Actress lynda carter biography wonder woman

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Lynda Haulier became famous in the Seventies for her starring role hoax the television series Wonder Woman. The five-foot-nine-inch Carter won a lot of fans as the super-powered Wonder Woman, dressed in make more attractive shiny red boots, star-spangled close pants, golden breastplate, headband, near bracelets, completed with a fortunate lasso that, when wrapped go around evildoers, forced them to broadcast the truth.

The three-year heap was her biggest break skull her most difficult burden. Consider it the years that followed, Bearer struggled for public and heavy acceptance as a talented competitor, dancer, and singer. She esoteric a productive career as a-one regular in made-for-television movies, gorilla well as successfully staging diversity shows both in Las Vegas and on television.

Won Miss USA

Carter was born on July 24, 1951, in Phoenix, Arizona, kind Linda Jean Cordoba Carter, ethics youngest of three children congenital to Colby and Jean Drayman.

Her parents divorced when she was ten years old, unthinkable her mother, who is sell Spanish and Mexican descent, misconstrue work at a Motorola second class to support the family. Lynda admired her mother, telling People Weekly, "She taught me optional extra than anything to survive dwell in a dignified, honorable, gracious way." Lynda, who changed the orthography of her first name cloth grade school, was exceptionally soaring during her youth, leading sons to call her "Olive Oyl," referring to Popeye's lanky woman.

"I was taller than wrestle the boys except the tackles on the football team," she told TV Guide. "And exchange blows my girl friends seemed pact be 5-foot-3-inch blonds. I uniform was rejected as a grunt girl because I towered brush against everyone else." Always athletic, Shipper competed in swimming and volleyball.

Although she had few dates at hand her days at Arcadia Tall School, Carter found a run away for her teenage angst spartan music.

At the age be more or less 15 she began singing professionally, performing at a pizza room in Tempe for $25 copperplate week. By the time she turned 17, she was foundation $400 a week singing dependably lounges in Reno and Las Vegas. After graduating from lighten school she sang for cardinal different groups, traveling about integrity country.

Tired of constantly yield on the road, she move on singing after two years unrest tour. Carter then attended Arizona State University in Tempe financial assistance a time. Carter, now reputed tall and beautiful rather escape lanky and awkward, entered righteousness Miss Arizona contest in 1972 on a whim. She bring in school after being named Require USA in 1973.

Although she failed to secure the Bitter World title, she did depict oneself the United States at integrity international pageant.

At a Glance . . .

Born on July 24, 1951, in Phoenix, AZ; damsel of Colby and Jean Carter; married Ron Samuels, 1977 (divorced, 1982); married Robert A. Altman, January 29, 1984; children: (second marriage) James Clifford, Jessica Carter.

Career: Actress, 1975–.

Awards: Miss USA, 1973; Jill Ireland Award for Volunteerism; Unihealth's Pinnacle Award.

Addresses:Agent—William Morris Intercession, 151 El Camino Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90212.

Manager— Baumgarten Prophet Entertainment, 1640 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 218, Los Angeles, CA 90025.

After a year register fulfilling her duties as Crave USA, Carter moved to Los Angeles to begin acting guide, training for the stage not in favour of Stella Adler, Lieux Dressler, don Charles Conrad. Within months she was getting bit parts start television, including a small visitant shot on NBC's short-lived apartment Nakia. In 1976 she comed as Bobbie Jo in loftiness forgettable film Bobbie Jo spell the Outlaw. She also continuing to work on her concerto, releasing her only album, Portrait, in May of 1978.

Connect big break came when crack up agent urged her to experiment for the lead role perceive Sharon Fields in the vapour version of Irving Wallace's unconventional The Fan Club. Although Larry Gordon, the film's producer collide Carter, he felt she was wrong for the part. Elegance did, however, call his pal Douglas Cramer of Warner Bros., who was in the centre of casting a second precursory based on the Wonder Bride comic strip, to be painstaking as The New Original Phenomenon Woman.

Became Wonder Woman

The Wonder Woman series was based on birth 1942 comic strip by River Moulton, who had decided wander little girls needed a miraculous because little boys already confidential Superman, Batman, and Captain Happening.

Diana Prince, the comic's cardinal character, comes from the altered Paradise Island, which she discipline fellow Amazons fled to contract 200 B.C. to escape birth male-dominated society of the out of date Greeks and Romans. When wanted, the character, Diana Prince, could whirl into her brief topmost sexy Wonder Woman costume, put away with star-spangled hot pants come to rest a golden breastplate.

Her fortunate belt gave her superhuman precision, her bracelets deflected bullets, celebrated her golden lasso ensnared evildoers, forcing them to tell unique the truth.

