Linda Carroll Hamilton (born September 26, 1956)
is an American actress. She played
Sarah Connor in the ''
Terminator
Terminator may refer to:
Science and technology
Genetics
* Terminator (genetics), the end of a gene for transcription
* Terminator technology, proposed methods for restricting the use of genetically modified plants by causing second generation s ...
'' film series and Catherine Chandler in the television series ''
Beauty and the Beast
''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' ( ...
'' (1987–1990), for which she was nominated for two
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
s and an
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
. She also starred as Vicky Baxter in the horror film ''
Children of the Corn'' (1984), Doctor Amy Franklin in the monster film ''
King Kong Lives
''King Kong Lives'' (released as ''King Kong 2'' in some countries) is a 1986 American monster adventure film directed by John Guillermin. Produced by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group and featuring special effects by Carlo Rambaldi, the film s ...
'' (1986), and Mayor Rachel Wando in the disaster thriller film ''
Dante's Peak
''Dante's Peak'' is a 1997 American disaster thriller film directed by Roger Donaldson, written by Leslie Bohem, and starring Pierce Brosnan, Linda Hamilton, and Charles Hallahan. The film is set in the fictional town of Dante's Peak where the i ...
'' (1997). She had a recurring role as
Mary Elizabeth Bartowski
Mary Elizabeth Bartowski (née Gunter) is a character on the television series ''Chuck''. Mary is the estranged mother of Chuck and Ellie Bartowski. She is portrayed by Linda Hamilton.
Biography
Few details about Mary's life have been revealed o ...
in NBC's ''
Chuck
Chuck is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to:
People
Arts and entertainment
* Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet
* Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV producer
* C ...
''.
Early life
Hamilton was born in
Salisbury, Maryland
Salisbury () is a city in and the county seat of Wicomico County, Maryland, Wicomico County, Maryland, United States, and the largest city in Eastern Shore of Maryland, the state's Eastern Shore region. The population was 33,050 at the 2020 United ...
, on September 26, 1956.
[ Hamilton's father died when she was five, and her mother later married a police chief.] Hamilton had an identical twin
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...
sister, Leslie Hamilton Freas (1956–2020), one older sister and one younger brother. She has said that she was raised in a very "boring" family, and "voraciously read books" during her spare time.[ Hamilton went to Wicomico Junior High (now ]Wicomico Middle School
Wicomico County Public Schools is the public school district for Wicomico County, Maryland. WCPS has 24 schools, consisting of 16 elementary, 1 elementary/middle, 3 middle, 1 middle/high, and 3 high schools.
The district has over 15,000 students ...
) and Wicomico High School
Wicomico High School (commonly abbreviated "Wi Hi") is a high school located in Salisbury, Wicomico County, Maryland, United States. It is one of four public high schools in Wicomico County along with James M. Bennett High School, Mardela Middl ...
in Salisbury, with Leslie, her twin. She studied for two years at Washington College
Washington College is a private liberal arts college in Chestertown, Maryland. Maryland granted Washington College its charter in 1782. George Washington supported the founding of the college by consenting to have the "College at Chester" name ...
in Chestertown, Maryland
Chestertown is a town in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 5,252 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Kent County.
History
Founded in 1706, Chestertown rose in stature when it was named one of the English col ...
, before moving on to acting studies in New York City. Hamilton has said that her acting professor at Washington College told her she had no hope of earning a living as an actress. In New York, she attended acting workshops given by Lee Strasberg
Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American theatre director, actor and acting teacher. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931 ...
.
Career
Hamilton's first major role on screen was as Lisa Rogers in the prime-time soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''Secrets of Midland Heights
''Secrets of Midland Heights'' is an American nighttime soap opera produced by Lorimar Productions after the success of ''Dallas''. It ran on CBS from December 6, 1980 to January 24, 1981 for eight episodes, with three episodes left unaired.
...
