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Amy Carlson

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For the religious leader, see Amy Carlson (religious leader).

Amy Carlson
Carlson in 2015
Born
Amy Lynn Carlson

(1968-07-07) July 7, 1968 (age 56)[1]
Elmhurst, Illinois, U.S.[1]
Alma materKnox College
OccupationActress
Years active1992–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2004)​
Children2

Amy Lynn Carlson (born July 7, 1968) is an American actress known for her roles as Linda Reagan in the CBS police procedural Blue Bloods, Alex Taylor on the NBC drama Third Watch, and Josie Watts in the NBC daytime soap opera Another World.

Early life

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Carlson was born in Elmhurst, DuPage County, Illinois, near Chicago, and was raised in Glen Ellyn, Illinois,[2] the daughter of schoolteacher parents, Barbara Jane (Hultman) and Robert Eugene Carlson. She is of Swedish descent, with roots in Småland.[3]

Career

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1986–1992: College and early career

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Her first acting job was as a background actor in the film Lucas starring Charlie Sheen, Corey Haim, and Winona Ryder. Later she followed her older sister Betsy to Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.[2] While in college, Carlson was active in the school's theatre department, appearing in Fifth of July, Noises Off, A Lie of the Mind, and The School for Scandal. She directed the play Aunt Dan and Lemon written by Wallace Shawn on her senior year. Carlson graduated cum laude with a degree in East Asian Studies with a concentration in theater.[4]

After graduating college, Carlson moved to Chicago where she studied improv with Charna Halpern at the Harold ImprovOlympic, and took acting classes at The Actor's Center with Victor D'Altorio and Eileen Vorbach. She also appeared in some small theater productions including Dark City, Revenge of the Cheerleader with Warren Leight and Theater of the Film Noir at the Folio Theater Company. She also appeared in three episodes of The Untouchables starring William Forsythe and Tom Amandes. Carlson also appeared in three episodes of Missing Persons with Daniel J. Travanti. She also played in Legacy of Lies a TV movie with Joe Morton.

1993–2003: Television contracts, films and relief work

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Carlson in 2002

Carlson landed the role of Josie Watts and moved to New York in late December 1993 to make her soap opera debut on Another World. During her first year, she traveled with World Vision to Rwanda to work on an awareness campaign after the war.

Later, she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1998[citation needed]. After leaving Another World she appeared in Thanks of a Grateful Nation, about Persian Gulf War syndrome.

Carlson moved to Los Angeles in 1998, where she guest-starred in a number of prime time shows including NYPD Blue, had a recurring role on the show Get Real which starred Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg, and filmed If These Walls Could Talk Part 2 directed by Martha Coolidge. While in LA, she tested against Mariska Hargitay and Angie Harmon for the role that Mariska won in Law and Order: SVU. Soon after, she started acting in the CBS TV Series Falcone as Donny Brasco's wife, shot in Toronto. She later started guest starring in Law and Order: SVU and filming independent films such as Winning Girls Through Psychic Mind Control directed by Barry Alexander Brown where she played a singer, with the voice of Regina Spektor.

Between 2000 and 2003 she starred as Alex Taylor in Third Watch.[5][6]

2004–2017: Prime time highlights and children

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After leaving Third Watch, Carlson went on to star on Peacemakers, a CSI-inspired show set in the late 1800s, starring opposite Tom Berenger and Peter O'Meara. When the show was not renewed, she worked on several TV shows and films including a Law and Order episode on its 15th season entitled "Dead Wives Club". Soon Dick Wolf was calling to sign her to Law & Order: Trial by Jury where she co-starred alongside Bebe Neuwirth, Jerry Orbach, Kirk Acevedo, Fred Thompson, and Scott Cohen. Carlson continued to work on a variety of film and television roles such as Guest Starring roles on Criminal Minds and Fringe. On 2010 she landed the role of Linda Reagan on Blue Bloods. Carlson continued in the role of Linda through the seventh season of Blue Bloods. During her hiatus, she played Erin Callan, working alongside James Woods in Too Big to Fail, directed by Curtis Hanson from the book written by Andrew Ross Sorkin. She was also written for the role of Christina Cassertes, by her friend David Cross in his directorial debut film, Hits. After seven years on Blue Bloods, Carlson's contract came to an end. In the eighth-season premiere episode, which aired on September 29, 2017, it was revealed that Linda—who was a nurse—had died in a helicopter crash while transporting a patient.

2018–present: Current work

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Carlson in 2014

Following Blue Bloods, Carlson worked recurring roles on The Society and The Village. She also shot films Sunny Daze, The Incoherents, A Bread Factory Part One, and the indie horror film Know Fear.[7] Just prior to COVID-19 shutdowns, Carlson co-wrote, directed and starred in a short film, The Letter, co-written by Syd Butler. She cast her friend from Law and Order: Trial by Jury, Scott Cohen, as her co-star. Her work was honored with best director and actor at the Hollywood International Women's Film Festival,[citation needed] as well as awards with the Cannes Indie Film Festival, Hudson Valley Film Festival and Dark Women Film Festival.

