When Lynda Carter was crowned Miss USA in 1972, the world stopped to take notice. Her striking beauty, poise, and charm captivated millions as she went on to represent the United States at the Miss World pageant. That crown, however, was only the beginning of a career that would make her one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons.
Yet, Carter has always been candid about how bittersweet those early moments were. “I didn’t get any prizes,” she once recalled. “They smack a little banner on you, they stick a crown on your head and call you a beauty queen.” She described the experience as both “bad” and “painful,” admitting that the pageant world carried a certain built-in cruelty. Still, that moment cracked open doors that led her straight into stardom.
Before landing the role that would define her legacy, Carter struggled. Acting jobs were scarce, and she nearly ran out of money trying to build her film career. She even considered giving up and returning to a regular job. Then, fate intervened. Her manager called one day to tell her that Joanna Cassidy had been turned down for the role of Diana Prince and her alter ego, Wonder Woman. Lynda had the part.
The timing couldn’t have been more symbolic. Just a few years earlier, women had taken to the streets of New York demanding equality. Now, millions tuned in weekly to see a female superhero on their screens. Wonder Woman wasn’t just entertainment — it was empowerment.
In one memorable episode, Carter’s Wonder Woman delivered a line that resonated with the women’s movement: “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 warmth, dignity, and strength to the role. She wasn’t simply a heroine in tights; she became a symbol of possibility. “I wanted women to want to be me, or be my best friend,” Carter explained. “There is something about the character where, for that time in your life, pretending to be her felt like you could fly.”
The world took notice. In 1978, Carter was voted The Most Beautiful Woman in the World. That same year, a poster of her wearing a tied-up crop top became a bestseller, hanging on bedroom and dorm room walls across the country. Surprisingly, Carter herself was never comfortable with it. “It’s uncomfortable because I just simply took a photograph,” she admitted. “My participation was that I took what I thought was a dumb photograph. My husband suggested the top, the photographer liked the lighting — and suddenly it was everywhere. Knowing people had that picture hanging in their bedrooms was difficult.”
Still, Carter’s influence grew. She starred in other projects, including Partners in Crime opposite Loni Anderson, The Dukes of Hazzard, and stage productions like Chicago. But no role could rival the impact of Wonder Woman. In 2016, when the United Nations marked the 75th anniversary of the character’s creation by naming her an Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls, Carter was there. “The greatest honor and responsibility of playing Wonder Woman was serving as a role model for fans around the world,” she said. “I’ve seen first-hand how a powerful yet compassionate superhero can inspire women to believe in themselves and men to support equality.”
Her personal life brought both joy and heartache. Carter’s first marriage, to Hollywood agent Ron Samuels, ended in 1982 after disagreements and emotional strain. She later spoke with kindness about him, saying, “I hope he forgives me and I have forgiven him because it was painful for both people.”
Two years later, she met the man she would call the love of her life: Robert A. Altman, a Washington D.C. attorney. They met at a Maybelline event — Carter was then the face of the brand — and though Altman had initially planned to skip the dinner, fate drew them together. They married in 1984 and went on to raise two children. Carter stepped back from the spotlight, choosing instead to focus on her family.
The couple remained devoted until tragedy struck in 2021, when Altman passed away from a rare form of leukemia at age 73. Carter has spoken openly about the grief that still lingers. On what would have been his 75th birthday, she wrote: “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. If I were up on a mountain today, I would sing to you through the canyons. Instead, I woke to the dawn, over the ocean and sang my heart and love to you.”
Her journey was not without personal battles. Carter has been open about her struggle with alcoholism, revealing that she has been in recovery for more than 23 years. “I would stop drinking for two or three years, then start again, and it just felt terrible,” she admitted. She credits her late husband as her rock and “knight in shining armor,” helping her through some of her darkest times.
Now at 71, Lynda Carter continues to defy age. Her beauty, grace, and resilience remain as magnetic as ever. She is not just remembered as Wonder Woman, but as a woman who brought strength, vulnerability, and humanity to the role — and who continues to inspire generations with her life story.
Lynda Carter is proof that true beauty and influence are timeless.