'' (December 1980/January 1981). Her big-screen debut was in the thriller '' TAG: The Assassination Game'' (1982) and, as a result, she was listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1982" in John A. Willis' ''Screen World'', Vol. 34. She also starred in the CBS made-for-TV film ''Country Gold'' alongside Loni Anderson
Loni Kaye Anderson (born August 5, 1945) is an American actress who played receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the CBS sitcom ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' (1978–1982), which earned her three Golden Globe Awards and two Emmy Award nominations.
Early ...
and Earl Holliman
Henry Earl Holliman (born September 11, 1928) is an American actor, animal-rights activist, and singer known for his many character roles in films, mostly Westerns and dramas, in the 1950s and 1960s. He won a Golden Globe Award for the film ' ...
.
Hamilton co-starred with Peter Horton
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a su ...
as the adult leads in '' Children of the Corn'' (1984), based on the horror short story by Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
. The low budget film was commercially successful, making $14 million at the box office
A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicke ...
, but was panned by critics. Hamilton's next role was as Sarah Connor in ''The Terminator
''The Terminator'' is a 1984 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whos ...
'' (1984), opposite Michael Biehn
Michael Connell Biehn ( ; born July 31, 1956) is an American actor, primarily known for his roles in science fiction films directed by James Cameron; as Sgt. Kyle Reese in ''The Terminator'' (1984), Cpl. Dwayne Hicks in ''Aliens'' (1986), and ...
. The film was an unexpected commercial success, topping the US box office for two weeks. Following ''The Terminator'', Hamilton starred in ''Black Moon Rising
''Black Moon Rising'' is a 1986 science fiction action thriller film directed by Harley Cokliss, written by John Carpenter, and starring Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Hamilton, Robert Vaughn, Keenan Wynn, and Richard Jaeckel. The plot revolves around ...
'' (1986), an action thriller with Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones (born September 15, 1946) is an American actor and film director. He has received four Academy Award nominations, winning Best Supporting Actor for his performance as U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard in the 1993 thriller film '' The ...
. She then returned to television as a guest star in the mystery series ''Murder, She Wrote
''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...
'', receiving favorable reviews. Hamilton next starred opposite Ron Perlman
Ronald Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in ''Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in the television series ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1987–199 ...
in the television series ''Beauty and the Beast
''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' ( ...
''. The series was critically acclaimed, and she received Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
and Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
nominations. Hamilton left the series in 1989 and it ended in 1990.
Hamilton returned to the big screen with Jim Belushi
James Adam Belushi (; born June 15, 1954) is an American actor. He is best known for the role of Jim on the sitcom ''According to Jim'' (2001–2009). His other television roles include ''Saturday Night Live'' (1983–1985), '' Total Security'' ...
in ''Mr. Destiny
''Mr. Destiny'' is a 1990 American fantasy comedy film starring James Belushi. Other actors in this film included Linda Hamilton, Michael Caine, Jon Lovitz, Courteney Cox, Jay O. Sanders and Rene Russo. It is heavily inspired by the 194 ...
'' (1990) and reprised her role as Sarah Connor in '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' (1991), the sequel to ''The Terminator''. The latter was a smash at the box office, grossing over $500 million, more than any other film of that year. Hamilton underwent intense physical training to emphasize the character's transformation from the first film. Her identical twin
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...
sister, Leslie Hamilton, was her double in ''Terminator 2''. Hamilton received MTV Movie Awards
The MTV Movie & TV Awards (formerly the MTV Movie Awards) is a film and television awards show presented annually on MTV. The first MTV Movie Awards were presented in 1992. The ceremony was renamed the MTV Movie & TV Awards for its 26th editi ...
for her role in the film for Best Female Performance and Most Desirable Female. She reprised the character for the theme park attraction '' T2 3-D''. Following the success of the ''Terminator'' series, she hosted ''Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
''.
