened to the sex symbols of the '70s?

Barbara Bach found mainstream fame as 1977's Bond girl in The Spy Who Loved Me, playing the love interest to Roger Moore's 007. Alongside her biggest hit, Barbara worked on Force 10 From Navarone (1978), The Humanoid (1979) and Up the Academy (1980). 

Barbara met The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr in 1980 on the set of Caveman and said 'I do' the following year. Two years after her last film was released, 1986 short To the North of Katmandu, the couple entered rehab together to address their substance abuse issues.

Jane Birkin first appeared on screen in 1965's The Knack...and How to Get It at just 18 and three years later met Gainsbourg, releasing their duet 'Je t'aime... moi non plus' which became a controversial hit.

In 1976, she starred in a film of the same name as her infamous song, playing a waitress who sparks the interest of a truck driver passing through. It wasn't just the trucker who was captivated by Jane and she cemented her sex symbol status.

Billy Dee Williams starred as the loveable rival of Harrison Ford's Han Solo, matching his rogue persona and heartthrob status with just a little more suave appeal than Han's rough-and-ready manner.

The actor starred in '70s features like Brian's Song (1971), Lady Sings the Blues (1972) and Mahogany (1975), making him a certified star and a '70s sex symbol, through and through.

Before Jaclyn Smith starred in Charlie's Angels as the elegant Kelly Garrett, she worked as a model. But Hollywood soon came knocking, casting Jaclyn in features like '80s hit The Bourne Identity.

Still it's as secret agent Kelly she's most well-known for – she even reprised the role in the 2003 feature reboot. She's still acting today, recent roles including 2025's Doctor Odyssey and All American (2021-2023). She married husband Brad Allen in 1997 and welcomed two children, Spencer and Gaston, during her third marriage. 

Britt Ekland starred as the seductive Willow MacGregor in '70s classic folk horror The Wicker Man, starring alongside Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward. While Woodward's Sergeant Howie might have resisted her charms, plenty of audience members fell head over heels. 

She also starred in '70s Bond hit The Man with the Golden Gun and crime thriller Get Carter. Since then, the actress has stepped away from acting and now appears occasionally on the red carpet.

It wasn't just models and on-screen celebs who were stealing hearts in the '70s. There were plenty of rock'n'roll superstars playing on repeat across the world, whether queued up on Top of the Pops or ready at the record player.

Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant was no exception, working as frontman from 1968 until the band broke up in 1980. With his long blonde curls and near-constant shirtless performances, it's no wonder fans were falling hard for the lead singer.

Faye Dunaway started out strong in the '60s with 1967 hits The Happening and Hurry Sundown. This gave way to a quieter few years in the early ''70s before 1974 provided another double-hit with Chinatown and After the Fall.

She won an Oscar for her 1976 role in Network, proving her acting chops alongside her established sex symbol status.