Amy Lynn Carlson (born July 7, 1968) is an American actress known for her roles as Linda Reagan in the
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
police procedural ''
Blue Bloods,'' as Alex Taylor on the NBC drama ''
Third Watch
''Third Watch'' is an American crime drama television series created by John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero that aired on NBC from September 26, 1999, to May 6, 2005, with a total of 132 episodes spanning over six seasons. It was produced ...
'', and Josie Watts in the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
daytime soap opera
''Another World''''.''
Early life
Carlson was born in
Elmhurst,
Cook County
Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 20 ...
, near
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
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, subdivision_name ...
,
[ and was raised in Glen Ellyn, Illinois,] the daughter of schoolteacher parents, Barbara Jane (Hultman) and Robert Eugene Carlson. She is of Swedish descent, with roots in Småland.[
]
Career
1986–1992: College and early career
She was introduced to Hollywood when she worked as a background actor in the film ''Lucas'' starring Charlie Sheen
Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3, 1965), known professionally as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. He has appeared in films such as ''Platoon'' (1986), ''Wall Street'' (1987), '' Young Guns'' (1988), '' The Rookie'' (1990), ''The Thr ...
, Corey Haim
Corey Ian Haim (December 23, 1971 – March 10, 2010) was a Canadian actor. He starred in a number of 1980s films, such as '' Lucas'', '' Silver Bullet'', ''Murphy's Romance'', '' License to Drive'' and '' Dream a Little Dream''. His role along ...
, and Winona Ryder
Winona Laura Horowitz (born October 29, 1971), professionally known as Winona Ryder, is an American actress. Originally playing quirky roles, she rose to prominence for her more diverse performances in various genres in the 1990s. She has recei ...
. Later she followed her older sister Betsy to Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois
Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, United States. The city is northwest of Peoria. At the 2010 census, its population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County and the principal city of the Galesburg Micropolitan Statistical ...
. While in college, Carlson was active in the school's theatre department, appearing in '' Fifth of July'', ''Noises Off
''Noises Off'' is a 1982 play by the English playwright Michael Frayn. Frayn conceived the idea in 1970 while watching from the wings a performance of '' The Two of Us'', a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave. He said, "It was funnier ...
'', ''A Lie of the Mind
''A Lie of the Mind'' is a play written by Sam Shepard, first staged at the off-Broadway Promenade Theater on 5 December 1985. The play was directed by Shepard himself with stars Harvey Keitel as Jake, Amanda Plummer as Beth, Aidan Quinn as Franki ...
'', and ''School for Scandal
''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777.
Plot
Act I
Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling Sn ...
''. She also got her first taste of directing when she directed Wallace Shawn's ''Aunt Dan and Lemon'' her senior year. Carlson graduated cum laude with a degree in East Asian Studies with a concentration in theater.[Amy Carlson Official Web Site](_blank)
/ref>
After graduating college, Carlson moved to Chicago where she studied improv with Charna Halpern
Charna Halpern (born June 1, 1952) is an American comedian who is co-founder of the ImprovOlympic, now known as iO. Upon iO's founding, in 1983, with partner Del Close, she began teaching Harold to many students in the Chicago theater community ...
at the Harold ImprovOlympic
iO, or iO Chicago, (formerly known as "ImprovOlympic") is an improv theater and training center in central Chicago, with a former branch in Los Angeles, called iO West and in Raleigh, North Carolina called iO South. The theater taught and hosted ...
, and took acting classes at The Actor's Center with Victor D'Altorio and Eileen Vorbach. She also appeared in many small theater productions including ''Dark City, Revenge of the Cheerleader'' with Warren Leight and Theater of the Film Noir at the Folio Theater Company, among many others. She also appeared in three episodes of ''The Untouchables'' starring William Forsythe and Tom Amandes
Tom Amandes (born March 9, 1959) is an American actor. His best-known role to date is that of Eliot Ness in the 1990s television series ''The Untouchables''; he also played Geena Davis' boyfriend in '' The Long Kiss Goodnight'', and Abraham Lin ...
as three different characters. Carlson also appeared in three episodes of ''Missing Persons'' with Daniel J. Travanti
Daniel J. Travanti (born Danielo Giovanni Travanti; March 7, 1940) is an American actor. He is best known for playing police captain Frank Furillo in the television drama series '' Hill Street Blues'' (1981–1987) for which he received a Gol ...
as three different characters. On ''Missing Persons'', she met Jorja Fox
Jorja-An Fox ( ) is an American actress and producer. She first came to prominence with a recurring role in the NBC medical drama '' ER'' as Dr. Maggie Doyle from 1996 to 1999. This was followed by another critical success in the recurring ro ...
and not only did they share birthdays, they became lifelong friends. Other credits from Chicago include improv with Harold ImprovOlympic. She also played in ''Legacy of Lies'' a made for TV movie with Joe Morton
Joseph Thomas Morton Jr. (born October 18, 1947) is an American stage, television and film actor. He has worked with film director John Sayles in ''The Brother from Another Planet'' (1984), '' City of Hope'' (1991) and '' Lone Star'' (1996). Oth ...
