Lynda Carter was bullied at school due to her height. However, she did not let it get to her and she grew up to become the iconic “Wonder Woman.”
The actress went through immeasurable pain and immense grief when she lost her husband of 37 years to cancer.
Carter, who has now reignited her passion for music, has a lookalike daughter who also followed in her footsteps in entertainment and is a singer. The actress was recently spotted looking stunning in a mini.
Lynda Jean Cordova Carter, more popularly known as just Lynda Carter, was born in Phoenix, Arizona, on July 24, 1951. Her mother, Juana Córdova, was Mexican. The actress also has an English and Irish ancestry through her father.
Carter was the youngest of three kids. She studied classical dance and drama in her childhood and teens. She attended Arizona State University but dropped out to sing and tour the country with her high school rock band.
The actress/singer has been in various bands in her lifetime, including “Just Us” and “The Relatives.” The last band she sang with was called “The Garfin Gathering with Lynda Carter.”
Carter is also a beauty pageant holder, who was crowned Miss World USA in 1972 before landing in the top 15 at the Miss World 1972 pageant. After her stints with pageantry and singing, she ventured into acting professionally.
Carter has successfully appeared in three forms of acting—stage, screen, and television. Her debut in acting was as a guest on TV shows such as “Starsky and Hutch.”
However, the actress would later be well known for playing Diana Prince in the live-action television series “Wonder Woman.” She now boasts of three Academy Award nominations too.
Carter, who was an avid reader of “Wonder Woman” comic books when she was growing up, was teased a lot in school for being tall. In fact, she was nicknamed Olive Oyl, the Popeye character, due to her height. Regardless, she did not let the bullies get to her, and she later pushed on to become a well-known actress.
The movie star landed her part in “Wonder Woman” at an opportune time because when she got the call, she only had $25 left in her bank account. Carter beat 2000 other actresses to cinch the role.
Carter, who still has her “Wonder Woman” costume, became a role model for many women when she played Diana Prince. She acknowledged that “Wonder Woman” had been more than a cartoon character:
“The reason she existed in the first place was that, when she came on the scene, there was nothing for girls to look up to. We’re still fighting the same fight. We still need more female role models.”
The actress noted that “Wonder Woman” fought for truth, justice, and the secret self that exists in girls. She added that all women have a moral of fiber and goodness that her character possessed.
The 71-year-old revealed that in 1975, her hit series almost didn’t make it on air because TV executives didn’t think there was a market for a female-led show.
However, Carter dismissed this when she said it was the women who watched most TV series dominated by male characters. She added that the show’s approval was worth it as it became popular with all sexes:
“‘Wonder Woman’ taught women to be who you are. I have received the greatest letters from people telling me what an inspiration she was to them… She was very feminine yet strong. She helped women’s liberation move forward.”
Carter’s TV character was so magnificent that she became the subject of country singer Steve Wariner’s 1987 single, “Lynda.” The song has the famous line, “You can be my ‘Wonder Woman,’ and I’ll just be your ‘Spider-Man.’”
The actress’s good heart also showed off when she invited the class of the son of one of her stunt doubles, Jeannie Epper, on set. The boy’s classmates did not believe him when he said his mother was a stunt double to Carter, even after he showed them a picture of Epper in a “Wonder Woman” costume from the set. Thus, the class was finally able to see Epper in action.
Carter has also been supportive of cast members who have featured in “Wonder Woman” movies. She supported Gal Gadot when “Wonder Woman” was released in 2017. She also called Patty Jenkins a talented director and said the film was fabulous.
According to Carter, the character “Wonder Woman” is much more than her. She adores all the new films and all the actors and actresses who have played Diana Prince, a character introduced more than 75 years ago.
After her time in “Wonder Woman” ended in 1979, Carter moved on and started her family, which she holds dear.
The actress styled the gold mini dress with high heels, and she was a sight to behold as she attended the T Gen awards.
Carter has been married twice. She married her first husband, Ron Samuels, in 1977, and they divorced in 1982. The ex-couple did not have any kids together.
The actress’s second marriage was to Robert A. Altman, an attorney, in 1984. When Carter met Altman in 1982 at a dinner in Memphis, she was not prepared to meet anyone new as she was still in the process of divorcing her first husband. Her mind was made up to do life on her own.
Luckily, she gave Altman a chance, and the two were married for 37 years. After their wedding, Carter left Los Angeles and joined Altman to live in Washington, D.C. She once admitted he had changed her life:
“I feel a sense of security with him I’ve never known before. He offers advice, but only when I ask. I think finally I am finding my own life.”
The “The Cleaner” actress noted that as much as they had ups and downs, theirs was a good love story “…and I’d never in my life felt the love and the support and the thrill of having a guy like this,” said Carter.
Sadly, their love story ended tragically. Altman died from myelofibrosis, a rare blood cancer, in February 2021. Carter is still trying to come to terms with the loss of her husband. The two were each other’s backbones as Altman helped Carter battle alcoholism.
