Who could forget the awkwardness of our high school days. We look back at our yearbooks and see superlatives we didn’t live up to or poor hair choices we wish we could forget. For many of us, our high school years were the most uncomfortable of our lives. For others they were the glory days. There were the popular cheerleaders and the jocks who enjoyed prime success winning high school football games. Then there are those who barely changed. These are the overachievers now running for public office or the bullies who continue to harass those they view to be beneath them. For some, those were the days we became who we are and who wanted to become. For others they were the days we couldn’t wait to overcome and prove to the world who we truly are.
We wondered what the superstars of the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s were like in high school. Were they always the popular girl they would inevitably become? Did these supermodels and actresses suffer the same awkward years most of us did?
The ‘70s kicked off a new kind of star. Women began to transition out of the stereotypical wife and daughter roles. They were given more to do and studios began to produce more projects featuring complex and interesting female roles. The era also produced a number of talented and beautiful women. There was Susan Dey from The Partridge Family, country music icon Dolly Parton, and the original Wonder Woman herself, Lynda Carter. The ‘80s continued the line of incredibly stunning and extremely gifted women from supermodel Brooke Shields, The Facts of Life’s Nancy McKeon, and the dream girl to teenage boys everywhere, Phoebe Cates. The ‘90s proved no shortage of amazing women, with girl-next-door Elisabeth Shue and girl-gone-bad Jenna Jameson giving us a run for our money.
We love to look back at these years with awe and amazement. These women were staples of many people’s youths and their place in pop culture is still felt to this day. In fact, many of these iconic women have continued to an impressive and steady career in film, television, and beyond. What they all share, though, is their acclaimed style and conduct.
Let’s take a look back at some of these national treasures. We check in with what they are up to now and what they were like in high school. Were they on the cheerleading squad, keeping their noses in a book, or both? Let’s find out together.
[post_page_title]Susan Dey[/post_page_title]
Susan Dey’s portrayal of Laurie Partridge in The Partridge Family made her a cultural staple in the ‘70s. After wrapping production on the show, she continued acting and later starred as straight-laced yet fiery lawyer Grace Van Owen in the hit ‘80s series, L.A. Law. The role won her acclaim, a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination. Despite her success, in 2004 Dey decided to retire from acting and now spends her time with her daughter, Sarah, and husband, TV producer Bernard Sofronski, in Los Angeles.