She returned to television in ''A Mother's Prayer
''A Mother's Prayer'' is a 1995 film made for the USA Network starring Linda Hamilton, in a Golden Globe-nominated performance, as a woman who learns she has contracted the AIDS virus and must make plans for the care of her only son. The film, whi ...
'' (1995) playing a mother who lost her husband and is diagnosed with AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
. For her performance in the film, which co-starred Kate Nelligan
Patricia Colleen Nelligan (born March 16, 1950), known professionally as Kate Nelligan, is a Canadian stage, film and television actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1991 film ''The Prince of Tide ...
and Bruce Dern
Bruce MacLeish Dern (born June 4, 1936) is an American actor. He has often played supporting villainous characters of unstable natures. He has received several accolades, including the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor and the Silver B ...
, Hamilton was awarded a CableACE Award
The CableACE Award (earlier known as the ACE Awards; ACE was an acronym for "Award for Cable Excellence") is a defunct award that was given by what was then the National Cable Television Association from 1978 to 1997 to honor excellence in Amer ...
for best dramatic performance and nominated for another Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
in 1996. That same year, Hamilton filmed two motion pictures that were released one week apart in 1997: ''Shadow Conspiracy
''Shadow Conspiracy'' is a 1997 American political thriller film starring Charlie Sheen, Donald Sutherland, Linda Hamilton, and Sam Waterston. It was the final film directed by George P. Cosmatos, who died in 2005. The film was poorly received by ...
'' with 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 ...
and ''Dante's Peak
''Dante's Peak'' is a 1997 American disaster thriller film directed by Roger Donaldson, written by Leslie Bohem, and starring Pierce Brosnan, Linda Hamilton, and Charles Hallahan. The film is set in the fictional town of Dante's Peak where the i ...
'' with Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brendan Brosnan (; born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor and film producer. He is best known as the fifth actor to play secret agent James Bond in the Bond film series, starring in four films from 1995 to 2002 (''GoldenEye'', ''Tomorrow ...
. ''Shadow Conspiracy'' flopped at the box office, but ''Dante's Peak'' grossed $180 million and was one of the biggest commercial hits of the year. She received a Blockbuster Entertainment Award
The Blockbuster Entertainment Awards was a film awards ceremony, founded by Blockbuster Entertainment, Inc., that ran from 1995 until 2001. They were produced each year by Ken Ehrlich.
Formation and first awards
The awards were first held on J ...
for female performance in ''Dante's Peak''.
Hamilton has since appeared on the television series ''Frasier
''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey (screenwriter), Peter Case ...
'' (season 4 episode "Odd Man Out" as Laura) and ''According to Jim
''According to Jim'' is an American sitcom television series starring Jim Belushi in the title role as a suburban father of three children (and then five children, starting with the seventh season finale). It originally ran on ABC from October ...
'' and has done more TV movies, including ''On the Line'', ''Robots Rising'', ''Rescuers: Stories of Courage: Two Couples'', ''Point Last Seen'' and ''The Color of Courage''. Hamilton and her ''Beauty and the Beast'' co-star Ron Perlman reunited in the post-Vietnam war drama '' Missing in America'' (2005).
In 2009, she returned as Sarah Connor in ''Terminator Salvation
''Terminator Salvation'' is a 2009 American military science fiction action film directed by McG and written by John Brancato and Michael Ferris. It is the fourth installment of the ''Terminator'' franchise and serves as a sequel to '' Termin ...
'', in voice-overs only. In 2010, she joined the cast of ''Chuck
Chuck is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to:
People
Arts and entertainment
* Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet
* Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV producer
* C ...
'' in the recurring guest role of Mary Elizabeth Bartowski
Mary Elizabeth Bartowski (née Gunter) is a character on the television series ''Chuck''. Mary is the estranged mother of Chuck and Ellie Bartowski. She is portrayed by Linda Hamilton.
Biography
Few details about Mary's life have been revealed o ...