The actress revealed she was an alcoholic, which surprised many as she was good at hiding it in public. However, she couldn’t hide it from her husband or kids. Altman asked her to stop drinking for the sake of their marriage and family.
Carter admitted that Altman’s plea motivated her to go to rehab, and by 2008, the actress was ten years sober. She appreciated her husband, who was there for her when she needed him. “I needed help – I begged God in heaven to help me figure this out,” she revealed.
The actress also said the recovery process taught her that the best measure of a human being lies in how they treat those who love them and those they love.
Carter’s husband was also beside her when she spoke out about her experience when the #MeToo movement uncovered a catalog of abuse and sexual harassment in Hollywood and beyond.
Carter admitted she had been a target of an abuser who was under prosecution at the time. She did not name the abuser or explain what happened, but she noted that her husband supported her through it all.
Carter also supported Altman when he was accused of fraud in the 1992 Bank of Credit and Commerce International scandal. She told the media:
“To tell you the truth, I know my husband has done nothing. I know that he is a strong and brilliant guy, a loving husband, a great father, a wonderful friend, and we love each other and are going forward.”
Altman was later acquitted of all charges and spoke positively of his wife, who supported him. The attorney noted that Carter had strong beliefs and commitment to family and life. He described her as someone who is not afraid of taking chances in life.
Due to the love and strong bond they had for each other, when Altman died, Carter said she lost a significant person with whom she had a great love affair. However, she said as long as she is alive, Altman will continue living in her.
Carter also revealed that Altman’s death was shocking and unexpected. As much as she worked hard to tackle grief, the actress said, “I cry probably three times a day.”
Months after Altman’s death, the actress went back to music, her first love, to cope and to honor her husband’s memory. She released the song “Human and Divine,” which she wrote as a tribute to their long-lasting love. She said of their union:
“It was a real romance. I was really trying to define love and loss and make sure it was about the human-ness of love.”
Carter said the next chapter of her life was now dedicated to the difficult task of finding out and learning who she was without Altman. The couple had two children together, who are now all grown up.
Carter and her husband were blessed with a girl and a boy. Their son James Altman was born on January 14, 1988. James is a lawyer who attended his father’s alma mater, George Washington University Law School.
The couple’s daughter, Jessica Altman, was born on October 7, 1990, and is the spitting image of her mother. Jessica attended the University of Michigan, where she got her law degree and an undergraduate degree in psychology.
In 2020, Jessica accepted a position at Gibson, Dutch, and Crutcher, a Washington D.C. law firm where she worked as an associate in the firm’s litigation department. She had also previously interned for former U.S. Congressman John D. Dingell, Jr. in 2016.
Jessica is a lawyer, like her father, but she has also extended her skills to the entertainment industry. The 32-year-old is as stunning as her mother, but she does not only look like Carter; she also sounds just like her.
Like her mother, Jessica is a singer. She released a single at the age of 31. In 2022, she released her EP called “No Rules.”
Like her mother’s return to music, many of the songs Jessica had released touch on the heartbreaking grief she experienced when her father died. Jessica noted that it was her mother who introduced her to music.
During Carter’s tour stops, Jessica would join her on stage, and they would complement each other’s talents. In 2016, Jessica took time out of law school to sing a duet with her mother during a show in New York.
Carter’s daughter also spent her 26th birthday in the recording studio helping her mother add vocals to her 2018 album “Red Rock N Blues.” Jessica, who said her mother taught her to be proud of herself, is full of praise for Carter. She noted that Carter embodies the “Wonder Woman” character:
“I just feel really lucky that my mom is even more wonderful than the character. She taught me how to be strong, she taught me how to be brave, and she taught me that I could do whatever it is that I want to do and that I didn’t have to fit anyone else’s ideal.”
Carter’s accomplished children are a testimony of the great work she has done as a mother. Even in her 70s, the actress still carries herself with grace and style. She was recently spotted at an event looking glamorous in a gold mini-dress.
The actress styled the gold mini with high heels and was a sight to behold as she attended the T Gen awards. She was all smiles and seemed to be handling grief well over a year after she lost Altman.
The actress was awarded a leadership award at the event for advocating for T Gen’s and City of Hope’s research and clinical advances.
Carter, who still looks fantastic in her older years, once revealed her secrets to looking young. She said she loves to bask in the sun and walk every day. She doesn’t eat bread to stay lean and takes lots of stuff with ginger to help her joints.
The singer also opened up about her daily routine, which includes making her bed every morning, which has helped her through retirement. She noted that each of these actions that she takes helps take care of her body, mind, and spirit.
These days, Carter is focused on her music. She reignited her passion for singing and released a music video of her jazzy rendition of Rickie Lee Jones’ classic song “Danny’s All-Star Joint,” which was described as “a seriously flirty energy and sense of fun.” The project was directed by Jason Crain.