Lynda Jean Cordova Carter (born July 24, 1951) is an American actress, singer, and beauty pageant contestant, best known for her portrayal ofWonder Woman in the television seriesWonder Woman, aired onABC and later onCBS from 1975 to 1979. Before her acting career, she was crownedMiss World USA in 1972 and finished in the top 15 at theMiss World 1972 pageant.^[4]

Lynda Carter
Carter in 2012
Born	Lynda Jean Cordova Carter[1] (1951-07-24)July 24, 1951 (age 73)[2] Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Occupations	Actress singer
Years active	1968–present
Known for	Miss World USA 1972 Wonder Woman (1975–1979) Maybelline commercials Lens Express commercials
Political party	Democratic[3]
Spouses	Ron Samuels ​ ​ (m. 1977;div. 1982)​ Robert A. Altman ​ ​ (m. 1984; died 2021)​
Children	2
Awards	Hollywood Walk of Fame
Website	lyndacarter.com

Carter has appeared in a wide range of films and television series. She appeared in films such asSuper Troopers (2001), andSky High (2005),Super Troopers 2 (2018), andWonder Woman 1984 (2020), where she made an uncredited cameo asAsteria. She also had a recurring role as U.S. PresidentOlivia Marsdin on the seriesSupergirl (2016–2018). Additionally, she has participated in various television specials and series, includingTwo and a Half Men (2013), andThe Muppet Show (1980).

Carter has received several honors throughout her career. In 2014, she was awarded aGolden Palm Star on thePalm Springs Walk of Stars. In 2016, she received aLifetime Achievement Award at theGracie Awards. Carter was also honored with a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame in 2018. In 2022, she was recognized with the Sor Juana Legacy Award by theNational Museum of Mexican Art for her contributions to the arts, and later that year, she was inducted into theCalifornia Hall of Fame.

Carter was born inPhoenix, Arizona, the daughter of Juana (née Córdova) and Colby Carter.^[1][5] Her father is ofEnglish andIrish ancestry, and her mother, whose family hailed from Chihuahua, Mexico, is of Spanish and French descent.^[6][7] She has one brother, Vincent, and one sister,Pamela.^[8]Carter made her public television debut onLew King's Talent Show at age 5. During high school, Carter performed in a band called Just Us. The band included amarimba, aconga drum, an acoustic guitar, and astand-up bass which was played by another girl in the group. At age 15, Carter began singing in the local pizza parlor to earn extra money.^[9] When she was 16, she joined two of her cousins in another band called The Relatives. ActorGary Burghoff was the drummer for the band. The group opened at theSahara Hotel and Casino lounge in Las Vegas for three months; because Carter was under 21 she had to enter through the kitchen.^[10]

In 1970, Carter successfully auditioned for and then sang on tour with The Garfin Gathering and bandleader Howard (Speedy) Garfin. Their first performance together was at theHoliday Inn Chinatown, aSan Francisco hotel so new that it had no completed sidewalk entrance. Consequently, they played mostly to the hotel staff and hotel guests who parked their cars in the underground garage.^[11] The Garfin Gathering toured theNevada "Silver Circuit", playing shows in many of the state's casino lounges betweenLake Tahoe,Carson City,Reno, and Las Vegas. In 1972, Carter decided to leave the Garfin Gathering to pursue an acting career, returning to Arizona.^[12]

In 1972, Carter won a localArizona beauty contest and gained national attention in the United States by winningMiss World USA 1972, representing Arizona.^[13] In the internationalMiss World 1972 pageant, representing the United States she reached the Top 15. She took acting classes at several New York acting schools during the early 1970s. One of her acting partners during this time was futureCBS presidentLes Moonves.^[14] Carter made her first acting appearance in "Roots of Anger", an episode of the 1974 police dramaNakia.^[15] She began making appearances on such TV shows asStarsky and Hutch andCos, as well as appearances in several "B" movies.^[16]

Wonder Woman, the fictionalsuperhero character, was created by the American psychologist and writerWilliam Moulton Marston and artistHarry G. Peter in 1941 forDC Comics. Conceived in the wake of the popularity ofSuperman, Marston designed his creation as counter-programming to the Man of Steel. TheDiana Prince/Wonder Woman character is also called the Amazing Amazon, the Spirit of Truth, Themyscira's Champion, and the Goddess of Love and War. Wonder Woman was an instant hit with readers and became the most prominentDCcomic book female superhero.^[17]

