7 female movie stars of the 1970s boomers still remember for their iconic roles

The 1970s were a strange, electric time for cinema. It was the decade of gritty realism, antiheroes, and directors willing to break rules. But it was also the era when certain women lit up the screen in ways that still resonate with audiences today—especially boomers who grew up on these films.

These actresses didn’t just play parts. They defined eras, moods, and archetypes that shaped how we think about storytelling.

Let’s look at seven women who became unforgettable through their iconic roles.

1. Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda wasn’t just an actress in the 1970s—she was a cultural force. Her role in Klute (1971) as Bree Daniels, a call girl tangled in a thriller, earned her an Academy Award. But more than that, she embodied the decade’s tension between glamour and grit.

I still remember the first time I watched Klute on a late-night TV rerun. The vulnerability mixed with steel in her performance felt decades ahead of its time.

Fonda’s 70s influence wasn’t confined to film. She was politically outspoken and unapologetically vocal about the Vietnam War. That made her polarizing, but also unforgettable. Whether you admired her or disagreed with her activism, you couldn’t ignore her.

What makes her especially fascinating is that she wasn’t afraid to lean into roles that challenged stereotypes. Later in the decade, she starred in Coming Home (1978), a film that explored the aftermath of war with raw honesty.

It showed that she wasn’t content with surface-level roles—she wanted to dig deep into the psychology of her characters.

2. Diane Keaton

If you say “Diane Keaton” to a boomer, chances are their minds go straight to Annie Hall (1977). Woody Allen’s quirky romantic comedy wasn’t just a movie—it changed the way people dressed, talked, and thought about relationships.

Keaton’s offbeat style—those slouchy men’s ties and floppy hats—became iconic. But it was her natural, unpolished performance that made audiences feel like they were seeing someone real on-screen.

As noted by critic Roger Ebert, Keaton’s performance “invented a new kind of heroine: funny, vulnerable, smart, but not defined by a man.” That was radical at the time, and it’s one reason she remains so beloved.

But let’s not forget that she was also in The Godfather (1972) and its sequel—roles that showcased her ability to shift between quirky comedy and serious drama. Her portrayal of Kay Corleone gave us a character who quietly bore witness to power, corruption, and betrayal.

What I love about Keaton is that she made being awkward feel powerful. She wasn’t trying to be glamorous in the conventional sense, but somehow she made authenticity magnetic.

3. Faye Dunaway

Few actresses captured intensity the way Faye Dunaway did. Her role as Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde (1967) kicked off her reputation, but the 70s cemented it.

In Chinatown (1974), she played Evelyn Mulwray—a role so layered and tragic it still haunts audiences. Dunaway gave us a character who was glamorous yet broken, powerful yet trapped.

I watched Chinatown for the first time in college, and I remember sitting in stunned silence at the ending. Without Dunaway, that film wouldn’t carry the same weight. She turned noir archetypes into living, breathing complexity.

She followed that with Network (1976), where she portrayed an ambitious TV executive in one of the sharpest media satires ever made. That role earned her another Oscar, and it showed her range—one minute tragic noir, the next, ruthless satire.

Boomers remember Dunaway because she embodied the darker, more complicated side of the 70s. She wasn’t just a star—she was a storm.

4. Liza Minnelli

What happens when you blend raw talent with unapologetic flair? You get Liza Minnelli in Cabaret (1972).

As Sally Bowles, she was all energy, vulnerability, and that unmistakable voice. The role won her an Oscar, but it also etched her into cultural memory.

Minnelli’s Sally wasn’t the polished Hollywood starlet of decades past. She was messy, charming, reckless—and deeply human. Boomers remember her not just for her performance but for the way she seemed to embody the free-spirited, risky energy of the 70s.

There’s also something fascinating about her offscreen persona. Minnelli grew up as the daughter of Judy Garland, which gave her an automatic place in Hollywood history. But with Cabaret, she carved out her own lane entirely.

I once stumbled across an old recording of her singing live in the 70s, and you can feel the electricity of someone who doesn’t just perform songs—she inhabits them. That’s the same energy she brought to film, and why boomers still bring her up when talking about the decade.

5. Ali MacGraw

Ali MacGraw may not have had as many roles as some of the other names on this list, but Love Story (1970) was enough to give her permanent cultural real estate.

The movie was a phenomenon. People lined up around the block, and MacGraw’s portrayal of Jenny Cavalleri—witty, warm, doomed—captured the public’s heart.

There’s a reason the line “Love means never having to say you’re sorry” became so quoted (and parodied). The film struck a nerve, and MacGraw was at the center of it.

My mom still talks about how every college girl in the early 70s wanted MacGraw’s hair. That’s cultural impact right there.

She also went on to star in The Getaway (1972) alongside Steve McQueen, and the on-screen chemistry spilled into real life. For a generation of moviegoers, she became shorthand for a kind of cool, understated beauty.

Sometimes, all it takes is one or two unforgettable roles to make someone a cultural landmark. MacGraw is living proof of that.

6. Pam Grier

The 70s weren’t just about mainstream Hollywood. The rise of Blaxploitation films gave audiences new kinds of heroes—and no one defined that moment more than Pam Grier.

In movies like Coffy (1973) and Foxy Brown (1974), she played women who were bold, independent, and not afraid to take revenge. For many viewers, Grier represented empowerment at a time when female leads rarely got to be this tough.

As film historian Donald Bogle noted, Grier was “a new kind of heroine—sexy, smart, and strong enough to handle herself.”

I first discovered Grier through Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown (1997), which was his homage to her 70s stardom. Watching that film sent me back to her earlier roles, and I was blown away by how ahead of her time she was.

Boomers saw her as groundbreaking back then, but even younger audiences today can feel her influence. She showed that women could anchor action films without losing depth.

7. Sally Field

Before the 70s, Sally Field was known mostly for TV roles. But then came Norma Rae (1979), and suddenly, she was more than a familiar face—she was a powerhouse.

Her portrayal of a factory worker turned labor activist earned her an Oscar and gave audiences a new kind of heroine: working-class, fierce, and deeply relatable.

Field’s performance wasn’t glamorous in the Hollywood sense, but that’s exactly why it mattered. She proved that audiences were ready to embrace real, grounded characters.

I’ve mentioned this before in another post, but the characters who stick with us aren’t always the flashiest ones—they’re the ones who feel true. Field nailed that.

And while Norma Rae was her career-defining 70s role, boomers also remember her for lighter films like Smokey and the Bandit (1977). That mix of fun and grit made her even more appealing.

The bottom line

The 1970s weren’t just about disco and bell-bottoms—they were about reinvention, and these women helped lead the way.

From Diane Keaton’s quirky realism to Pam Grier’s unapologetic toughness, each of these actresses left a mark that boomers still remember vividly.

And maybe that’s the takeaway for us today: the performances that last aren’t about hype. They’re about authenticity, risk, and tapping into something timeless in human experience.

So if you ever need a reminder of how culture shifts, just revisit one of these performances. Chances are, you’ll see why they’re still iconic.