Linda Evans prefers the simple life

Press, 29 February 1984, Page 14

Linda Evans prefers the simple life

Blond, beautiful, and recently voted “the most charismatic actress on TV,” the star who plays the tragedybeset Krystal Carrington in the hit soap-opera, “Dynasty," is seldom seen at Hollywood parties, receptions and pool-side gettogethers. Away from the studio, 40-year-old Linda Evans now lives the life of a nearrecluse behind the high hedges of the Hollywood mansion she shares with cats, dogs and exotic birds. “Rushing around trying to get publicity just bores me,” she says. “I give value for money when I’m working, but I do insist on my private life being my own. “In fact, I live a very simple life, mostly by myself. I read a lot and listen to music.

“I do a daily keep-fit workout and swim. I have a few very good friends, and sometimes I give small dinner parties.” It is very different from the lavish life-style of Krystal Carrington. “Krystal is prey to any plausible man. I pride myself that I’ve got much more discrimination,” says Linda Evans. After two broken marriages — to movie-maker John Derek, and business tycoon Stan Herrman — she says there is no special man in her life.

“There have been plenty of rumours, of course,” she says, “but the past few years have been lonely and painful at times.

“I’ve learned how to make my own decisions, and I’ve found my own identity rather than having to live my life through a man.” The actress says that it took her a long time to overcome her almost overpowering shyness which, ironically, was the problem that was directly responsible for her rise tp stardom.

She says that, when she was a teenager, her parents were so worried by her shyness, that they talked her into joining a drama course, and one of the girls on the course was selected to audition for a television commercial.

“She invited me to go along with her,” says Ms Evans, “more for the company than anything else. “I was waiting for her, when the director asked me if I wanted to be auditioned, too.

“I was finally persuaded to take the audition — and, to my astonishment, landed myself a career as a television model.”

The television spots soon took Linda into films and television acting. Then, John Derek fell in love with her and decided to mastermind her career.

They moved to Europe, but their marriage col-

lapsed when Derek fell in love with Linda’s younger look-alike, Cathie Collins — whose name he changed to 80.

Yet it was during that marriage that Linda first discovered her great love for cooking, and spent five years learning about fine foods and wines from some of Europe’s leading chefs. Now, she is becoming regarded as a leading cookery-book writer, and says: “I’m not exaggerating when I say that I own literally thousands of cookery books.” Linda had always resisted working in long-running series like “Dynasty” — until she read the script and liked the role of Krystal. “I promised myself that I would work so hard on ‘Dynasty’ that I would never have to worry about working again.

“It helps, too, that the cast get along together, and

although Joan Collins and I are enemies in the series, we’ve been great personal friends for many years. “Of course, Joan plays the bitchy Alexis so superbly,” savs Linda, “that a lot of our fans believe she really is like that. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.”

Another of Ms Evans’s close friends is John Derek’s first wife, Ursula Andress. “Long after John had left her and was with me,” says Linda, “Ursula kept writing to him. I first met her one day when she turned up on our front doorstep. “I didn’t know what to expect as we stared at each other. I do know that I’d been terribly jealous of her. “But, as we looked at each other, tears welled up in her eyes, and I thought: ‘How on earth am I supposed to hate this woman?’ “Our friendship began right then. Now I can say, quite honestly, that Ursula is one of the most wonderful women I know.

“She loved John very much — perhaps too much — and found it hard to give him up.”

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