Carter's acting career took off when she landed the starring role onWonder Woman in 1975, as the title character and her secret identity,Diana Prince. The savings she had set aside from her days of touring on the road with her band^[18] to pursue acting in Los Angeles were almost exhausted. Carter has publicly stated that, on the day she got the part, she had $25 in the bank. She was close to returning to Arizona when her manager informed her thatJoanna Cassidy had lost the role and Carter had the part of Wonder Woman. Carter's earnest performance greatly endeared her to both fans and critics. As a result, she continues to be closely identified with Wonder Woman.^[12]

TheWonder Woman series lasted for three seasons, from 1975 to 1979. It first aired on ABC, and later on CBS. Carter's performance, rooted in the character's inherent goodness combined with a comic-accurate costume and a catchy theme song, made for a depiction that was considered iconic.^[17] After the show ended, Carter toldUs that "I never meant to be a sexual object for anyone but my husband. I never thought a picture of my body would be tacked up in men's bathrooms. I hate men looking at me and thinking what they think. And I know what they think. They write and tell me."^[19] The 2018 journal article "Casting a Wider Lasso: An Analysis of the Cultural Dismissal of Wonder Woman Through Her 1975-1979 Television Series" argued that the show strongly adapted Wonder Woman's ideals but "was suppressed, undone, and discredited" by American culture as part of a larger legacy suppressing the character.^[20]

In 2017, Carter explained her perspective of portraying the Diana Prince/Wonder Woman character. Carter says she got the role back in 1975 largely because she looked the part, which was both a blessing and—as one of the show's producers warned her—a curse, saying that "Oh, women are going to be so jealous of you." Carter had responded, "Not a chance. They won't be, because I am not playing her that way. I want women to want to be me, or be my best friend!". As Carter describes portraying Wonder Woman, "There is something about the character where in your creative mind for that time in your life where you pretended to be her, or whatever the situation was, that it felt like you could fly".^[21]

In 1985,DC Comics named Carter one of the honorees, in the company's 50th anniversary publicationFifty Who Made DC Great, for her work on theWonder Woman series.^[22]

In 2007,DC Direct released a 13-inch (330 mm) full-figure statue of Carter as Wonder Woman, limited to 5,000 pieces;^[23] it was re-released in 2010.^[24] Also in 2010, DC Direct began selling a5+1⁄2 in (140 mm)bust of Carter's Wonder Woman to celebrate the 75th anniversary of DC Comics.^[25]

During production of the 2017Wonder Woman feature film, director Patty Jenkins approached Carter to appear in a cameo role in the film, as Carter confirmed, "Patty asked me to do a cameo in this. She was in England, and I was doing my concerts," explaining she had singing engagements that made her unavailable. "At that time we couldn't get our timing together. So, this next time, if she writes me a decent part, I might do it."^[26] Carter did make a cameo in thepost-credits scene of the sequel film,Wonder Woman 1984 where she playsAsteria, the "Golden Warrior" of the Amazons.^[27]

Carter holds dear the new film and the character introduced more than 75 years ago. "Many actresses or actors, they want to divorce themselves from a role because we are actors, we really aren't the people that we play. But I knew very early on that this character is much more than me certainly, and to try to divorce myself from the experiences that other people have of the character is silly," she said.^[26]

WhileWonder Woman was being produced, Carter was well recognized and in demand for promotional work. In 1978, Carter was voted "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World" by the International Academy of Beauty and the British Press Organization.^[28] She had also signed a modelling contract with Maybelline cosmetics in 1977.^[18] In 1979, she appeared in aDiet 7Up commercial along with comedianDon Rickles.

Carter was the first woman to provide a voiceover for a movie trailer, as she did for the 1975 filmThe Drowning Pool.

Carter continued to pursue her interest in music. During the late 1970s she recorded the albumPortrait. Carter is credited in several variety television programs for being a co-writer on several songs and making numerous musical guest appearances. She also sang two of her songs in a 1979Wonder Woman episode, "Amazon Hot Wax".