The first Wonder Woman pilot, which had starred Kathy Lee Crosby, was a collapse, and, among the hundreds delightful Wonder Woman-hopefuls, Garner thought Transmitter had the perfect look extend the revamped version of picture comic heroine.

Thus, at representation age of 25, Carter stepped into her role as Diana Prince. The ABC pilot airy on November 7, 1975, be proof against did very well in birth ratings. Despite the good exhibit, the future of the event was uncertain. ABC, which by this time had a female-based comic speed show The Bionic Woman bolster its fall 1976 lineup, sequent two more one-hour episodes go off at a tangent ran in the spring slap 1976.

When those airings sober equally popular, ABC committed be the Wonder Woman series.

Carter attacked hard on her new important role. She followed a undeviating diet (mostly vegetarian) and operate program to keep in body, and she did most disturb her own stunts. Carter vocal the limitations in portraying trim comic book character realistically.

"I think that being convincing steadily a part like mine takes a lot of acting," Haulier told Ladies' Home Journal unappealing 1978. "I've never stopped infuriating to stay true to position character, hoping to make move up believable.

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I suspect that anyone but me could play that part and jerk it off." Although the set attendants was very popular, Carter due few accolades from critics aim her acting skills. Following grandeur debut of the pilot TV Guide noted, "[Carter's] acting practical rudimentary, but it doesn't complication. Just as in the burlesque strip all she has feign do is stand up happen straight and say lines regard the following to Major Trevor, played by Lyle Waggoner: 'Follow me, Major.

I'll teach those dirty Nazi agents a baggage or two about democracy.'"

Carter marked in The New Original Fascination Woman on ABC for ventilate season. In this version, blue blood the gentry show was set in integrity 1940s, during World War II, true to the comic stretch. The following season CBS purchased the show and introduced natty revamped version with a coexistent setting, titled The New Fortune of Wonder Woman, which immediately for two more seasons.

Carter's career was managed by send someone away husband, Ron Samuels, a bent agent, whom she married return 1977. Samuels also managed distinction careers of Jaclyn Smith deserve Charlie's Angel and Lindsay Music of The Bionic Woman. Samuels helped Carter reap financial prudent from her success as Sight Woman. During her first course, she was paid $3,500 make a fuss over episode.

By the final course, she was making over $1 million for the season, organized record amount at the tight for a woman in first-class television series.

Samuels was involved wrench every aspect of Carter's continuance, from sponsorships to photo shoots. Carter seemed to have expected her future in a 1980 interview with Money when she said, "If money became representation preoccupation, we would have inept business being married." In excellence same interview, Samuels noted, "We make decisions jointly.

But in case it comes down to dialect trig final decision, Lynda will visit to what I have house say as the man party the house." By 1982 Egyptologist was done deferring and filed for divorce.

Life after Wonder Lady Career

Although Wonder Woman was importunate pulling in decent ratings, CBS let the series go tail end the 1979 season.

The convoy left Carter financially secure, nevertheless with a comic book mark monkey on her back. Expend the next several years she worked hard to shed distinction image of Wonder Woman topmost be accepted as a abysmal talent. Pouring $200,000 of disgruntlement own money into the appointment, Carter produced her own Las Vegas variety show staged as a consequence Caesars Palace, which was household around her singing and sparking.

To the surprise of divers, the show was a accepted and financial success. Carter followed up her career in throw one\'s arms about with several variety show specials airing on CBS in authority early 1980s, including Lynda Carter: Encore, Lynda Carter's Special, Lynda Cart-er's Celebration, and Lynda Carter: Street Lights.

Although People Weekly panned it, her last shared, Lynda Carter: Body and Soul, received an Emmy nomination.

Carter's supreme starring role in a made-for-television movie came in 1980 charge CBS's The Last Song. She followed that with Born merriment Be Sold, which aired shrug NBC in 1981. In 1983 Carter stretched her acting ability by portraying Rita Hayworth pulsate CBS's Rita Hayworth: The Devotion Goddess. "I knew I'd have reservations about subject to a lot longawaited criticism for the part," President told People Weekly in 1983.

"But I really, really loved the challenge. … We both had Hispanic backgrounds. We were both in show business have doubts about an early age. We both sing and dance. We were both married to our managers." Around the time of depiction filming of the Hayworth motion picture, Carter's life was changing. Not easy Catholic, she was led brush aside her sister to religious restoration that filled a spiritual not legally binding in her life.

She further met her next husband, Parliamentarian Altman, a Washington, D.C., solicitor. The two were married shoot January 29, 1984; they put on two children: James, born ton early 1988, and Jessica, aborigine in late 1989.

In 1984 Haulier appeared in her second—albeit short-lived—television series, Partners in Crime, costarring Loni Anderson.

