Linda Kozlowski is an American retired actress who is best known for portraying the role of reporter Sue Charlton in the 1986 film “Crocodile Dundee.” She was nominated for a Golden Globe award in 1987 for her performance. The movie was a huge commercial success both domestically and internationally. In the film, Kozlowski starred opposite Australian actor Paul Hogan, who she would later marry.
Kozlowski was born January 7, 1958, in Fairfield, Connecticut, and is the daughter of Helen and Stanley Kozwloski. The actress grew up in Fairfield and graduated from Andrew Warde High School in 1976. After high school, Kozlowski attended the prestigious Juilliard School’s drama division and graduated in 1981.
After graduating from Juilliard, the actress starred in some Off-Broadway productions, including “How it All Began.” Kozlowski then went on to have a small role in both the Broadway and television productions of Dustin Hoffman’s version of “Death of a Salesman.” Hoffman was an incredible mentor for Kozlowski, and he and his wife helped her adjust to moving from New York City to Los Angeles when she was just starting out as an actress.
It was only six weeks after moving to LA that Kozlowski auditioned for “Crocodile Dundee.” She got the part, possibly due to some help from Hoffman, and agreed to fly to Australia to film the movie. This is where she met her co-star and future husband, Paul Hogan. Hogan and Kozlowski hit it off and began a complicated love affair. Read on to learn more about Kozlowski’s time on “Crocodile Dundee” and her story about her relationship with Hogan.
Making ‘Crocodile Dundee’
Kozlowski’s decision to move to Los Angeles came when she was working as a waitress in New York City and looking desperately for roles. The star told People magazine in 1986 that she was very unhappy with her life at the time. “It was cold in New York,” she said, “and I didn’t see any other work in sight, and I was sort of miserable.”
The actress had a fairytale transformation when she moved into Hoffman’s beach house after first arriving in LA. “It was dreamlike. All of a sudden I’m staying at Dustin Hoffman’s house, with a maid and a car,” Kozlowski told People.
It was only six weeks later that she went to audition for “Crocodile Dundee.” Kozlowski recalled the day of the audition fondly, saying, “There was a feeling in that room that was so positive. I never once thought, ‘Oh, my God, this might not work.'” Her confidence paid off, and she received a callback for the part. When Hoffman found out about the audition, he had many questions for Kozlowski. The actress told People:
“Dustin asked me, ‘Who are these people? What are their names, and where are they staying?’ Very fatherly. And I told him. So just as they were calling me to say I had the part, they got a phone call: It was Dustin Hoffman. At first they thought it was a friend doing a bad impersonation. Once they realized it was Hoffman, they were just beaming. It was a sign they’d made the right decision.”
It wasn’t long after that when Kozlowski began shooting the movie. However, the Australian environment proved to be less glamorous than she imagined. Kozlowski said:
“It was 4 o’clock in the morning, freezing cold, with kangaroos and wild buffalo roaming around. I was in a daze. My hut was literally right on the edge. Now that they’re protected, the crocs have all gotten huge and fat and cocky. Crocodiles are really bold, and they do come up on land. Late at night, when we were going to the mess hall, we’d be (she goes up on the tips of her toes) very careful.”
Kozlowski’s co-star commented that the actress was a true professional on set, despite the obvious dangers around her. Hogan told People, “I mean, there have been three or four deaths up there from crocodiles since Christmas, and there were crocodiles in the water where we shot the movie. But she never complained. She was professional. She never said, ‘I won’t do these things.’ Mind you, we had a guy with a loaded Magnum between her and the water.”
Even with all of the challenges, “Crocodile Dundee” was a great experience for Kozlowski, and she loved making the film. “What’s beautiful about Dundee is that it wasn’t just a job. It was special to us because it was everybody’s first—my first leading role, Paul’s first film. Everybody really cared and put a lot of heart into it. It’s a simple story, a movie like they made in the ’30s or ’40s. And people are enjoying it. It’s nice to know that that old style can work,” Kozlowski said.
Life in Retirement
After growing tired of the generic and uninspiring roles being offered to her, the actress decided to retire from the entertainment industry in 2001. Kozlowski launched Dream My Destiny in 2014, a bespoke tour company based in Marrakech, with her partner, the longtime tour specialist Moulay Hafid Baba.
Kozlowski first met Baba through some friends in the film industry, as he also works as a location scout. The pair worked well together and decided to go into business and form a travel company. “I was coming often, and friends wanted to come and tour with me and they knew that Baba knows a lot about the country. And it just naturally came into place,” Kozlowski told Daily Mail.
The star absolutely loves Morocco and has been living there for years now. In an interview with Honest Mum from 2015, Kozlowski broke down what she usually does in a day. “On a typical day in Marrakech we awake to the haunting sound of the call to prayer and go for a jog in the Menara Gardens amongst the olive groves,” Kozlowski shared.
She continued, “Then, home to shower and a delicious Moroccan breakfast, consisting of mint tea, fresh Moroccan bread, olive oil, amalou (a delicious spread consisting of ground almonds, honey and argon oil), cheeses, local fruit and fresh squeezed orange juice.”