During the 2020 pandemic, Carlson and husband Syd Butler along with his bandmate Seth Jabour (Les Savy Fav, The 8G Band), who together form the band Office Romance, finished and released their second album and first full-length album, Holidays of Love.[8]

In 2021, Carlson began shooting as a recurring cast member on FBI: Most Wanted, opposite her friend and co-star from Another World, Julian McMahon.[9]

Personal life

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Carlson resides in New York City with her husband Syd Butler.[2][1] They have two children, a daughter named Lyla born in 2006 and a son named Nigel born in 2009.[10][1]


Awards

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In 2018, Carlson was presented with the Muhammad Ali Award for Gender Equality.[11] In 2021, she won a Knox College Alumni Achievement Award.[12]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1992 The Babe Girl on Stairs
2000 Everything Put Together Jane
2002 Winning Girls Through Psychic Mind Control Kathy
Stella Shorts Hippy Girl Video
2007 Anamorph Alexandra Fredericks
2010 Trio — Short film
2011 Green Lantern Jessica Jordan
2014 Hits Christina Casserta
2015 Sight Unseen Rachel Sampson
2016 Natural Selection Laura
2017 The Landline Carla
2018 A Bread Factory, Part One Grace
2020 The Letter

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1992 Legacy of Lies Marianna Nania TV movie
1993 Missing Persons Helena Brusich "Pilot", "I'm Gonna Miss Him Too...", & "Right Neighborhood... Wrong Door"
1993–1994 The Untouchables Various "Pilot: Parts 1 & 2", "Mind Games"
1993–1998 Another World Josephine "Josie" Watts Main role
1998 Thanks of a Grateful Nation Tammy Boyer Miniseries
1999 Martial Law Cassie McGill "Big Trouble"
Get Real Dr. Sedgwick Recurring role
St. Michael's Crossing Kelly McGloin TV movie
2000 NYPD Blue Lisa Marantz "Along Came Jones"
If These Walls Could Talk 2 Michelle TV movie
Falcone n/a "Windows"
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Kate Armstrong "Friends & Lovers"
2002 & 2024 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Patricia Andrews & Katie McGrath[13] "Asunder" & "Duty to Report"
2000–2003 Third Watch Alex Taylor Main role
2002 ER "Brothers and Sisters"
2003 Peacemakers Katie Owen Main role
2004 Law & Order Collette Connolly "The Dead Wives Club"
2005 Franklin Charter Maggie Keeler TV movie
2005–2006 Law & Order: Trial by Jury A.D.A. Kelly Gaffney Main role
2006 Drift Lauren TV movie
2007 The Kidnapping Rachel McKenzie
NCIS Karen Sutherland "Corporal Punishment"
2008 Criminal Minds Cece Hillenbrand "Tabula Rasa"
2010 Fringe Maureen Donovan "Unearthed"
2010–2017 Blue Bloods Linda Reagan Main role
2011 Too Big to Fail Erin Callan TV movie
2013 This One Time n/a "Amy Carlson"
2016 A Midsummer's Hawaiian Dream Helen TV movie
2019 The Village Julie Tucker Episode: "In Your Bones"
The Society Amanda Pressman Recurring role
2020 FBI: Most Wanted Jackie Ward
2022 Would I Lie to You? (US) Herself Episode: "Criminal Bear"

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Where is Blue Bloods' Linda Reagan star Amy Carlson now?". Daily Express. August 17, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Amy Carlson Biography". Tvguide.com. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  3. ^ "Where Did We Come From?". Finding Your Roots. Season 8. Episode 10. April 19, 2022. PBS. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  4. ^ Amy Carlson Official Web Site
  5. ^ Clarendon, Dan (May 5, 2020). "11 'Third Watch' Alums Who Went on to Play Other First Responders". TV Insider. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  6. ^ Banerjee, Dipaly (April 16, 2023). "Third Watch: Where Are the Cast Members Now?". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  7. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (October 11, 2018). "Blue Bloods Alum Amy Carlson Sets TV Return With NBC's The Village". TVLine. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  8. ^ Desk, TV News. "Office Romance Announce Debut Album 'Holidays of Love'". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved April 12, 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  9. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 8, 2020). "Amy Carlson & Terry O'Quinn Join CBS' 'FBI: Most Wanted' In Recurring Roles For Season 2". Deadline. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  10. ^ Ranjan, Rashmi (April 21, 2021). "Amy Carlson: Net worth, Husband, Age, Height & More [2024]". Celebrities InfoSeeMedia. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  11. ^ Amy Carlson's Speech from the Ali Humanitarian Awards, September 24, 2018, archived from the original on December 21, 2021, retrieved April 12, 2021
  12. ^ 2020 Alumni Achievement Award Winner Amy Carlson '90, February 16, 2021, archived from the original on December 21, 2021, retrieved April 12, 2021
  13. ^ "Law & Order: SVU Season 25: Everything We Know". TVLine.com. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
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