In 1977, Carter released a promotional poster throughPro Arts at the suggestion of her then-husband and manager,Ron Samuels. The poster was very successful despite Carter's dissatisfaction with it. In 1981 during an interview on theNBC television specialWomen Who Rate a 10, she said:

It's uncomfortable because I just simply took a photograph. That's all my participation was in my poster that sold over a million copies, was that I took a photograph that I thought was a dumb photograph. My husband said, "Oh, try this thing tied up here, it'll look beautiful". And the photographer said "the back-lighting is really terrific". So dealing with someone having that picture up in their... bedroom or their... living room or whatever I think would be hard for anyone to deal with.^[29]

ForApocalypse Now (1979) she was originally cast in the role ofPlayboy Playmate Bunny, but the filming of her scenes was interrupted by the storm that wrecked the theater set prompting a delay of nearly two months for rebuilding. By the time directorFrancis Ford Coppola was ready to shoot again, Carter's contractual obligations toWonder Woman had forced her back to the States and her scenes were reshot withColleen Camp. The only evidence remaining of Carter's involvement are thePlayboycenterfolds that were specially shot by the magazine as movie props, and a glimpse of Carter'spinup in theRedux version.

AfterWonder Woman ended, Carter had many opportunities in music, film, and television. In 1980 Carter initially made a guest appearance onThe Muppet Show. In the episode's running gag,Kermit the Frog repeatedly reminds the other Muppets that their guest is Carter and not Wonder Woman. This is to no avail as the Muppets ineptly attempt to become superheroes by taking a correspondence course andMiss Piggy portrays "Wonder Pig", a spoof of Carter's television character.

She was quickly given a variety of her own musical TV specials, includingLynda Carter's Special (1980),Encore! (1980),Celebration (1981),Street Life (1982), andBody and Soul (1984). She landed the title role in a biographical film about actressRita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino) titledRita Hayworth: The Love Goddess (1983).

Carter's next major role after Wonder Woman was in the crime drama television seriesPartners in Crime withLoni Anderson in 1984. She then portrayed Helen Durant in the 1989 CBS television filmMike Hammer: Murder Takes All where she booby-traps Las Vegas entertainer Johnny Roman (Edward Winter), her husband Doctor Carl Durant, and his employee accountant Brad Peters (Jim Carrey) causing their deaths.

Throughout the 1990s, Carter appeared in a string of television movies which resulted in a resurgence in television appearances for her. She appeared in commercials forLens Express (now1-800 Contacts). Around that time Carter created her own production company, Potomac Productions. In 1993, Carter expanded her performance resume to include voice-over work as the narrator for theSandra Brown bookWhere There's Smoke.^[30]

The new millennium saw Carter continuing to work in various areas. Because of the resyndication ofWonder Woman on cable networks likeFX andSyFy, Carter participated in two scheduled on-line chat sessions with fans.^[31] In 2000, Carter hosted theI Love 1978 episode ofBBC2'sI Love the '70s. In 2004, she won an award for being the "Superest Superhero" on theSecond Annual TV Land Awards the same year. When an announcer reported that an invisible plane was double-parked illegally and needed to be moved before it was towed, she performed her spinning transformation once again after 25 years, although a younger actress wore the star-spangled outfit at that moment.

Carter performed in a variety of film roles, making up a majority of her film work in the 2000s. In 2001, she was cast in the independent comedy featureSuper Troopers, asVermontGovernor Jessman. The writers and stars of the film, the comedy troupeBroken Lizard along with the directorJay Chandrasekhar had specifically sought Carter for the role. Inspired by the character detour from her usual roles, she agreed to play a washed-up, former beauty queen inThe Creature of the Sunny Side Up Trailer Park (2004) which was directed byChristopher Coppola.

Carter made her first appearance in a major feature film in a number of years in the big-screen remake ofThe Dukes of Hazzard (2005), also directed by Chandrasekhar. She appeared inDisney's action comedy filmSky High (2005) as Principal Powers, the headmistress of a school for superheroes. The script allowed Carter to poke fun at her most famous character when she states: "I can't do anything more to help you. I'm not Wonder Woman, y'know." In 2006, she guest-starred in the made-for-cablevampire filmSlayer. The following year Carter returned to the DC Comics' television world in theSmallville episode "Progeny" (2007), playingChloe Sullivan'sKryptonite-empowered mother.

