Background and career context
It was 1971, and Linda Evans was on top of the world. As Krystle Carrington, she was the beating heart of the decade’s biggest television phenomenon, Dynasty . Yet, the image of the polished, diamond-clad wife of a Denver oil tycoon was not the first introduction audiences had to Evans' beauty. A decade prior, before the shoulder pads and the catfights, Evans made a bold decision that would forever alter the trajectory of her career: she posed for Playboy magazine.
At the time, Evans was best known for her role as Audra Barkley on the Western series The Big Valley . The transition from a wholesome TV daughter to a Playboy model occurred only when the couple faced financial difficulties while trying to fund one of John's film projects. Evans eventually agreed to "free them up" for the magazine to secure the necessary funds. The Debut: July 1971 Issue