, a CIA agent and long-missing mother of Chuck and Ellie. She also appeared as a guest star in the Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
cable television series '' Weeds'' as the marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...
supplier for the series' main character (Mary-Louise Parker
Mary-Louise Parker (born August 2, 1964) is an American actress. After making her Broadway debut as Rita in Craig Lucas' '' Prelude to a Kiss'' in 1990 (for which she received a Tony Award nomination), Parker came to prominence for film roles i ...
). In November 2011, she narrated the Chiller
A chiller is a machine that removes heat from a liquid coolant via a vapor-compression refrigeration, vapor-compression, adsorption refrigeration, or absorption refrigerator, absorption refrigeration cycles. This liquid can then be circulated th ...
''The Future of Fear'' horror documentary.
In 2013, Hamilton appeared as Acacia, a Valkyrie, in "Delinquents", a third-season episode of the TV series ''Lost Girl
''Lost Girl'' is a Canadian supernatural drama television series that premiered on Showcase on September 12, 2010, and ran for five seasons. It follows the life of a bisexual succubus named Bo, played by Anna Silk, as she learns to control ...
'', a role she would reprise in two subsequent episodes, "End of a Line" in the fourth season, and "Sweet Valkyrie High" in the fifth. She subsequently appeared in a recurring role on the Syfy series '' Defiance'', beginning in that show's second season. In 2019, she reprised her role as Sarah Connor in '' Terminator: Dark Fate'', her first starring role as the character since 1991, and also voiced the character in the video game ''Gears 5
''Gears 5'' is a 2019 third-person shooter video game developed by The Coalition and published by Xbox Game Studios for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X, Xbox Series X/S. It is the fifth main installment of the ''Gears of War'' series and t ...
''.
Personal life
Hamilton has been married and divorced twice. Her first marriage, from 1982 to 1989, was to Bruce Abbott
Bruce Paul Abbott (born July 28, 1954) is an American film, stage, and television actor. Originally beginning his career in theater, Abbott later gained notoriety for his role as Dan Cain in the cult sci-fi horror films ''Re-Animator'' (1985) and ...
, who left her when she was pregnant with their son, Dalton, born in 1989.[Linda Hamilton Biography - Yahoo! Movies](_blank)
Linda stated it was because of the way she treated him during their marriage and made a public apology to him in 2004.In 1991, she moved in with film director James Cameron
James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post-New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability w ...
. They had a daughter, Josephine Archer Cameron, in 1993. She and Cameron married in 1997; this ended in a $50 million divorce settlement in 1999.
Hamilton has described herself politically as a Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
, but she voted for Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
, her ''Terminator'' co-star, in the 2003 California gubernatorial election after his campaign convinced her he was suitable for the job.
In an October 2005 appearance on ''Larry King Live
''Larry King Live'' was an American television talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was the channel's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly.
Mainly aired from CNN's Los Angeles s ...
'', Hamilton discussed her depression and bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...
, which led to violent mood swings and suicidal thoughts during her marriage to Abbott and, in her view, caused the failure of both of her marriages. She also discussed how she eventually received therapy and medication to manage the condition.[
While filming ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'', Hamilton suffered permanent hearing damage in one ear when Schwarzenegger fired a shotgun inside an elevator after she had removed her ear plugs.
Hamilton's twin sister, Leslie, died on August 22, 2020, at the age of 63.]
Filmography
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
*
2006 Linda Hamilton Interview
on ''Sidewalks Entertainment
''Sidewalks Entertainment'' (1988–present) is a weekly American television series that is a combination of a talk show, magazine show and variety show featuring celebrity interviews, music, artistic and novelty acts, and rising performers. The ...
''
Linda Hamilton interview with Larry King
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Linda
1956 births
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Maryland
American film actresses
American television actresses
American voice actresses
Identical twin actresses
Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute alumni
Living people
Maryland Democrats
People from Salisbury, Maryland
People with bipolar disorder
American twins
Washington College alumni