Linda Evans

About

Linda Evans (born Linda Evenstad; November 18, 1942) is an American actress well known 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 (1965–1969). She is best known for portraying Krystle Carrington in the 1980s ABC soap opera Dynasty, a role she played from 1981 to 1989.

Evans, the second of three daughters, was born Linda Evenstad in Hartford, Connecticut, on November 18, 1942, to Arlene (née Dart) and Alba Evenstad, 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’ grandfather) and other relatives. She has two sisters. 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…