Carter expanded her voice-over work to include video games, performing voices for theNord andOrsimer (Orc) females in two computer games ofThe Elder Scrolls series beginning in 2002, and includingThe Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind,The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, andThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, as well as playing a singer in a subway-converted bar in 2015'sFallout 4. These games were developed byBethesda Softworks; her husband, businessmanRobert A. Altman was chairman and CEO of Bethesda's parent company,ZeniMax Media.

Carter decided to do a variety of theater projects. From September to November 2005, Carter played "Mama Morton" in theWest End London production ofChicago.^[32] In 2006, her rendition of "When You're Good to Mama" was officially released on theChicago: 10th Anniversary Edition CD box set. In May 2007, Carter began touring the U.S. with her one-woman musical cabaret show,An Evening with Lynda Carter. She played engagements at such venues asFeinstein's at Loews Regency in New York, Jazz atLincoln Center, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Razz Room in San Francisco, and the Catalina Jazz Club in Los Angeles. In June 2009, her second album,At Last was released and reached No. 10 onBillboard's Jazz Albums Chart.^[33] In June 2011, Carter released her third album,Crazy Little Things which she describes as a delightful mix of standards, country, and pop tunes.^[34] In 2015, Carter wrote and recorded five original songs for the video gameFallout 4 in which she herself stars.^[35][36][37] An EP of the songs from the game's soundtrack was released on iTunes on November 6, 2015.^[38] The song "Good Neighbor" from the EP was nominated by NAVGTR for best song under the category of Song, Original or Adapted.^[39] In 2018, Carter released her fourth album titledRed, Rock n' Blues with her All-Star Band which featured two vocals with her daughter, Jessica Altman. She continues to perform her concerts nationally at venues including The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood, Feinstein's at the Nikko in San Francisco, the Franklin Theater in Nashville, and Jazz at Lincoln Center in NYC. Carter performs with her All-Star Band and presents her special guest, Jessica Altman. Jessica released her ownEPNo Rules in early 2020.^[40]

Carter is among the interview subjects inSuperheroes: A Never-Ending Battle, a three-hour documentary narrated byLiev Schreiber that premiered onPBS in October 2013.^[41]

Carter, fellowWonder Woman actressGal Gadot,DC Entertainment PresidentDiane Nelson,Wonder Woman directorPatty Jenkins, and U.N. Under-Secretary GeneralCristina Gallach appeared at the United Nations on October 21, 2016, the 75th anniversary of the first appearance of Wonder Woman to mark the character's designation by the United Nations as its "Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls".^[42][43] The gesture was intended to raise awareness of UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 5, which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls by 2030.^[42][43][44] However the decision was met with protests from UN staff members who stated in their petition to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that the character is "not culturally encompassing or sensitive", and served to objectify women. As a result the character was stripped of the designation and the project ended on December 16.^[44]

In 2017, Carter rejoined theWarner Bros./DC Comics film and television family on the second season ofThe CW'sSupergirl television series in the role of President Olivia Marsdin.^[45] Executive producerAndrew Kreisberg described Carter's presence on the show as "a big stand to necessitateSupergirl (Melissa Benoist) and the DEO protecting her".^[45]

Lynda Carter and the French singerMichel Polnareff had a romantic relationship in 1973 before she played the role ofWonder Woman.^[46][47]

Carter has been married twice. Her first marriage was to her former talent agent,Ron Samuels, from 1977 to 1982, a period in which she has publicly stated that she was very unhappy. On January 29, 1984, she married Washington, D.C., attorneyRobert A. Altman, law partner ofClark Clifford and later co-founder CEO ofZeniMax Media.^[13] She left Hollywood in 1985 to join her husband in Washington, D.C., for a few years. Carter and her husband have two children: James Altman (born January 14, 1988)^[48][49] and Jessica Carter Altman (born October 7, 1990).^[13][50] The couple lived in aPotomac, Maryland,^[13] home they built in 1987, shortly before the birth of their son.^[48] The 20,000-square-footGeorgian-style mansion was profiled in the premiere issue ofCloser magazine in November 2013, as well as onHGTV.^[48]