The star’s life in Marrakech sounds heavenly, so it is no surprise that she has no plans to return to Hollywood. Kozlowski continued her explanation:
“The afternoon consists of shopping for spices, fish or veggies in the stalls of the Souk Semmarine in the medina, and connecting with our clients to plan our next tour, or scouting the latest new restaurant or riad in town. In the evenings, we often enjoy a hammam spa for some relaxation or a stroll as the sun sets in one of Marrakech’s many beautiful gardens. Nighttime is also great for catching up with friends for a light dinner in an outdoor cafe and watching the colorful life of Marrakech roll by!”
When asked what her advice is for a budding actress or entrepreneur, Kozlowski answered, “Never give up, never second-guess yourself and never compromise your vision. If you do, you’ll regret it every time! ”
Kozlowski said that her definition of happiness is “being with the people you love and watching the sun set over the Sahara.” Kozlowski spends time with her son Chance, who she shares custody of with Hogan. The couple were separated in 2013 and finalized their divorce in 2014.
Paul Hogan Today
Today, Hogan is 81 and has been slowing down his career, except for a 2020 comedy film that stars the actor as himself. The film is called “The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee,” and it portrays Hogan “reluctantly thrust back into the spotlight as he desperately attempts to restore his sullied reputation on the eve of being knighted,” according to IMDB.
Despite trying to retire, Hogan agreed to do the movie because he loved the script and the concept. In an interview with Forbes from December 2020, Hogan said, “I consider myself retired. Well, I’ve been trying to be retired for 20 years. My friend, Dean Murphy, keeps dragging me out of retirement to stick me in something. I love his sense of humor. It’s a nice laid-back style.” Dean Murphy is the filmmaker that created “The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee” alongside Robert Mond.
Hogan added:
“I think Dean is a very talented writer and director. He came up with the idea. I trusted him to do it. That was important and, of course, the fact that it was about me, so I had to be in it. I mean, I’m a wreck nowadays, but that didn’t matter. When he comes to me with something, I’m glad, but I’m not looking for anything. I’m quite lazy.”
The humorous film definitely fits in with the rest of Hogan’s projects and showcases some hilarious mishaps that occurred while coming up with the “Crocodile Dundee” movies. Hogan told Forbes, “I have been approached with some good ideas but also a lot of absolutely dingbat ideas about doing another ‘Crocodile Dundee’. I decided to make fun of that and other things in this movie.”
The actor added, “I was approached a lot after I did the Superbowl ads for Australian tourism in 2018. Millions of people saw them,” Hogan recalled. “Mick Dundee, according to an Australian tourism survey, is one of the best known Australians of all time, but no-one had ever heard of me. People remembered the character but not me. That’s why they had to put Dundee in the title of this new movie.”
When Forbes asked if he would ever consider making a fourth “Crocodile Dundee” movie, Hogan replied, “Oh, no. No, it’s over. It happened. It was a huge success, and I’m thrilled and proud of it. I was actually quite prepared to retire after doing the last one, to be honest. What am I going to do now? Get around the place with a walker in a retirement village? It’s done.”
The Truth About Their Love Story
Hogan and Kozlowski began to get to know each other while on the set of “Crocodile Dundee,” and they soon fell in love. The only issue was that Hogan was already married with five children, and there was a 19 year age difference between the two. After divorcing his first wife, Noelene Edwards, in 1986, Hogan began dating Kozlowski, and the couple married in 1990.
Kozlowski and Hogan were married for nearly 25 years but filed for divorce in 2014, citing irreconcilable differences. In an interview with Daily Telegraph, Hogan said, “We were opposites and we were attracted to each other for a long time. Opposites in everything. From the food we ate, the music we liked, the entertainment we liked, the colours, the clothes, the places, everything, It worked anyway.”
Despite the marriage ending in divorce, Hogan does not see the relationship as a failure. “How can you ‘fail’ after a quarter of a century,” he said. “Failed marriages are when two people stay together even though they have long ago lost interest.”
The actor also took some responsibility for the relationship ending, saying, “I’m very flighty – a woman lasts for about a quarter of a century and then they get bored with me.”
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Kozlowski confessed, “I lived in Paul’s shadow for many, many years and it’s nice to feel my own light right now.” The Juilliard-educated actress is done with the film industry but has found great success with her new tour company business.
Fortunately, there is no bad blood between Hogan and Kozlowski, and they are able to raise their son, Chase, in a happy environment. “The divorce was completely amicable. We talk on the phone all the time, I go over and have coffee. We’re completely friendly. Everybody’s happy,” Kozlowski said.
The actress feels much freer in her life now than when she was married to Hogan. Kozlowski said, “Actors obviously don’t want to be in the shadows, they want to be in the light, so I feel really good right now, really positive.”
Actors and actresses falling in love on film sets seem to happen all the time in Hollywood. What do you think about the love story of Kozlowski and Hogan? Are you a fan of the movie “Crocodile Dundee?” We want to know your opinion, and don’t hesitate to pass this story on to your friends and family.
