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 The
raven-haired, green-eyed star of CBS' hit series Wonder Woman,
Lynda Carter, is not only enjoying the immense popularity
indicated when several networks were bidding for her series
before this season began, she's also experiencing major changes
in her life and, not surprisingly, in her career. Although
confronted with a hectic schedule, Lynda recently discussed
these changes with Preview on the set... |
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 Q.
Can you give a clearer explanation on why Wonder Woman is now on
CBS rather than ABC, the network it began on?
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| A.
Well, Wonder Woman was ordered by ABC but not on a full
twenty-two episodes. They wanted to air it as a special and so,
when Warner Bros. received an offer from CBS for a full
twenty-two, they accepted it. Ron (Samuels, her personal manager
and husband) and I discussed it and decided it was better to be
on every week rather than be aired as specials. And being with
CBS 4 terrific!
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Q. The viewing audience really appreciates the format change in the series, too. |
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| A.
Yes and that's great.
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| Q.
What prompted the change, Lynda?
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| A.
Probably the financial aspect of it since it is very expensive
to film a "period" series. You must have different
costumes and cars and you can't really film anywhere you would
like. You have to pick a location out of that particular era but
one where you won't have a Maserati driving by!
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| Q.
Do you prefer the modernization of the series' time?
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| A.
Yes! You have a lot more freedom in what you can do and it's not
always the Nazis I'm battling.
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| Q.
What about the plots? Would you say they've changed much?
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| A.
Definitely. The plots this season have been-and will be-based on
both domestic and international problems. Some of the guest
leads are "larger than life" in terms of their
destructive power and then other shows will be based more on a
human interest slant. It is changed so much from last year. The
scope is wider-from outer space to a child in trouble perhaps.
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| Q.
How much time do you have to study a script?
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| A.
Seven days. Usually, within a week, we've begun shooting another
script so we have to try and fit it in.
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| Q.
How long are your days, then?
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| A.
Well, today I was hem at 7:00, picked up at 6:30 and I'll
probably work until 6:30 tonight-if not eight or nine!
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| Q.
Then twelve or fifteen-hour days are very common for you?
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| A.
Yes, but you see, the show is difficult to shoot because of the
changes and costumes. It's not like The Bionic Woman or others
where they don't use costumes but just regular wardrobes. We
have many special effects.
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| Q.
What about the other area in your career that's opening up-your
music. How long
have you been into it?
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| A.
Actually, all my life. I was writing when I was a little girl
and, now, I'm still writing but I sort of gave it up for three
years. I was on the road for four years, traveling all over the
country. When I was seventeen, I played Sierra, Tahoe and Las
Vegas. I did a lot of singing.
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| Q.
You began as a singer then?
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| A.
Yes, recording in England and here-demos and things like that
with friends, record dates. It is fun to be doing it again
because I had sort of given it up to study acting but now I'm
really back into it and I love it! It takes a while where you
have to get away from something before you can really,
sometimes, get back into it freely. Because I had done it so
long-trained too hard. I had gone away from where I was
musically.
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| Q.
How would you categorize your music? Or would you?
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| A.
Of course, you have to. I would say that it's a cross of
county-lop forty country but not a country chart necessarily-and
soft rock. A soft, country-rock style.
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| Q.
And there's also your nightclub act that you are going to do?
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| A.
Yes, and I want to talk to different people who want to see
exactly what I want to do and when I am available to do it. I
will probably start out by doing personal appearances and
concerts because that is an easy way of breaking in the act.
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| Q.
Music seems to be a big part of your life.
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| A.
It's the "sleeper” part of my life-something that I love
and really enjoy doing. I enjoy writing and recording. It's just
that I never had the opportunity nor have I really wanted to do
it before now. Now, I can do it and with much bigger flair and a
bigger send off than I could have if I had never quit touring
and begun acting.
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| Q.
When you've sung on other shows we people surprised to learn
that "Wonder
Woman" can sing? That Lynda Carter is,
indeed, musically inclined?
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| A.
Yes, they may even assume Mat I am an actress trying to sing
instead of someone who used to be a singer! (Laughs) It's very
easy for me to do it because I'm not afraid or nervous about
singing.
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| Q.
Are you discovering that you are being considered an "a
double" or "triple
threat" entertainer no
-particularly by other actresses?
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| A.
No, I don't hear it. It's not something that I pay any attention
to, anyway, and I've never heard anyone say anything, really,
one way or another. If they were friends, they'd be happy for me
and, if they weren't, then I don't care.
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| Q.
Do you eventually want to narrow your career strictly to music?
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| A.
No, I want to expand as an actress in different roles. As much
as I am a fan of Wonder Woman. I respect the character-and it
has been a vehicle for me, I do want to do other things.
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| Q.
Then you like the character of Wonder Woman?
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| A.
Oh, yes! I like her very much. I used to read the comic books
when I was a kid! (Laughs.)
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| Q.
How have all the changes been explained?
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| A.
