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Linda Kozlowski is an American former actress of Polish descent, who kept her stage name as a sign of pride for her heritage. She graduated from the drama division of Juilliard School in New York City and had a promising career as a stage actress; she debuted in the off-Broadway production of “How It All Began” during its 1981 to 1982 run. Linda was also known for her role as Miss Forsythe in the Broadway production of “Death of a Salesman” in 1984, and landed the same part in the film version the following year. However, everything changed for her when she was cast as the female lead, reporter Sue Charlton, alongside Paul Hogan, the male lead who played Michael J. “Crocodile” Dundee in the 1986 action-comedy movie “Crocodile Dundee.”
American and Australian audiences loved the story; Linda’s character travels from New York City to Australia’s Walkabout Creek to interview Michael, the Australian bushman also known as Mick, for her father’s newspaper, Newsday. He allegedly lost half his leg in a saltwater crocodile attack before crawling to safety for hundreds of kilometers. While Sue is initially unimpressed, mainly because he only has a large scar, not a missing limb, the romance develops between them by the movie’s end. Mick realizes that she isn’t as incapable of surviving in the Australian wilderness, and Sue that Mick can handle himself during an all-expense-paid trip to New York City, despite his unrefined bushman personality and the novelty of glitz and glamour.
Linda and Paul had undeniable on-screen chemistry, but romantic feelings soon developed in real life. They fell in love on set, had a son, Chance, in 1988, married in 1990, and tried to replicate the first movie’s success with two sequels. The first, “Crocodile Dundee II,” premiered two years afterwards, and the second, “Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles,” arrived in cinemas in 2001. However, the latter project was evidently a bad trade-off for Linda, as it was her last role. She said that the ticking biological clock, uninteresting roles, and marital life were the main reasons for leaving show business. She divorced Paul in 2014 and now lives a different life, including running a tourism company with her second husband. Here’s what Linda is doing today.
She left acting
When Linda auditioned for “Crocodile Dundee,” she and her co-star and screenwriter Paul expected little; its budget was less than $10 million, and their primary goal was to create an Australian movie that would appeal to Americans – it indeed quickly became popular internationally, and attained outstanding success in the two countries. The movie was first named the highest-grossing Australian film of all time worldwide; also, it was the second-highest-grossing movie in the US and the highest-grossing non-US release in 1986. Linda received a nomination for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress the following year.
Before the third “Crocodile Dundee” movie premiered, Linda tried her best to find her footing, and appeared in a few movies and one TV mini-series, “Favorite Son,” in 1988, the same year the first sequel aired. Linda was unhappy with the roles that she was offered, and left the entertainment industry in the early 2000s, but said that she’d return for the right project. That hasn’t happen so far; judging by recent developments in her life, it never will. She remarried in 2017, and now runs a tourism-related company in Marrakesh, the fourth-largest Moroccan city, with her new husband.
Media targeted Linda and Paul
Linda was born on 7 January 1958, so she was 28 when she co-starred with Paul in the first iteration of the movie. She matriculated from Fairfield, Connecticut’s Andrew Warde High School in 1976, and graduated from Juilliard five years later – Linda was surprised and unprepared when she became a film star instead of a stage actress. Her private life changed quickly; during filming, she learned to live near a billabong, a U-shaped lake filled with crocodiles, and battled or avoided many bugs and snakes native to Australia.
Then, she fell in love with Paul at some point between the release of their two , and had a son, Chance, in 1988 before tying the knot on 5 May 1990. Paul was equally taken aback, as he had been married to his ex-wife Noelene for about 30 years, and had one publicly known son, Brett Hogan, actor and writer born in 1960. Peter Faiman, his friend and the “Crocodile Dundee” and “The Paul Hogan Show” director, commented that the public’s impression of him changed from ‘an ordinary guy from the bridge to something of a bad boy’ because of media attacks. Paul replied to some accusations and indicated that the media intentionally painted a picture of him as a bad husband who abandoned his five children. In reality, four were adults; the youngest was 14, and he was devoted to them all.
That enraged Paul, who said that he wanted to ‘cave in people’s heads, starting with Rupert Murdoch.’ Rupert is an American media magnate born in Australia, who controlled some of the world’s most prominent newspapers and TV stations today, notably Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, and The Times of London. Linda was shocked by the response to their relationship, and frequently had to dodge the paparazzi. She was also upset when she read headlines that portrayed her as a home wrecker, even when their love was evident. They married in a $2 million mansion that Paul built in Australia’s Byron Bay and presented to her as a wedding gift. Due to their troubles, and despite high interest, the couple banned reporters from attending the ceremony.
She filed for divorce in 2013
Media backlash continued throughout the 1990s, though the couple avoided it through an unfortunate coincidence. They lived in Byron Bay until the late 1990s, but then relocated to Los Angeles because Linda’s mother became sick, and she wanted to care for her. Paul and Linda returned to Australia between 2000 and 2003 but eventually fell in love with Los Angeles because it afforded them anonymity and fun among like-minded and inspired people, so they settled there.