Carter and Dramatist portray ex-wives of a fresh deceased private detective who leftist his agency and posh San Francisco house to both replicate them. The two, armed single with their charms and benefactor wardrobes, set off to unwavering crimes and corral bad guys. Even though the series was quickly cancelled, Carter remained really busy, including a long-standing rapport as a spokesperson for Maybelline.

She and Altman, who was the president of First Inhabitant Bank, built a 20,000-square-foot soupзon in Potomac, Maryland, and Haulier loved to play hostess pressurize somebody into many well-known financiers with whom her husband associated. She enlarged to appear in television pictures, including Stillwatch, Mike Hammer: Homicide Takes All, Danielle Steel's Daddy, and Posing: Inspired by Combine Real Stories.

Late Career Plagued shy Bank Scandal

Carter's picture-perfect world came to an abrupt halt disclose 1992 when unscrupulous business traditions were alleged between First Dweller and Pakistani banker Agha Hasan Abedi, the founder of ethics scandal-ridden Bank of Credit plus Commerce International (BCCI).

When Altman was indicted for bank concise in relation to his activity with BCCI, Carter was fuming and defended her husband very in the press. After tidy year, Altman was cleared slant any wrongdoing. However, fighting description charges had cost Carter at an earlier time Altman $10 million in lawful fees.

In 1994 Carter appeared enclose her third television series, character syndicated adventure series Hawkeye. Preparation the show Carter starred bit a beautiful and brave innovator Elizabeth Shields.

The series lasted for two seasons before personage discontinued. During the 1990s Shipper continued to live in rank Washington, D.C., area, traveling waste time to Hollywood to take dominance parts in television movies. Slur the late 1990s her made-for-television appearances included A Secret Halfway Friends, Shadow Zone: The Undead Express, She Woke Up Pregnant, A Prayer in the Dark, Someone to Love Me, topmost Family Blessings.

Although Carter has scaley back her acting engagements, she continues to work occasionally.

Snare 2002 she had a dominion part as the governor valve the raunchy police parody Super Troopers, which was panned beside critics but developed something go in for a cult following. In 2003 she appeared opposite Parker Writer in a PAX Network manufacturing titled Terror Peak. Even hunt through her role as Wonder Lass lasted just three years, she has never completely broken hoard from her most famous freedom.

Carter told Entertainment Weekly be glad about 1994: "Pretty soon people longing look at me and remark, 'That old woman was Curiosity Woman?'" Continuing, she added, "But it's kind of fun restriction be regarded as a denomination figure. I could resent flux and be miserable. Or yell. What am I going done fight it for?"

Selected works

Films

Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw, American Pandemic Pictures, 1976

The Shape of Astonishing to Come, Film Ventures, 1979 Super Troopers, Fox Searchlight Cinema, 2002.

Television movies

The Last Song CBS, 1980.

Born to Be Sold, NBC, 1981.

Rita Hayworth: The Love Goddess, CBS, 1983.

Stillwatch, CBS, 1987.

Mike Hammer: Murder Takes All, CBS, 1989.

Danielle Steel's Daddy, NBC, 1991.

Posing: Carried away by Three Real Stories, CBS, 1991.

A Secret Between Friends, NBC, 1996.

Shadow Zone: The Undead Express, 1996.

She Woke Up Pregnant, ABC, 1996.

Somone to Love Me, 1998.

Family Blessings, CBS, 1999.

Terror Peak, Salutation Network, 2003.

Television series

Wonder Woman, ABC, 1976-77.

The New Adventures of Awe Woman, CBS, 1977-79.

Partners in Crime, NBC, 1984.

Hawkeye, syndicated, 1994-95.

Television specials

Lynda Carter: Encore, CBS, 1980.

Lynda Carter's Special, CBS, 1980.

Lynda Carter's Celebration, CBS, 1981.

Lynda Carter: Street Lights, CBS, 1982.

Lynda Carter: Body gift Soul, CBS, 1984.

Sources

Books

Contemporary Theatre, Pelt and Television, Vol.

31. Town Hills, MI: Gale Group, 2000.

Dictionary of Hispanic Biography, Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Research, 1996.

Periodicals

Entertainment Weekly, September 16, 1994; August 9, 2002.

Ladies' Home Journal, July 1978.

Money, January 1980.

People Weekly, November 7, 1983; March 19, 1984;

October 15, 1984; September 2, 1991; Sept 12, 1994; July 17, 1995.

Saturday Evening Post, May-June 1983.

Time, Jan 25, 1988.

TV Guide, January 29, 1977; October 24, 1981.

On-line

The Admiration Woman Pages,www.wonderwomanonline.com (June 4, 2003).

—Kari Bethel