The first episode was called "The Return of Wonder
Woman" and was from 1943 to 1977. According to the story,
Diana returns to Paradise Island after World War II to assume
her duties as heiress to the throne. Then, in a very similar
situation with the first "Steve Trevor" crash landing
in an airplane, this time the place was sabotaged and was drawn
into the force field of Paradise Island. My reaction was
"What!? It can't be Steve Trevor again!" -and, (A
course, it is his son. And Lyle Waggoner is playing the role
again. So the change is explained but not dwelled upon.
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| Q.
On your album and in your nightclub act, are you planning to
incorporate "Wonder Woman" into them at all?
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| A.
Not on my record at all. I don't even know if I'll do it in my
Vegas or nightclub act. I would want to if it was done with good
taste and humor. If I could be certain it would be done in that
way, I might consider it. But, right now, "Wonder
Woman" belongs on a soundstage.
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| Q.
Lynda, it is very clear that your integrity in your career means
as much as the career itself. |
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| A.
There are certain compromises you have to make. But if you're
compromising your integrity or your self-image then you are
prostituting yourself though you are the only judge if you are
or are not. There is no criteria since what is right for someone
else may not be the right for me and vice versa.
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| Q.
Have you been confronted with situations-like the drug scene
since you've been in the acting profession?
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| A.
I have never been confronted with anyone that has tried drugs
-that whole situation has never been pushed off on me. I think
drugs -or anything like that-is either approachable or not
approachable. And it's something I am not interested in at all.
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| Q.
Will "Wonder Woman" be confronted with the drug
problems?
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| A.
Probably some script will have a problem with drug trafficking
or with someone involved with it. Ron and I don't socialize with
people that are into drugs or take drugs and it’s not that I
think they're awful if they are, it's just that I think it's
such a trap. Ron, our friends, and I don't smoke grass or
anything. I have enough to do without worrying about that and I
think it is a big problem for other people. I try to protect
myself on every angle and Ron does a lot of protecting. Ron is a
terrific shoulder to cry on!
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| Q.
How do you like married life?
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| A.
I love it! It's great. It's hard now that I am filming again
since, before, most of our time together was a result of Wonder
Woman being on hiatus. We met just before last season finished
so now our time together is something we nave to work at. We
really take the time to talk with-not at-each other and
communicate because if we don't make the time, the time is never
going to be there.
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| Q.
You're obviously very much in love.
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| A.
He's so cute! Ron is my first and only-love. I thought that I
had been in love before. I wanted to be in love before, I told
myself that I was, and so I was for a very short period of time.
But I look at Ron while he's playing tennis-and I think that
he's cute! I think that he's sexy. Or I wake up in the morning
and he's hem and I get a little something in my heart and I've
never experienced that before. It's sharing wins and
frustrations and all of that. Sharing is the best part. It's not
so much of what it is in particular but helping one another out
of their frustrations and knowing that I can be frustrated and
he'll say: "Now, calm down." That's the best way to
get Ron out of a bad mood- is to be in a bad mood myself. Then,
he is very sympathetic to me (Laughs). Men he's very comforting
to me and he's out of his mood!
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| Q.
The way you met and the whole courtship could have come out of a
fairy tale.
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| A.
I was dating so many people at the time that it's revolting. I
was dating a lot of different people and I was very frustrated.
I had no romance going with any of them. It's funny-even now I
don't feel "married"-I thought that marriage was
oppressive, confining. I have a ring on my finger and there is a
little more wife-husband role playing but I don't feel
restricted. I don't feel confined.
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| Q.
Ron is regarded so highly in the industry, you must experience a
great sense of security not only personally but professionally
as well.
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| A.
Yes, he gives me a great sense of security. Sometimes, because
he is such a dynamo, and I'm very strong-willed and he is very
strongwilled, there is a battle of will but he is just much more
objective than I am. He can look at something and it's in a
different light from the way I look at at. I look at it from the
inside out, and I look at it from the outside in, but Ron can
see a whole picture when I'm looking at one little area.
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| Q.
How would Lynda Carter describe "Wonder Woman'? If she were
a friend of yours, how would you describe her to others?
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| A.
At this point, Diana is-and "Wonder Woman" is-Lynda
Carter. I have melded the two so much that there are things
about myself, and the values I have, that the character has.
That's really all I can say about either one of use. I do have
to say, though, that Diana Prince is probably more
"me" than "Wonder Woman" is because,
obviously, "Wonder Woman" is fantasy and Diana is more
a human being and --I wear glasses, too.
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| Q.
Many girls are going to be glad to hear that!
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| A.
(Laughs.) Really? Anyway, that's basically where my changes as
an actress are-to make the character more like Lynda Carter and
less of a restrictive character. Make her more real.
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| Q.
Do you have any rules or personal philosophies you go by?
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| A.
I guess that it would be that all things will evolve. If I am
meant to do something then I will. I just try to be as prepared
as I can possibly be so that I don't give myself the excuse
"Well, I didn't get the role because. . ." or "If
I would only have, I could have . . ." I just try to be as
prepared as I can be and do what I do and go-straight ahead!
And, right now, I love what I'm doing!
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