Lynda Carter (born July 24, 1951) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for the Amazonian title role in the fantasy-adventure Wonder Woman (TV series) which aired from 1975 to 1979.

Carter was born Linda Jean Córdova Carter in Phoenix, Arizona.[2] Her father, Colby Carter is an Irish American,[1] and her mother, Juana Córdova, is of Spanish and Mexican ancestry.[1] Carter grew up an avid reader of the Wonder Woman comic books. She went to Globe High School in Globe, Arizona and Arcadia High School, in Phoenix. She attended 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.

Her acting career did not take off until she landed her starring role in the Wonder Woman (TV series). Her earnest performance 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).

Carter has been married twice. Her first marriage was to her former agent Ron Samuels, on May 28, 1977. They were divorced in 1982. Samuels was also agent to "Charlie's Angel" Jaclyn Smith (who attended the wedding) and to "Bionic Woman" Lindsay Wagner. Carter later married attorney Robert Altman, on January 29, 1984. Robert and Lynda have two children, James and Jessica Altman.[1]

When, after a lengthy and highly publicized jury trial for banking and securities fraud in 1992, Carter's husband Robert Altman was found not guilty, Carter was shown on the nightly TV news standing in front of the courthouse with her arm around her husband shouting, "Not guilty, not guilty!" to the TV news reporters.

In early June 2008, Carter found a body floating in the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. while sailing. She called out to some fishermen and waited for the police to arrive. [5] That same month, she admitted in an interview to People magazine that she had entered a rehabilitation clinic for treatment of chronic alcoholism[6]