:''"Linda Carter" redirects here. For the two Marvel Comics nurse characters named Linda Carter, 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 1977 to 1979.
She was born '''Linda Jean Córdoba Carter''' in Phoenix, Arizona, to Irish-American Colby Carter and Mexican-American Juana Córdoba.
Carter grew up an avid reader of the ''
Wonder Woman'' comic books. She went to Arcadia High School in Phoenix, then to 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
She entered a local beauty contest and achieved her first national fame by winning Miss World USA in 1972 representing Arizona.
She eventually represented the United States in the Miss World pageant, where 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). However, her acting career did not take off until she landed her starring role in the ''
Wonder Woman'' television series.
Her earnest performance as the scantily clad superhero 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).
thumb|right|Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman (TV series)|Wonder Woman.
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 couple of short-lived TV series. 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."
Carter has been married twice. Her first marriage was to her former agent Ron Samuels on May 28, 1977. They were divorced in 1982. Carter married lawyer Robert Altman on January 29, 1984. Robert and Lynda have two children, James and Jessica Altman.
In 2001, Carter was cast in the low-budget comedy feature ''Super Troopers'' as Vermont Governor Jessman.
