Who is Lindsay Wagner? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Lindsay Jean Wagner

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Allan Rider (m. 1971 - div. 1973), Henry Kingi (m. 1981 - div. 1984), Lawrence Mortorff (m. 1990 - div. 1993), Michael Brandon (m. 1976 - div. 1979)

father: William Nowels Wagner

mother: Marilyn Louise Wagner

children: Alex Kingi, Dorian Kingi

Models Actresses

Height: 5'10" (178 cm), 5'10" Females

Notable Alumni: Mt. Hood Community College

U.S. State: California

City: Los Angeles

More Facts

education: University Of Oregon, Mt. Hood Community College

Recommended For You

Recommended Lists:

Childhood & Early Life

Lindsay Jean Wagner was born on June 22, 1949, in Los Angeles, California, USA, to William Nowels Wagner and Marilyn Louise. Her parents got divorced when she was seven years old. Subsequently, Wagner and her mother moved to Eagle Rock near Pasadena.

When her mother remarried a man named Ted Ball, Wagner moved to Portland, Oregon, along with her mother and stepfather. After moving to Portland, she started attending ‘David Douglas High School’ where she took part in many school plays.

After graduating from high school, she spent a couple of months in France. She then returned to the United States and was enrolled at the ‘University of Oregon’ in Eugene. After a year, she transferred to ‘Mt. Hood Community College’ (MHCC) in Gresham, Oregon. After studying at ‘MHCC’ for six months, Wagner dropped out and returned to Los Angeles to pursue a career in modeling and acting.

Continue Reading Below

Recommended Lists:

Career

Lindsay Wagner started her career as a model before making her television debut by taking up the role of a hostess in the popular TV show ‘Playboy After Dark.’ In 1969, she appeared as a contestant in ‘ABC’ network's game show ‘The Dating Game.’

She signed a contract with ‘Universal Studios’ in 1971 and started working in various ‘Universal’ productions. She made her acting debut in the same year, playing Jenny Carson in an episode titled ‘Million Dollar Buff’ in ‘NBC’ network's police procedural drama series ‘Adam-12.’

She continued appearing in many television shows throughout the early and mid-70s. From 1971 to 1975, she was seen playing multiple roles in ‘ABC’ network's medical drama series ‘Marcus Welby, M.D.’ Meanwhile, she also played minor roles in TV series, such as ‘O'Hara, U.S. Treasury’ and ‘The F.B.I.’

Wagner made her film debut in 1973 when she played the lead role of Deirdre McCluskey in Robert Wise-directed drama film ‘Two People.’ In the same year, she was also cast to play Susan Fields in the critically acclaimed film ‘The Paper Chase’ which is based on a novel of the same name.

In 1975, she was cast to play the recurring role of Jaime Sommers in the hit science fiction television series ‘The Six Million Dollar Man.’ She reprised her role as Jaime Sommers in a spin-off TV series titled ‘The Bionic Woman.’ Wagner became a household name in the US as Jaime Sommers became a popular-culture icon. She played the role in ‘The Bionic Woman’ from 1976 to 1978, appearing in 58 episodes. In 1977, she won the ‘Emmy Award’ for ‘Best Actress in a Dramatic Role’ for playing Sommers.

Wagner’s popularity increased after playing Jaime Sommers which in turn landed her opportunities to play prominent roles in TV movies. In 1979, she played title roles in two TV movies, namely ‘The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel’ and ‘The Two Worlds of Jennie Logan.’ The following year, she portrayed Billy Ikehorn in a TV miniseries titled ‘Scruples.’

In 1981, Wagner played Irene in Bruce Malmuth-directed crime thriller film ‘Nighthawks’ which had Sylvester Stallone playing the lead role. She then played Olivia in Stewart Raffill-directed American-British-Mexican heist film ‘High Risk.’ In the same year, she was also cast to play Callie Bordeaux in a TV film titled ‘Callie & Son.’

Lindsay Wagner played various roles in a number of television movies throughout the 80s and 90s. Some of the TV movies in which she played important roles include ‘Princess Daisy,’ ‘The Other Lover,’ ‘Stranger in My Bed,’ ‘Evil in Clear River,’ and ‘The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story.’ Her success as a television actress earned her the nickname ‘Queen of TV Movies.’

In 2003, she played Penelope Audrey in John Carl Buechler-directed feature film ‘A Light in the Forest.’ In 2008, she portrayed Morrow Graham in a biographical film titled ‘Billy: The Early Years.’ From 2010 to 2014, she played Dr. Vanessa Calder in six episodes of ‘Syfy’ network's science fiction television series ‘Warehouse 13.’

In 2018, she was cast to play Helen Karev in the popular medical drama television series ‘Grey's Anatomy.’ In the same year, she also played Zealphonis in Bruce Macdonald-directed biblical drama film ‘Samson.’ In 2019, she did voice and motion-capture acting, portraying a character named Amelie in a single and multiplayer action game titled ‘Death Stranding.’

Recommended Lists:

American Women Models

Actresses Who Are In Their 70s

Women Film & Theater Personalities

American Film & Theater Personalities

Other Major Works

In 1987, Wagner released a book titled ‘Lindsay Wagner's New Beauty: The Acupressure Facelift’ by joining hands with Robert M. Klein. In 1988, she followed it up with another book titled ‘30-Day Natural Face Lift Program.’ In 1994, she released her third book ‘High Road to Health: A Vegetarian Cookbook.’

Wagner has worked as a spokesperson for companies like ‘Sleep Number’ and ‘Ford Motor Company.’ She has also conducted workshops for a therapy called ‘Quiet the Mind and Open the Heart,’ promoting meditation and spirituality.

Recommended Lists:

American Female Film & Theater Personalities

Cancer Women

Family & Personal Life

In 1971, Wagner married a music publisher named Allan Rider. She divorced Rider in 1973 and married actor Michael Brandon in 1976. Her marriage with Brandon lasted three years as she divorced him in 1979.

She married stunt performer Henry Kingi in 1981, after meeting him on the sets of ‘The Bionic Woman.’ In 1982, Kingi and Wagner were blessed with a son named Dorian. Wagner and Kingi got divorced in 1984. She then married a TV producer named Lawrence Mortorff in 1990. However, this marriage too ended in divorce in 1993.

Lindsay Wagner Biography