Pamela Sue Martin

A TV star of the first order in the 1970s and early 1980s, actress Pamela Sue Martin rose to fame as the teen detective Nancy Drew in "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries" (ABC, 1977-79) before ascending even higher into the pop culture stratosphere as the conniving Fallon Carrington Colby on "Dynasty" (ABC, 1981-89). Martin had played both sides of her screen persona - virgin and vixen - in variant shades prior to Nancy Drew and Fallon, including turns in "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972) and "Buster and Billie" (1974), but her two best remembered roles served as both the perfect encapsulation of her on-camera image and the apex of her acting career. Martin left both series prematurely to concentrate on starring vehicles that never materialized, which led her to step away from the spotlight and concentrate on theater and various causes. The attention showered on her return to the public eye in the 21st century to promote DVD releases of her biggest projects showed that despite her lengthy time away from Hollywood, her status as a television icon had not waned.