Linda Margaret Powell (born April 16, 1965) is an American actress.

Early life

Linda Margaret Powell was born in

Fort Benning Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama–Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employees ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, on April 16, 1965 the daughter of

Alma Alma or ALMA may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Alma'' (film), a 2009 Spanish short animated film * ''Alma'' (Oswald de Andrade novel), 1922 * ''Alma'' (Le Clézio novel), 2017 * ''Alma'' (play), a 1996 drama by Joshua Sobol about Alma ...

and

Colin Powell Colin Luther Powell ( ; April 5, 1937 – October 18, 2021) was an American politician, statesman, diplomat, and United States Army officer who served as the 65th United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African ...

, the former

United States Secretary of State The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...

National Security Advisor A national security advisor serves as the chief advisor to a national government on matters of security. The advisor is not usually a member of the government's cabinet but is usually a member of various military or security councils. National sec ...

and

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: app ...

. She was raised on a series of military bases and attended four different high schools, because of her father's career. After attending

Cheyenne Mountain High School Cheyenne Mountain High School (CMHS) is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. It is the only high school in Cheyenne Mountain School District 12. Its campus contains several buildings, including a recreation center, library, cafet ...

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...

in eleventh grade, Powell graduated from

Leavenworth High School Leavenworth High School is a public high school located in Leavenworth, Kansas, operated by Leavenworth USD 453 school district. The school was established in 1865, making it one of the first high schools in Kansas. The school colors are blue and ...

Leavenworth, Kansas Leavenworth () is the county seat and largest city of Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 37,351. It is located on the west bank of t ...

in 1983. She graduated from the

College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III a ...

in 1987 with a B.A. in English literature. Additionally, she studied theater at the

Circle in the Square Theatre School Circle in the Square Theatre School is a non-profit, tax exempt drama school associated with Circle in the Square Theatre; it is the only accredited conservatory attached to a Broadway theatre. It offers two 2-year full-time programs: a Profession ...

Career

Powell has had a long career of supporting roles in film and television. Her most notable roles being Ingrid Mills on '' Chicago Fire'', Pauline Samson in TV mini-series '' Political Animals'' and a lawyer in the film ''

Blue Caprice ''Blue Caprice'' is a 2013 American independent drama film directed by Alexandre Moors, and based on the 2002 D.C. sniper attacks. The film stars Isaiah Washington and Tequan Richmond as the perpetrators of the attacks, John Allen Muhammad and Le ...

''. Powell has also worked extensively in the theater, starring on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in revivals of ''Wilder, Wilder, Wilder'' and '' On Golden Pond'', and off Broadway in productions of ''

A Raisin in the Sun ''A Raisin in the Sun'' is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. The title comes from the poem "Harlem" (also known as "A Dream Deferred") by Langston Hughes. The story tells of a black family's experiences in south Chi ...

'', ''Angela’s Mixtape'' and ''The Christians''.

Selected filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* 1965 births 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Georgia (U.S. state) African-American actresses American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American actors of Jamaican descent American people of Scottish descent Circle in the Square Theatre School alumni College of William & Mary alumni Living people People from Chattahoochee County, Georgia People from Colorado Springs, Colorado People from Leavenworth, Kansas Colin L. Powell family {{US-actor-stub