Linda Hamilton
Biography
Linda Carroll Hamilton is an American actress born on September 26, 1956, in Salisbury, Maryland. She is widely recognized for her portrayal of Sarah Connor in the Terminator film franchise and for her television work as Catherine Chandler in the series Beauty and the Beast. Throughout her career, she has been noted for playing tough and resilient characters. Following her high school education, Hamilton attended Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, for two years before relocating to New York to pursue acting studies, including workshops led by Lee Strasberg. She has established a long-standing career in the entertainment industry with numerous credits across both film and television.
Career overview
Linda Hamilton began her acting career in 1980, having made her film debut in 1979. She achieved significant fame for her starring role as Sarah Connor in the 1984 film The Terminator, a character she reprised in the sequels Terminator 2: Judgment Day and another entry in the franchise. Her work on the television series Beauty and the Beast, which aired from 1987 to 1990, earned her nominations for two Golden Globes and an Emmy award. These roles solidified her reputation for portraying strong, resilient figures in both cinema and television.
In addition to her prominent film work, Hamilton has maintained a presence in television through various recurring roles. Her television credits include appearances in the comedy series Weeds and the series Chuck. With a career spanning several decades, Hamilton has accumulated nearly 100 known credits. Her professional path, which began with formal training in New York, has seen her transition across diverse genres and media, maintaining a consistent acting career that continues to be documented in film and television archives.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 (2026) as Self - Dr. Kay
- Trust Me, I'm a Doctor (2026) as Ellyn Garafalo
- Osiris (2025) as Anya
- Jack & Lou: A Gangster Love Story (2025) as Louise Rolfe
- Arnold (2023) as Self
- Dark Winds (2022) as Barbara Sena
- Resident Alien (2021) as General Eleanor McCallister
- Easy Does It (2020) as King George
- Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) as Sarah Connor
- Goblin Boy News (2018) as Sarah Connor (archive footage)
- Curvature (2017) as Florence
- Shoot Me Nicely (2017) as Layla
- Stranger Things (2016) as Dr. Kay
- A Sunday Horse (2016) as Mrs. Walden
- The Late Late Show with James Corden (2015) as Self
- Alistair MacLean's Air Force One Is Down (2014) as President Harriet Rowntree
- Bermuda Tentacles (2014) as Admiral Hansen
- Bad Behavior (2013) as Margaret
- Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen (2012) as (archive footage)
- Lost Girl (2010) as Acacia
- DC Showcase: Jonah Hex (2010) as Madame Lorraine (voice)
- DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection (2010) as Madame Lorraine (segment "Jonah Hex") (voice)
- Refuge (2010) as Amelia Philips
- Terminator Salvation (2009) as Sarah Connor (voice) (uncredited)
- Terminator Salvation (2009) as Sarah Connor (voice over) (uncredited)
- The Line (2009) as Carol
- Holy Water (2009) as Cory Williams
- In Your Dreams (2009) as Georgie
- A Call to Arms (2009) as Self (voice)
- The Graham Norton Show (2007) as Self
- Chuck (2007) as Mary Elizabeth Bartowski
- Broken (2007) as Karen
- Thief (2006) as Roselyn Moore
- Thief (2006) as Roselyn Moore (archive footage, uncredited)
- Home by Christmas (2006) as Julie Bedford
- Weeds (2005) as Linda
- Smile (2005) as Bridgette
- Missing in America (2005) as Kate
- The Kid & I (2005) as Susan Mandeville
- Harvesting Horror: Children of the Corn (2004) as (archival footage)
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003) as Self - Guest
- Silent Night (2002) as Elisabeth Vincken
- According to Jim (2001) as Melissa Evans
- A Girl Thing (2001) as Rachel Logan
- Bailey's Mistake (2001) as Liz Donovan
- Other Voices: Creating 'The Terminator' (2001) as Self
- Skeletons in the Closet (2001) as Tina
- Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000) as Dr. Furbanna (voice)
- Sex & Mrs. X (2000) as Joanna Scott
- Batman Beyond (1999) as Dr. Stephanie Lake (voice)
- Batman Beyond: The Movie (1999) as Dr. Stephanie Lake (voice)
- The Secret Life of Girls (1999) as Ruby Sanford
- The Color of Courage (1999) as Anna Sipes
- Hercules (1998) as Nemesis (voice)
- So Graham Norton (1998) as Self
- On the Line (1998) as Jean Martin
- Point Last Seen (1998) as Rachel Myles
- Robots Rising (1998) as Narrator
- Rescuers: Stories of Courage - Two Couples (1998) as Marie Taquet
- Getting Close to the Show (1998) as Self
- The View (1997) as Self
- The New Batman Adventures (1997) as Susan Maguire (voice)
- Dante's Peak (1997) as Rachel Wando
- Shadow Conspiracy (1997) as Amanda Givens
- Separate Lives (1995) as Lauren Porter / Lena
- A Mother's Prayer (1995) as Rosemary Holmstrom
- The Way to Dusty Death (1995) as Beth MacAlpine
- Silent Fall (1994) as Karen Rainer
- Frasier (1993) as Claire (voice)
- Frasier (1993) as Laura
- T2: More Than Meets the Eye (1993) as Self
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) as Sarah Connor
- The Making of 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' (1991) as Self
- Romy Award (1990) as Self
- Mr. Destiny (1990) as Ellen Burrows
- Go Toward the Light (1988) as Claire Madison
- Beauty and the Beast (1987) as Catherine Chandler
- King Kong Lives (1986) as Amy Franklin
- Black Moon Rising (1986) as Nina
- King Kong! The Living Legend (1986) as Self
- Club Med (1986) as Kate
- Secret Weapons (1985) as Elena Koslov
- The Making of the Terminator (1985) as Self
- Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Carol McDermott
- The Terminator (1984) as Sarah Connor
- Children of the Corn (1984) as Vicky
- The Stone Boy (1984) as Eva Crescent Moon Lady
- Secrets of a Mother and Daughter (1983) as Susan Decker
- Wishman (1983) as Mattie MacGregor
- Late Night with David Letterman (1982) as Self
- King's Crossing (1982) as Lauren Hollister
- Tag: The Assassination Game (1982) as Susan Swayze
- Country Gold (1982) as Josie Greenwood
- Hill Street Blues (1981)
- Secrets of Midland Heights (1980) as Lisa Rogers
- Rape and Marriage: The Rideout Case (1980) as Greta Rideout
- Reunion (1980) as Anne Samoorian
- Shirley (1979)
- Night-Flowers (1979) as Wafer
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Self - Host
- War on Wolves as Special Narrator