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Linda Hamilton

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Linda Hamilton
Born
Linda Carroll Hamilton
OccupationActress
Years active1979–present
Spouse(s)Bruce Abbott (1982-1989)
James Cameron (1997-1999)

Linda Carroll Hamilton (born September 26, 1956) is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-nominated American actress, best known for her roles as Sarah Connor in The Terminator and its sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day and as Catherine Chandler in Beauty and the Beast.

Biography

Early life

Hamilton was born in Salisbury, MD to a physician father who died in a car accident when she was five.[1][2] Linda has an identical twin sister, one older sister and one younger brother. She has said that she was raised in a "very boring, white Anglo-Saxon" family, and "voraciously read books" during her spare time.[2] Hamilton went to Wicomico Junior High (now Wicomico Middle School) and Wicomico High School in Salisbury, Maryland, with her twin sister, Leslie Hamilton Gearren. She studied for two years at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, before moving on to acting studies in New York City. While attending Washington College, her acting professor told her she had no hope of earning a living as an actress. In New York she attended acting workshops given by Lee Strasberg. Linda Hamilton had a boy in the late 70's. She named him Chad Michael Michaels but he grew up with a foster family. She believed if he was raised by a normal family, he would grow up normally but that wasn't the case. He is now searching to find his long lost mother so he can tell her that she is the only one that can save this god awful world we live in today.

Career

Hamilton's acting debut came first with guest starring appearances on television, followed by a major role as Lisa Rogers in the prime-time soap opera Secrets of Midland Heights (1980).

Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1982" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol 34. Hamilton's film debut was a lead role in the horror film Children of the Corn, even though this very article's Filmography lists her as a cast member in the 1982 film Tag: The Assassination Game. The movie, Children of the Corn, was panned by critics, but it made a profit at the box office, and had a strong cult following. Hamilton's next role was in The Terminator, costarring Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1984. The movie was an unexpectedly huge commercial as well as critical success. Following The Terminator, Hamilton starred in Black Moon Rising, an action thriller starring Tommy Lee Jones. She then returned to television in the mystery comedy Murder, She Wrote, scoring favorable reviews. Hamilton then starred opposite Ron Perlman in the TV series Beauty and the Beast. The series was critically-acclaimed and she received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Hamilton left the series in 1989 and it ended in 1990.

in Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Hamilton went back to the big screen with the sequel to The Terminator titled Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 1991. The film was a smash at the box office, grossing over $500 million, and becoming the highest grossing film of the year. Hamilton underwent immense physical training to emphasize the character's transformation from the first film. Her identical twin sister Leslie Hamilton Gearren was Linda's double in Terminator 2. Hamilton received two MTV Movie Awards for her role in the film, one for Best Female Performance and the other for Most Desirable Female. Hamilton reprised this character, Sarah Connor, for the theme park attraction T2 3-D.

In 1990 she was chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world.

Following the success of the Terminator series, Hamilton hosted Saturday Night Live. She then returned to television in A Mother's Prayer (1997) playing a mother who lost her husband and is diagnosed with AIDS. She earned yet another Golden Globe nomination. Also in 1997, Hamilton filmed two motion pictures that were released one week apart: Shadow Conspiracy with Charlie Sheen and Dante's Peak with Pierce Brosnan. 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. Hamilton has since appeared on the television shows Frasier and According to Jim 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.

In 2009 she will return as Sarah Connor in the new Terminator Salvation movie in voice-overs only.[3]

Personal life

Hamilton has been married twice.[4] Her first marriage was to actor Bruce Abbott, whom she wed on December 18, 1982. The couple had a son, Dalton Abbott (b. 4 October 1989) before divorcing shortly after. Her second marriage was to James Cameron, who directed her in both Terminator films. They had a daughter, Josephine Archer Cameron (b. 15 February 1993) before marrying on July 26, 1997. Hamilton discovered that Cameron was having an affair with Titanic actress Suzy Amis in 1999, and quickly divorced him. She received a $50 million divorce settlement.[5]

Hamilton appeared on the October 4, 2005 episode of Larry King Live to reveal that she suffered from bipolar disorder. She revealed that her condition destroyed her marriage to her first husband, Bruce Abbott, and she said that she abused him verbally and physically. Linda said that it was her love for her two children that finally forced her to seek treatment and she began taking medication in 1996. Linda says that she will always be grateful she chose treatment and regrets the pain it caused her loved ones. She also mentions that she was never married to Peter Horton despite internet rumors to the contrary.[4]

Hamilton is good friends with former Beauty and the Beast co-star Ron Perlman. They reunited in the post-Vietnam war drama Missing in America.

Hamilton has a twin sister, Leslie Hamilton Gearren, who doubled for her in certain scenes in the Terminator series.

Awards

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1979 Night-Flowers Stripper
1982 Tag: The Assassination Game Susan Swayze
1984 The Terminator Sarah Connor
Children of the Corn Vicky
The Stone Boy Eva Crescent Moon Lady on Bus
1986 King Kong Lives Dr. Amy Franklin
Black Moon Rising Nina
1987 Beauty and the Beast Catherine Chandler TV Series (1987-1989)
1988 Go Toward The Light Claire Madison
1990 Mr. Destiny Ellen Jane
1991 Terminator 2: Judgment Day Sarah Connor
1994 Silent Fall Karen Rainer
1995 Separate Lives Lauren Porter/Lena
1996 T2 3-D: Battle Across Time Sarah Connor At Universal Studios, Orlando. Narrator
1997 Dante's Peak Mayor Rachel Wando
Shadow Conspiracy Amanda Givens
1998 On the Line Det. Jean Martin TV Movie
1998 Point Last Seen Rachel Harrison TV Movie
1999 The Secret Life of Girls Ruby Sanford
2000 Skeletons in the Closet Tina Conway
2000 Sex & Mrs. X Joanna Scott TV Movie
2002 Silent Night Elisabeth Vincken TV Movie
2003 Wholey Moses Valerie Short
2004 Jonah June Short
2005 Smile Bridget
Missing in America Kate
The Kid & I Susan Mandeville
2006 Thief Roselyn Moore TV series (guest starred in two episodes)
Home by Christmas Julie Bedford TV movie
2007 Broken Karen
2009 Waters Rising Cory
The Line Carol TV series (guest star in two episodes)
Terminator Salvation Sarah Connor Narrator

References

  1. ^ Filmreference.com
  2. ^ a b JewishJournal.com
  3. ^ http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/02/19/exclusive-linda-hamilton-in-negotiations-for-terminator-salvation/
  4. ^ a b "CNN Larry King Live Interview with Linda Hamilton (transcript)". cnn.com. 2005-10-14. Retrieved 2008-01-02. I was not married to Peter Horton, which is sort of all over the Web site that I've been married three times, so I look like -- but for some reason that's false information. I was never married to Peter Horton.
  5. ^ "Forbes: Michael Jordan's Divorce Most Costly Ever". foxnews.com. 2007-04-16. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
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