by CU Newswire | May 17, 2026 | Yesteryear
These 1978 portraits of Janet Jackson taken by legendary Chicano photographer George Rodriguez capture the future pop icon at just 12 years old. Often photographed alongside her siblings, including her sister La Toya Jackson and her brother Michael Jackson, these sessions documented a critical transition period for the Jackson family.
Long before she became a defining pop icon of the 1980s, Janet built an impressive resume as a child actress, using television to establish an identity separate from her famous brothers. At just 10 years old, Janet made her formal television debut on this CBS variety show alongside her siblings. She regularly performed musical numbers, danced, and participated in comedy skits.
Producer Norman Lear handpicked Janet to play Penny Gordon Woods, a young girl rescued from an abusive household by Willona Woods, on Good Times (1977–1979). Tackling such intense, heavy subject matter on a major sitcom showcased her emotional depth and vulnerability to millions of viewers. Following her time on Good Times, Janet instantly jumped into a starring role as Jojo Ashton in this ABC sitcom A New Kind of Family (1979), further cementing her status as a network television regular.
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by CU Newswire | May 17, 2026 | Yesteryear
Yvonne Craig was a former professional ballerina who brought a unique grace to her modeling and acting roles, including her performance as the green-skinned Orion slave girl Marta in
Star Trek. Here are some striking photos of Craig eating ice-cream on ice in a bikini, ca. 1964:
In the early 1960s, Craig reached a new level of fame by starring as the leading lady in two Elvis Presley films. She is often remembered as one of the few costars who maintained a genuine, lifelong friendship with Presley. She played Dorothy Johnson in It Happened at the World’s Fair (1963) and Azalea Tatum in Kissin’ Cousins (1964).
Between 1964 and 1966, she guest-starred in several high-profile series, including The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Wild Wild West, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and McHale’s Navy. She appeared in the cult science fiction film Mars Needs Women (1966) and played a Russian ballet dancer in the spy parody In Like Flint (1967).
In 1967, Craig landed her most famous role as Batgirl/Barbara Gordon in the third season of Batman. She was hired to boost the show’s ratings and appeal to female viewers.
by CU Newswire | May 17, 2026 | Yesteryear
The 1980s was the definitive breakout decade for Pierce Brosnan (born May 16, 1953), transforming him from a struggling British stage actor into an international television heartthrob and a household name in America. It was a decade defined by effortless charm, tailored suits, and a massive “what if” moment that altered the course of action-movie history.
After making brief appearances in British films like The Long Good Friday (1980), Brosnan moved to Southern California in 1982. In his very first Hollywood audition, he landed the titular role in the NBC romantic detective comedy-drama Remington Steele (1982–1987), starring alongside Stephanie Zimbalist. Brosnan played an unnamed ex-con man and thief who assumes the identity of a fictional male boss invented by private investigator Laura Holt (Zimbalist) to get clients to take her agency seriously. He channeled the classic Hollywood panache of Cary Grant, mastering the art of “suit acting”—balancing dashing sophistication with a touch of self-deprecating comedic clumsiness. The show became a massive hit, pioneering the slow-burn, “will-they-or-won’t-they” romantic dynamic that defined 1980s television and cementing Brosnan as a major sex symbol.
Brosnan’s suave, sophisticated performance on Remington Steele made him the obvious choice to succeed Roger Moore as James Bond. In 1986, NBC canceled Remington Steele due to dropping ratings. Sensing his opportunity, Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli offered Brosnan the role of 007 for the upcoming film The Living Daylights.
However, the massive publicity surrounding Brosnan becoming the new Bond sparked a sudden surge of interest in Remington Steele. NBC capitalized on the hype and used a contractual loophole to reverse their cancellation, renewing the show for a shortened fifth season and forcing Brosnan back to work. Because Broccoli refused to have James Bond appearing in a concurrent TV series, he pulled the offer. The role went to Timothy Dalton instead, forcing Brosnan to wait nearly a decade (until 1995’s GoldenEye) to finally step into the tuxedo.
When Remington Steele finally wrapped up for good in 1987, Brosnan spent the remainder of the decade trying to break out of his “charming rogue” television mold by tackling feature films and high-profile TV miniseries.
By the time the 1980s closed out, Brosnan had proved his range. Though the Bond franchise had slipped through his fingers for the time being, his style, charisma, and heavy presence on American television laid the exact foundation needed to make him one of the biggest movie stars of the 1990s.
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by CU Newswire | May 17, 2026 | Culture Pop!
The former MMA star and actress is returning to the cage to face Ronda Rousey. Here’s everything to know about Gina Carano’s net worth and career.
by CU Newswire | May 17, 2026 | Culture Pop!
