Back in 1972, Lynda Carter stunned everyone when she was crowned Miss USA and went on to represent America in the Miss World competition. This title opened many doors for the stunning Lynda Carter, with the most significant being the role of Wonder Woman.
Carter quickly became a global icon, admired by men and women all over the world for her beauty and talent. Reflecting on her time as Miss USA, she once said, “I didn’t get any prizes.
They smack a little banner on you, they stick a crown on your head and call you a beauty queen,” calling the experience both “bad” and “painful” because of the “certain built-in cruelty” of pageants.
Before landing the iconic role of Wonder Woman, Carter struggled with her film career. She managed to snag a few roles but almost ran out of money, so she took a regular job. Then, her manager called with amazing news: Joanna Cassidy had been turned down, and Lynda had landed the role of Diana Prince and her crime-fighting alter ego, Wonder Woman.
As one of the first female superheroes, Wonder Woman inspired many. Just years before the show aired, thousands of women marched down Fifth Avenue in New York demanding equality.
In an episode, Wonder Woman famously said, “Any civilization that does not recognize the female is doomed to destruction. Women are the wave of the future and sisterhood is… stronger than anything.”
Carter brought the role to life with perfection. Her influence was immense, inspiring many female writers and producers. When asked if women might be jealous of her role, Carter told CBS News, “Well, I said, ‘Not a chance. They won’t be, because I am not playing her that way.
I want women to want to be me, or be my best friend! There is something about the character where, in your creative mind for that time in your life, you pretended to be her, or whatever the situation was, that it felt like you could fly.”
In 1978, Carter was voted ‘The Most Beautiful Woman in the World,’ and a poster of her in a crop top became the top-selling poster that year, though it didn’t make her very happy. “It’s uncomfortable because I just simply took a photograph. That’s all my participation was in my poster that sold over a million copies. My husband said, ‘Oh, try this thing tied up here, it’ll look beautiful.’
And the photographer said, ‘The back-lighting is really terrific.’ So dealing with someone having that picture up in their bedroom or living room or whatever, I think would be hard for anyone to deal with,” she said in an interview during NBC’s special, Women Who Rate a 10.
Besides her films and series, including Partners in Crime, where she starred alongside the beautiful Loni Anderson, and The Dukes of Hazzard, Carter also tried her hand at theater, landing a role in Chicago.
In 2016, Carter attended the United Nations event celebrating the 75th anniversary of Wonder Woman’s debut, where the female superhero was declared the “Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls.”
During the ceremony, Lynda said, “The greatest honor and responsibility of playing Wonder Woman was serving as a role model for fans around the world, particularly girls. I’ve seen first-hand how a powerful yet compassionate superhero can inspire women to believe in themselves and men to support equality.”
Lynda Carter was married twice. She met her first husband, Ron Samuels, an agent and promoter, when he invited her to his office to discuss business. Ron was a big name in the film industry, working with stars like Jennifer O’Neill, Joyce DeWitt, Jaclyn Smith, and Barbara Carrera. Back then, they were one of Hollywood’s most adored couples, but their marriage hit rocky waters, mainly over whether to have children.
Lynda said, “I hope he forgives me and I have forgiven him because it was painful for both people. And I wish him – honestly and truly – wish him well,” when their divorce was finalized in 1982.
Two years later, Carter married Robert A. Altman, an attorney from Washington D.C. They met at a Maybelline event, where Carter was the spokesperson. Apparently, Robert only agreed to attend because he heard Wonder Woman would be there. “I know that she was a good-looking actress who modeled for Maybelline, but I couldn’t quite place her,” Robert said.
“I was intending to go back to the hotel and watch a football game and I thought the last thing I wanted was to go to dinner and get mixed up with some Hollywood actress.”
After marrying the love of her life, Carter stepped away from the spotlight to raise their two children. They stayed together until Robert’s passing in 2021. Diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia, he died at 73. The actress never fully got over the grief. On what would have been his 75th birthday, she shared a touching message on social media: “Today would have been your 75th birthday.
To me, you cannot be gone because the love you gave so freely endures. It lives on in me, our children, and the many people whose lives you touched. You gave so much of yourself while you were here, and today we honor your love, your life, and your legacy.
If I were up on a mountain today, I would sing to you through the mountain’s canyons. Instead, I woke to the dawn, over the ocean and sang my heart and love to you.”
Talking about her struggle with drinking, now 71, Carter said, “I’ve been in recovery for 23 years. And I didn’t even start drinking till I was in my mid-20s. I would stop drinking for two or three years, then start again, and it just felt terrible. That was a long time ago and now I’m very happy,” adding that her late husband was her knight in shining armor.
Lynda Carter remains one of Hollywood’s most beautiful women. She defies age and is as stunning as ever.
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