.
1993–2003: Television contracts, films and relief work
Carlson landed the role of Josie Watts and moved to New York in late December 1993 to make her soap opera debut on ''Another World.'' During her first year, she traveled with World Vision
In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
to Rwanda to work on an awareness campaign after the war. She used her status on the soap opera to write several articles about the suffering in Rwanda that she witnessed for the large base of fans in soap opera magazines, such as ''Soap Opera Weekly
''Soap Opera Weekly'' was a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It featured onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional i ...
.'' Later, she was nominated for a in 1998 but after her contract ended, she decided it was time to move on. She immediately flew to Toronto to shoot ''Thanks of a Grateful Nation
''Thanks of a Grateful Nation'' is a 1998 original miniseries about the Gulf War. Directed by Rod Holcomb, it stars Ted Danson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Brian Dennehy.
Cast
* Ted Danson as Jim Tuite
* Jennifer Jason Leigh as Teri Small
* Brian D ...
'', about Persian Gulf War syndrome.
Carlson moved to Los Angeles for the first and only time in 1998, where she guest-starred in a number of prime time shows including '' NYPD Blue,'' had a recurring role on the show ''Get Real'' which starred Anne Hathaway
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award, she was among the world's highest-paid actresses in 2 ...
and Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Adam Eisenberg (; born October 5, 1983) is an American actor, writer, and director. He has received various accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. ...
, and filmed ''If These Walls Could Talk Part 2'' directed by Martha Coolidge
Martha Coolidge (born August 17, 1946) is an American film director and former President of the Directors Guild of America. She has directed such films as ''Valley Girl'', ''Real Genius'' and '' Rambling Rose''.
Early life
Coolidge was born in N ...
. While in LA, she tested against Mariska Hargitay
Mariska Magdolna Hargitay (; born January 23, 1964) is an American actress, director and philanthropist. The daughter of bodybuilder and actor Mickey Hargitay and actress Jayne Mansfield, her accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award, a Peopl ...
and Angie Harmon
Angela Michelle Harmon (born August 10, 1972) is an American actress and model. She won ''Seventeens modeling contest in 1987 at age 15, signed with IMG Models, and appeared on covers for magazines such as ''Cosmopolitan'' and ''Esquire''. ...
for the role that Mariska won in '' Law and Order: SVU.'' Soon after, Les Moonves
Leslie Roy Moonves (; born October 6, 1949) is an American media executive who was the chairman and CEO of CBS Corporation from 2003 until his resignation in September 2018 following numerous allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault and ...
placed her in the CBS TV Series ''Falcone'' as Donny Brasco's wife, shot in Toronto. Falcone brought her back East where she remained, guest starring in ''Law and Order: SVU'' and filming independent films such as ''Winning Girls Through Psychic Mind Control
''Winning Girls Through Psychic Mind Control'' is a 2002 American comedy film directed by Barry Alexander Brown and starring Bronson Pinchot and Ruben Santiago-Hudson.
Plot
Cast
*Bronson Pinchot as Devon Sharpe
*Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Samuel ...
'' directed by Barry Alexander Brown
Barry Alexander Brown (born 28 November 1950 in Warrington, Cheshire) is an English born-American film director and editor. As a film editor, he is best known for collaborations with film director Spike Lee, editing some of Lee's best known film ...
starring Bronson Pinchot and Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Ruben Santiago-Hudson (born Ruben Santiago Jr., November 24, 1956) is an American actor, playwright, and director who has won national awards for his work in all three categories. He is best known for his role of Captain Roy Montgomery from 20 ...
. In it, Carlson played a down and out lounge singer and the production used the voice of the at the time up and coming singer, Regina Spektor
Regina Ilyinichna Spektor (russian: Регинa Ильинична Спектор, ; born February 18, 1980) is a Russian–born American singer, songwriter, and pianist.
After self-releasing her first three records and gaining popularity in ...
.