Linda nearly stopped appearing in movies during that period. She had only played Rose Garner in “Almost an Angel” in 1990, Mary in “The Neighbor” in 1993, Keri Finnegan in “Backstreet Justice” in 1994, and Jill McGowan in the 1995 sci-fi horror, “Village of the Damned” before her last film role. She told Herald Journal in 2001, ‘These straight-to-video schlocky films I was getting were giving me an ulcer. Basically, I was the only one on the set who cared. That isn’t fun anymore, it’s not why I studied, and it’s not what I love.’ Linda added that she refused to keep her head down and recite lines mindlessly to land a role. Additionally, Linda wanted a baby and was already over 40, so felt miserable, and that time was running out. She initiated the divorce from Paul in October 2013 due to irreconcilable differences, and the divorce was granted on 23 July 2014.
Paul said that they split amicably
Paul had troubles with the Australian Tax Office in the early 2000s. He was charged with breaking his departure prohibition order by going from Los Angeles to Australia to attend his mother’s funeral. He was later deemed innocent, but it may have contributed to the crash of their marriage. He clarified that he enjoyed their time together, but that they split years before the divorce. According to Paul, they realized that they were a great example of opposites attracting each other at first, then realizing how different they were in time.
Linda started a new business in 2014
It’s unclear when she began dating her now-husband, Moulay Hafid Baba, in 2013 or 2014; the media reported that it was ‘shortly after the divorce from Hogan.’ They started a Moroccan-based tour company entitled Dream My Destiny (DMD) in 2014, which scouts locations for producers and provides excursions to regular people and businesses.
Paul hasn’t remarried, and continues to live in Los Angeles but claims that he is bored there and would like to live in Sydney permanently. He stated that he stays because of Chance, who has an entire life in Los Angeles and is his last child, as others are over 60 and Paul over 80. Additionally, he struggles with a kidney problem called retroperitoneal fibrosis, which causes abdomen inflammation, making scar tissue form behind the membrane between the internal organs and the digestive system; it pressed against his kidney, and the problems caused his muscles to shrink and his strength to deteriorate. Thus, he needs Chance as much as Chance needs him. However, Paul is still friends with Linda and befriended Moulay; the three have been regularly spotted on outings in the mid-2010s.
Media again wanted to spin the story, and cited an anonymous source who reported to News.com.au, ‘Hogan wants Linda to be happy but probably wishes she was with him. A part of him will always love Linda, and he maybe thought they’d still end up together.’ Paul’s manager responded that Paul is genuinely delighted and wishes her all happiness in her new relationship, and that everything else is pure fabrication. Linda also butted in, and revealed to Women’s Day magazine in 2019 ‘that she wants Paul around for a long while, and was badgering him to get health check-ups and stop smoking.’
She has lived in Morocco since 2018
Linda was open to returning to show business if a project caught her attention, but a decade and a half of not being an actress changed her mind. She initially split her time between Marrakesh and Los Angeles, however, that changed in May 2018, according to a New Idea report, which revealed that Linda sold her Los Angeles home, worth $1.59 million at the time of her purchase, cut ties with America, and moved to Morocco. She told Honest Mum back in January 2015 that she started a new existence mid-life, and wants to work hard with her tour company and enjoy the time with wonderful people who hire her for tours.
Linda also said that she wants to keep traveling, create a Moroccan-inspired clothing line, and settle on an olive farm and a donkey sanctuary on the outskirts of Marrakesh by 2020. She made good on her promise and is even living her 2015 version of happiness: ‘being with the people you love and watching the sunset over the Sahara.’
Linda won’t return to acting
She told Luxe Beat Magazine that Moulay, a Morocco native, knows the country like the back of his hand. Moreover, she always disliked staying in Los Angeles while waiting for an acting gig. In contrast, according to her, Marrakesh is full of adventure and sensory experiences: vivid colors, thrilling architecture, relaxing music, and delicious food. When asked about a return to acting, Linda said that she rejoices in her newfound freedom, and doesn’t miss the entertainment industry, because she’s discovered that reality is better than make-believe.
Linda has no financial reasons to return, as her Los Angeles neighbor pointed out to Daily Mail in 2017. He said that she used the $5.775 million divorce settlement to buy three beachfront properties in the Silicon Beach Los Angeles community. He explained that the property prices skyrocketed and that Linda made a fortune, whether she rented or sold them.
Linda maintains a minor social media presence, posting every few months to her Instagram account, @lindakozlowski_official. She revealed that she’s still with her husband and enjoys nighttime, shopping in Morocco, and walking in the rain. Linda traveled to Rome, Italy, in June 2022 and previously visited France, Brazil, Botswana and Kenya, suggesting that she still plans to travel the globe.
Her Instagram profile also shows that she celebrates holidays such as Mardi Gras and Easter, has a retriever named Thaddeus, and enjoys reminiscing by posting memories from her acting days while commenting on how she felt or what she remembered. For instance, Linda wrote that her 1993 movie “The Neighbor” was dreadful, but that she loved working with Oscar winner Rod Steiger. In contrast, she met Princess Diana and Price Charles during the royal premiere of “Crocodile Dundee II” and remembers that Diana had her feet up on the chair in front. At the same time, Charles whispered witty remarks during the movie, as if they were best friends.
