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Lynda Carter

  • Born: Jul 24, 1951 in Phoenix, Arizona
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '70s-2000s
  • Major Genres: Drama, Crime
  • Career Highlights: Born to Be Sold, Wonder Woman, Lightning in a Bottle
  • First Major Screen Credit: The New Original Wonder Woman (1975)

Biography

The epitome of the word "statuesque," brunette, big blue-eyed, and 6' tall Lynda Carter was once considered one of the most beautiful women in the western world. Born and raised in Phoenix, AZ, Carter's height caused considerable awkwardness in high school. Friends encouraged her to become a performer; she began studying voice and by the time she graduated, she was named her school's most talented student. She briefly attended Arizona State University, but dropped out to become a professional singer and tour the country with several rock groups. By 1972, Carter had returned home and entered a local beauty pageant. She won and went on to win the title of Miss World-USA. After that, Carter studied acting in New York. She started her career in television making guest appearances on such shows as Starsky and Hutch, but Carter did not become famous until winning the title role of Wonder Woman in 1975. The Wonder Woman shows originally started out as specials on the ABC network, but by 1976 had been turned into a series. The network canceled the show after one season and it was picked up by CBS and aired there for a few years. When the series ended, she had a somewhat successful career as a Las Vegas entertainer. She also continues to occasionally appear in television movies and as a series guest star. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

 
 
Wikipedia: Lynda Carter
Lynda Carter
Birth name Linda Jean Córdova Carter[1]
Born July 24 1951 (1951--) (age 56)
Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. Flag of the United States
Occupation Actress
Years active 1970s - present
For the two Marvel Comics nurse characters, see Night Nurse (comics).

Lynda Carter (born July 24, 1951) is an American actress. She is best known for the Amazonian title role in the fantasy-adventure TV series Wonder Woman which aired from 1975 to 1979.

Early life

Carter was born Linda Jean Córdova Carter in Phoenix, Arizona.[2] Her father, Colby Carter is an Irish American,[1] and her mother, Juana Córdova, is of Mexican and Spanish ancestry.[1] Carter grew up an avid reader of the Wonder Woman comic books. She went to Globe High School in Globe, Arizona and Arcadia High School in Phoenix. She attended Arizona State University, but after being voted the "most talented" student, she dropped out in order to pursue a career in music. She toured as a singer with several rock groups before returning to Arizona in 1972.

Career

Carter entered a local beauty contest and achieved her first national fame by winning Miss World USA in 1972 representing Arizona. [1] As the United States entrant in the Miss World pageant she reached the semi-finals. After taking acting classes at several New York acting schools, she began making appearances on TV shows such as Starsky and Hutch, Cos and Nakia and B-movies including Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw (1976).

Wonder Woman

Her acting career did not take off until she landed her starring role in the Wonder Woman television series. Her earnest performance endeared her to fans and critics and the series lasted for three seasons. Thirty years after first taking on the role, Carter continues to be closely identified with Wonder Woman, so much so that it has proved difficult for producers to find a suitable candidate to play the character in subsequent aborted productions (work on the most recent attempt was announced in 2005).

Other credits

Carter's other credits include the title role in a 1983 biopic of Rita Hayworth and a variety of television specials. She also starred in a few short-lived TV series, including Partners in Crime with Loni Anderson in 1984, and Hawkeye with Lee Horsley. During the late 1970s, she recorded the album Portrait and made numerous guest appearances on variety television programs in a musical capacity. She also sang two of her songs in the Wonder Woman episode "Amazon Hot Wax."

In 2001, Carter was cast in the independent comedy feature Super Troopers as Vermont Governor Jessman. The writer-stars of the film, the comedy troupe Broken Lizard with member Jay Chandrasekhar directing, had specifically sought Carter for the role, with plans to approach other television actresses of the 1970s had Carter declined. Carter had her first appearance in a major feature film in a number of years in the 2005 big-screen remake of The Dukes of Hazzard, also directed by Chandrasekhar. She also played in the 2005 movie Sky High as Principal Powers, the head of a school for superheroes. The script allowed for Carter to poke fun at her most famous character when she states: "What a waste. I can't do anything more to help you. I'm not Wonder Woman, y'know." Lynda returned to the DC Comics' television world on the 2007 episode of Smallville titled "Progeny" playing Chloe Sullivan's Kryptonite-empowered mother.

Carter has also done voiceover work for video games, performing voices for the Nord and Orsimer (Orc) females in two computer games from The Elder Scrolls series. These are The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. These games were developed by Bethesda Softworks, of which her husband Robert Altman (not to be confused with the late Hollywood director) is Chairman and CEO.

From September 26, 2005 until November of that year, Carter played the role of Mama Morton in the West End London production of Chicago.[3] Her rendition of "When You're Good to Mama" was officially released on the Chicago: 10th Anniversary Edition cd box set in October of 2006. Receiving positive response to the song's release, Lynda booked her own cabaret tour act. It was first scheduled in San Francisco at the York Hotel's Empire Plush Room from May 1 - 6, 2007 and proceeded to tour around the U.S. Lynda also marked July 17, 2007 as the date to record her second solo musical release. [4]

Personal life

Carter has been married twice. Her first marriage was to her former agent Ron Samuels on May 28, 1977. They were divorced in 1982. Samuels was also agent to Charlie's Angel Jaclyn Smith (who attended the wedding) and Bionic Woman Lindsay Wagner. Carter later married attorney Robert Altman on January 29, 1984. Robert and Lynda have two children, James and Jessica Altman.[1]

Trivia

When, after a lengthy and highly publicized trial, her husband Robert Altman was found not guilty by the jury of banking and securities fraud, Lynda Carter was shown on the nightly TV news standing in front of the courthouse with her arm around her husband shouting "Not Guilty. Not Guilty." to the TV news reporters.

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d e Lynda Carter. Wonderland. Retrieved on 2007-03-23.
  2. ^ WIC Biography – Lynda Carter. Women's International Center. Retrieved on 2006-05-04.
  3. ^ The British Theater Guide. Retrieved on 2006-05-12.
  4. ^ http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=19525

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

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Actor. Copyright © 2006 All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Lynda Carter".  Read more

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