2004–2017: Prime Time Highlights and Children
After leaving ''Third Watch'', Carlson went on to star on ''Peacemakers'', a CSI-inspired show, shot in Vancouver and set in the late 1800's, starring opposite Tom Berenger
Tom Berenger (born Thomas Michael Moore; May 31, 1949) is an American actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Staff Sergeant Bob Barnes in ''Platoon'' (1986). He is also known for playing Jake ...
and Peter O'Meara. When the show was not renewed, she worked on several TV shows and films including a ''Law and Order'' episode entitled "Dead Wives Club". Soon Dick Wolf
Richard Anthony Wolf (born December 20, 1946) is an American film and television producer, best known for his ''Law & Order'' franchise. Since 1990, the franchise has included six police/courtroom dramas and four international spinoffs. He is al ...
was calling to sign her to '' Law & Order: Trial by Jury'' where she co-starred alongside Bebe Neuwirth, Jerry Orbach
Jerome Bernard Orbach (October 20, 1935 – December 28, 2004) was an American actor and singer, described at the time of his death as "one of the last'' bona fide'' leading men of the Broadway musical and global celebrity on television" and a " ...
, Kirk Acevedo, Fred Thompson, and Scott Cohen. The series attracted tremendous guest stars whom she was thrilled to work with such as Bradley Cooper
Bradley Charles Cooper (born January 5, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and two Grammy Awards, in addition to nominations for nine Academy Awards, si ...
, Angela Lansbury
Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American film, stage, and television actress. Her career spanned eight decades, much of it in the United States, and her work received a great deal ...
, Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' (1988–1998, 2018). She is also kno ...
, Elisabeth Moss
Elisabeth Singleton Moss (born July 24, 1982) is an American actor. She is known for her work in several television dramas, earning such accolades as two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards, which led ''Vulture'' to name her the ...
, and more. After giving birth to her daughter, Lyla Forest in 2006, Carlson continued to work on a variety of film and television roles such as Guest Starring roles on ''Criminal Minds
''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was revived in 2022. It ...
'' and ''Fringe''. When her son Nigel was 10 months old she landed the role of Linda Reagan on ''Blue'' ''Bloods''. Carlson continued in the role of Linda through the seventh season of Blue Bloods. During her hiatus, she played Erin Callan in ''Too Big to Fail'' directed by Curtis Hanson
Curtis Lee Hanson (March 24, 1945 – September 20, 2016) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. His directing work included the psychological thriller '' The Hand That Rocks the Cradle'' (1992), the neo-noir crime film ''L. ...
from the book written by Andrew Ross Sorkin
Andrew Ross Sorkin (born February 19, 1977) is an American journalist and author. He is a financial columnist for ''The New York Times'' and a co-anchor of CNBC's ''Squawk Box.'' He is also the founder and editor of DealBook, a financial news s ...
chronicling the financial meltdown of 2008 working alongside James Woods
James Howard Woods (born April 18, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for his work in various film, stage, and television productions. He started his career in minor roles on and off- Broadway. In 1972, he appeared in ''The Trial of the ...
. She was also written for the role of Christina Cassertes, by her friend David Cross
David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series '' Mr. Show'' (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/Netflix si ...
in his directorial debut film, ''Hits''. After seven years on Blue Bloods, Carlson's contract came to an end. In the eighth-season premiere episode, which aired on September 29, 2017, it was revealed that Linda—who was a nurse—had died in a helicopter crash while transporting a patient.
2018–present: Current work
Following ''Blue Bloods'', Carlson worked recurring roles on ''The Society'' and '' The Village''. She also shot films ''Sunny Daze, The Incoherents, A Bread Factory Part One,'' and the indie horror film ''Know Fear''. Just prior to COVID-19 shutdowns, Carlson co-wrote, directed and starred in a short film, ''The'' ''Letter'', co-written by Syd Butler. She cast her friend from ''Law and Order: Trial by Jury'', Scott Cohen as her co-star. Her work was honored with best director and actor at the Hollywood International Women's Film Festival, as well as awards with the Cannes Indie Film Festival, Hudson Valley Film Festival and Dark Women Film Festival.
During the 2020 pandemic, Carlson and her partner Syd Butler along with his bandmate Seth Jabour (Les Savy Fav
Les Savy Fav ( ) is an American indie rock band based in New York City. Their style is influenced by art punk and post-hardcore. The group is known for the stage presence of lead singer Tim Harrington. The band is signed to Frenchkiss Record ...
, 8G Band), who together form the band Office Romance, finished and released their second album and first full length album, ''Holidays of Love''.
In 2021, Carlson began shooting as a recurring cast member on '' FBI: Most Wanted'', opposite her friend and co-star from ''Another World,'' Julian McMahon.
Personal life
Carlson resides in New York City with her long-time partner Syd Butler. They have two children.
Awards
In 2018, Carlson was presented with the Muhammad Ali Award for Gender Equality. In 2021, she won a Knox College Alumni Achievement Award.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carlson, Amy
American television actresses
American film actresses
American soap opera actresses
People from Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Living people
Knox College (Illinois) alumni
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
People from Fort Greene, Brooklyn
1968 births