This Hollywood beauty starred on The Big Valley and Dynasty, see her now at 83

This Hollywood star - who is now 83 years old - got her start as an actress early in her life after breaking out as a model.

She had a sizeable role on the hit series The Big Valley with Lee Majors and Barbara Stanwyck in the 1960s.

Then she played Krystle Carrington opposite Joan Collins' twisted Alexis Colby on the iconic 1980s TV saga Dynasty.

This week the beauty shared a rare personal photo from the 1970s as she relaxed by a swimming pool. 

'Long time ago… A photo in my blue swimsuit and such a beautiful memory from another chapter of my life. Good old memories,' she wrote in her Instagram caption.

The star - who was wed to Bo Derek's ex John Derek - is retired and thriving in Washington these days. 

Can you tell who she is? 

She is Linda Evans. 

Evans' 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. 

She played stunning Audra Barkley, the daughter of Victoria Barkley, played by the legendary Barbara Stanwyck.

She then appeared on The Rockford Files with James Garner, Mannix, Harry O with David Janssen, Banacek with George Peppard, McCloud with Dennis Weaver, and McMillan & Wife with Rock Hudson. 

In 1977, she starred with James Franciscus and Ralph Bellamy in the series Hunter.

Next it was the 1979 thriller, Avalanche Express, and in 1980, she co-starred with Steve McQueen in Tom Horn.

Then came Dynasty in January 1981. When Collins was added to the cast as the villain ex-wife of Blake, ratings went up. Evans left Dynasty in 1989, four months before the series came to an end.

In 1991, Evans returned to the role of Krystle for the television miniseries Dynasty: The Reunion. 

Then she was in three made-for-TV movies in the 1990s.

In 2009, Evans appeared in and won the British TV program Hell's Kitchen. In 2021 Evans popped up in the movie Swan Song.

When she turned 80, she talked about aging. 'The number is high, but I see my age as an adventure. I'm excited to see what else is to come,' she said.

Looking back on her life, The Big Valley star said if she could go back to her 20s, she would 'do everything differently'.

During the conversation at her home in Tacoma, Washington, she revealed the only two things she would not change. 

'I would buy my house here in Tacoma again and never give up the search for love,' she said. 'But despite this, I have loved every time and every challenge in my life. I've suffered a lot, but I'm proud of it.'

The soap star spoke about her quiet life in Washington. 

'I only work on special projects that fill my heart with joy. That's why, in 2019, after falling in love with a script written by the filmmaker Todd Stephens, I accepted a role in his [2021] film,' she said.

She added: '[Swan Song] tells the story of an older man dying with sadness about his life but who is reborn after revisiting his past.' 

Evans spoke about revisiting her own past and finding self-love. 'It's one of the lovely things about getting older. Truly loving myself has been very valuable to me — it doesn't matter how late in life it happened.'

The actress has been married twice in her life. Her first marriage was with the late multitalented actor and director John Derek from 1968 to 1974. A year later, she married Sexual Intent actor Stan Herman until their subsequent divorce in 1979.

The Connecticut star has no children and lives a peaceful life by herself. 

Her last publicly known relationship started in 1989. 

She dated Greek composer Yanni for almost a decade, but the couple ultimately called it quits in 1998. 

In 2014, he told Oprah: 'Linda is one of the most amazing human beings I've ever met in my life.' 

The cover girl shared a throwback photo and wrote an insightful caption on getting older: 'When you get to be my age, you relish each decade of your life with a sense of wonder and awe for every summer that comes again. The escapades and adventures may take on new meaning.'