In 1993, after a lengthy and highly publicizedjury trial stemming from Altman's involvement with theBank of Credit and Commerce International and its secret acquisition of First American Bankshares Inc., he was acquitted.^[51] Carter was seen on the TV news with her arm around him, declaring, "Not guilty! Not guilty!" to the gathered reporters. On February 3, 2021, Altman died at a hospital inBaltimore owing to a battle withmyelofibrosis, a rare form ofleukemia. He was 73.^[52][53]

Carter is a fan ofice hockey, and theWashington Capitals are her favorite team.^[54]

Carter is aDemocrat who campaigned forHillary Clinton during the2016 United States presidential election.^[55] She also endorsedJoe Biden in the2020 presidential election^[56] and Kamala Harris in the2024 presidential election.

In 2003, Carter revealed that her mother had suffered fromirritable bowel syndrome for over 30 years, leading to Carter touring the country as an advocate and spokeswoman.^[57] Carter is also a staunch advocate and supporter ofSusan G. Komen for the Cure,^[58]abortion rights,^[59] andlegal equality for LGBT people. She was theGrand Marshal for the 2011 Phoenix Pride Parade, the 2011 New York Pride Parades,^[60][61] and the 2013 Capital Pride Parade in Washington, D.C.^[62] In 2010 she served as Grand Marshall for the Washington, D.C., AIDS Walk.

In a June 4, 2008, interview withPeople magazine, Carter stated that she had in the past entered arehabilitation clinic for treatment of alcoholism and that she had been sober for nearly 10 years. When she was asked what the recovery process had taught her, Carter explained that the best measure of a human being is "how we treat the people who love us, and the people that we love".^[63]

Carter states that she is committed to her recovery from alcoholism and addiction. She credits her husband's intervention for her ultimate acceptance of personal powerlessness over alcoholism, stating in a 2016 Council on Recovery interview that, "After 18 years of recovery, I live every day with immense gratitude. I am forever thankful for my family and friends who stood by me and encouraged me… and for those who helped me heal."

The following is press material produced by Carter and her staff regarding her experience of alcoholism:

“Through her inspiring story, Carter shares the power and grace of vulnerability, faith, and surrender that she believes nourish lasting recovery.^[64] Celebrating over 20 years of sobriety, Carter continues to guest speak at various health and well-being events. Her recovery story and its message of hope is directed to every member of the family. It is a strong reminder that family support can make a huge difference to a recovering addict or alcoholic.”^[65]

In 1985,DC Comics named Carter as one of the honorees in the company's 50th anniversary publicationFifty Who Made DC Great for her work on the Wonder Woman series.^[22]

In 2014, a Golden Palm Star on thePalm Springs, California,Walk of Stars was dedicated to Carter's career. Carter's dedication is the 369th honoree on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.^[66]

In 2016, Carter received a Lifetime Achievement Award at theGracie Awards.^[67] The Gracie Awards ceremony is presented by theAlliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWM), since 1975.^[68]

On April 3, 2018, theHollywood Chamber of Commerce (HCC) proudly honored Carter with the 2,632nd star on theHollywood Walk of Fame. The star is at 6562 Hollywood Boulevard in the television section. HCC President and CEO Leron Gubler unveiled the star with the assistance of guest speakers, directorPatty Jenkins and former CBS chairmanLeslie Moonves.^[69]

On September 17, 2022, theNational Museum of Mexican Art inChicago honored Carter with the Sor Juana Legacy Award for her outstanding contributions to the arts. The Sor Juana Legacy Award recognizes women of Mexican descent for their lifetime achievements.^[70]

On December 13, 2022, Carter was inducted into theCalifornia Hall of Fame,^[71] along with a handful of others.

• Official website 
• Lynda Carter atAllMusic 
• Lynda Carter atIMDb
• Lynda Carter discography atDiscogs
• Lynda Carter's channel onYouTube
• Lynda Carter atRotten Tomatoes