Linda Evans (born Linda Evenstad; November 18, 1942) is an American
actress known primarily for her roles on television. In the 1960s she
played Audra Barkley, the daughter of Victoria Barkley (played by
Barbara Stanwyck) in the Western television series The Big Valley
(1965â€"1969). She is best known for portraying Krystle Carrington in
the 1980s ABC primetime soap opera Dynasty, a role she played from
1981 to 1989.Evans, the second of three daughters, was born Linda
Evenstad in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1942, to Arlene (née Dart;
1917â€"1969) and Alba Evenstad (1904â€"1958), both of whom were
professional dancers. "Evenstad" was the name of the small farm in
Nes, Hedmark, in Norway from where her paternal great-grandmother
emigrated to the United States in 1884 with her young son (Evans's
grandfather) and a few relatives. When Evans was six months old, the
family moved from Hartford to North Hollywood. She attended Hollywood
High School, where she was a sorority sister of future actress Carole
Wells. Her introduction to drama came through classes that she took
"as a form of therapy, to cure her of her shyness." When she started
her professional career, she changed her last name to "Evans".Evans's
first guest-starring role was on a 1960 episode of Bachelor Father.
The series starred John Forsythe, with whom she would costar 20 years
later on Dynasty. After several guest roles in The Adventures of Ozzie
and Harriet between 1960 and 1962, and guest appearances on television
series such as The Lieutenant and Wagon Train, Evans gained her first
regular role in 1965 in The Big Valley. Playing Audra Barkley,
daughter of Victoria Barkley (played by Barbara Stanwyck), Evans was
credited in the series until it ended in 1969, though she was only a
semiregular cast member during the last two seasons.On December 31,
1967, John Derek recruited his wife to operate one of his cameras
after he had been commissioned by daredevil Evel Knievel to film his
motorcycle jump of the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Evans
captured the iconic images of Knievel's devastating crash as the jump
failed.
actress known primarily for her roles on television. In the 1960s she
played Audra Barkley, the daughter of Victoria Barkley (played by
Barbara Stanwyck) in the Western television series The Big Valley
(1965â€"1969). She is best known for portraying Krystle Carrington in
the 1980s ABC primetime soap opera Dynasty, a role she played from
1981 to 1989.Evans, the second of three daughters, was born Linda
Evenstad in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1942, to Arlene (née Dart;
1917â€"1969) and Alba Evenstad (1904â€"1958), both of whom were
professional dancers. "Evenstad" was the name of the small farm in
Nes, Hedmark, in Norway from where her paternal great-grandmother
emigrated to the United States in 1884 with her young son (Evans's
grandfather) and a few relatives. When Evans was six months old, the
family moved from Hartford to North Hollywood. She attended Hollywood
High School, where she was a sorority sister of future actress Carole
Wells. Her introduction to drama came through classes that she took
"as a form of therapy, to cure her of her shyness." When she started
her professional career, she changed her last name to "Evans".Evans's
first guest-starring role was on a 1960 episode of Bachelor Father.
The series starred John Forsythe, with whom she would costar 20 years
later on Dynasty. After several guest roles in The Adventures of Ozzie
and Harriet between 1960 and 1962, and guest appearances on television
series such as The Lieutenant and Wagon Train, Evans gained her first
regular role in 1965 in The Big Valley. Playing Audra Barkley,
daughter of Victoria Barkley (played by Barbara Stanwyck), Evans was
credited in the series until it ended in 1969, though she was only a
semiregular cast member during the last two seasons.On December 31,
1967, John Derek recruited his wife to operate one of his cameras
after he had been commissioned by daredevil Evel Knievel to film his
motorcycle jump of the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Evans
captured the iconic images of Knievel's devastating crash as the jump
failed.
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