WONDERLAND • The Ultimate Wonder Woman Site

"This may sound strange to you, but I speak to God every day. He told me to go ahead with the series because it could prove to be a valuable experience in many ways, but he warned me that I would be misunderstood in the role of Wonder Woman."

Lynda Carter, the 5'8", twenty-five year old star of ABC's Wonder Woman, has, since the advent of her series, played a starring role in the fantasy life of many American males. Does she look as good off screen as on? No, she doesn't. She looks better. What makes her more beautiful and more interesting in person is the simple fact that she is loving. After observing her deified, slightly metallic presence in a role which demands that she appear to be a couple of evolutionary steps ahead of the rest of us, it is a pleasure, upon meeting her, to discover that you are in the company of a warm, accessible human being.

In person Lynda is young, fresh and animated. She tucks a strand of dark hair behind her ear and declares with earnest blue eyes: "Nobody realizes how difficult it is to play that role. I challenge any actress in Hollywood to try it - ANY of them. The line between reality and caricature or between the two girls, Diana and Wonder Woman, is a thin one. It's not easy to work with scripts that suggest cartoons rather than real people the audience can care about. It's difficult-and it's also lots of fun!"

With a toss of her thick, glossy hair, which she wears straight, Linda exclaims: "Television reaches SO many people! I was in Cleveland recently for a personal appearance. As cold as it was back there, the fans were out in force. It was absolute pandemonium. One little boy fainted and I had to scream at the police 'to keep him from being trampled to death! It was a chance for me to discover what an enormous responsibility it is to be seen by the American public every week. TV, is a very powerful medium-for good or bad.”:

Most actors and actresses prefer to work in film because more time is available to do a good job. Lynda feels, however, that the quality of a performance need not be limited by the medium through which it is expressed.

"As my heroine, Katharine Hepburn, has demonstrated, it's possible to transcend all that stuff. You can make something good out of whatever it is you're working with! I admire her a lot. She only gets better.

"The other side of doing the best you can with what you've got is exercising your right to refuse a part. That's important when you're building a career. I always allow myself the room to say, 'no thanks.' If you don't have that option, it's not much fun to say, 'yes'!"

"YES" is what- Lynda and Ron Samuels, personal manager extraordinaire, have said to each other regarding the question of marriage. Directing the careers of such stars as Lindsay Wagner and Jaclyn Smith, Ron has earned a reputation as an infallible creator of superstars. Lynda says that in her case, he doesn't so much manage as "husband" her career.

"When problems arise in my work, we discuss them, as any couple would, but since he's my lover, my sweetheart, my fiancé and the person I care for more than any other in the world, it feels wrong to place him in the category of manager'!

"My mother always said I would know when the right man presented himself. I waited a long time and when Ron finally came along, it happened so fast I didn't have time to ponder the pros and cons. We met and went to lunch on a Friday, played tennis Saturday, went out Sunday night-and I haven't left him since! It's been such a natural transition, so flowing, so right. There was never a doubt in my mind.

"It's very important to Ron and I that we were both successful all by ourselves before we got together. Neither of us is riding on the other's coattails. Success can create all kinds of problems-if only one person in a partnership achieves it.

"Success doesn't get in the way of relationships between people who are independent thinkers. By independent I don't just mean self-reliant and assertive. People who are truly independent are those who are willing to listen as well as talk -to at least take a look at someone else's point of view whether they embrace it or not. Those are the kind of women I have as close friends now. They're not jeopardized by my success because they have their own lives.

"These days, between my career and Ron, I don't have much time for friends. But that's OK," Lynda beams. "They understand. It's not as if they're waiting by the phone for me to call.

"In a sense, my closest woman friend is my sister, because we share a desire to expand and develop our spiritual natures. That's something I've felt the potential for since I was a child, and it's still more or less an untapped resource.

"I have this gift-," Lynda falters, perhaps concerned about her credibility. "When somebody needs advice, I am able to say the right thing-but you see it's not really me that's talking! I hear the words coming out of my mouth, yet I don't remember what I said afterward. It's not clairvoyance, but a truly spiritual thing."

Her voice, which is always soft, drops to a whisper, and some lip reading is required to get everything she says. "God talks to me everyday. He always has. "I suppose it all sounds very serious and sober and heavy, but the truth is," she continues brightly. "that the spiritual side of your nature holds more fun and beauty and light than you can imagine. It doesn't drag you down-it uplifts you! In my work, I hope to act as a catalyst for other people to find w hat I've found.

"The film business can get pretty rough at times. Ron and I try to separate ourselves from that element and keep a perspective regarding money and fame. We don't view the industry as the enemy, but as an influence that can corrupt. I see that potential evil as the other side of spirituality."

Lynda Carter has experienced great success as Wonder Woman, but the really good news is that she is a multi-dimensional creature with even more to offer. If you've seen her on television you know this lady is beautiful. Those fortunate to have met her know that she is also real, and by virtue of this fact, far more wonderful than Wonder Woman.