Five Fast About TV’s Beloved Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter

With outstretched arms and a few pirouettes, she could transform from unassuming Diana Prince into her true, butt-kicking Amazonian form. Though you probably know much about the fictitious Wonder Woman, especially that Gal Gadot portrays her on the big screen’s Wonder Woman 1984, how much do you really know about the very real Lynda Carter — the small screen’s version of the beloved heroine?

All About Lynda Carter

From when and where she was born to the song that she inspired, here are five fast facts about the legendary actress.

Who Is Lynda Carter?
Carter was born on July 24, 1951, in Phoenix, Arizona. Her father, Colby Carter, is of English and Scots-Irish ancestry, and her mother, Juanita (nee Cordova) is of Mexican, Spanish, and French descent. Carter has one brother, Vincent, and one sister, Pamela.

Cutting Room Floor 
Carter was the original actress hired to play Playboy Playmate Bunny in Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979). However, a storm destroyed the sets on which Carter had been filming. This resulted in a delay of nearly two months, as a construction crew worked around the clock to rebuild. When Coppola was finally ready to continue the shoot, Carter’s commitment to Wonder Woman precluded her from returning.

The part was recast with Colleen Camp, and all scenes featuring Carter were deleted. The actress still maintains a presence in the extended cut of the film though in the form of her specially created Playboy centerfold.

Daredevil 
Carter frequently performed her own stunts on Wonder Woman, including hanging from the landing bars of a helicopter, much to the consternation of the CBS executives. But perhaps the actress’s most daring feat was allowing David Janssen to throw daggers at her during the TV special Circus of the Stars (#2, 1977).

Sharing The Spotlight
When cooler heads did prevail, Carter would be doubled by a number of talented stuntwomen, including Jeannie Epper. When Epper’s son failed to convince his fellow classmates of his mother’s affiliation with the TV star, Carter actually invited his entire class to the Wonder Woman set so they could watch the filming of an action scene featuring Epper.

Name Check
Carter is the title subject of Steve Wariner’s 1987 single “Lynda,” which contains the line, “You can be my Wonder Woman, and I’ll just be your Spider-Man.”