WONDERLAND • The Ultimate Wonder Woman Site

First known for her "Wonder Woman" television series, this actress and former beauty queen continues to make her mark as wife, mother and entertainer. Lynda Carter is moving in new directions both personally and professionally with a successful combination of talent and ambition.

"More than anything, I want to challenge myself and experience the real qualities of life:' she says as she overlooks the ocean from her Malibu beach house, "Life is not a dress rehearsal”

Her ties to the Valley are strong. Her 18-acre much in Calabasas has been a quiet retreat from the Hollywood crowd.

"I love the Valley, especially driving through the mountain areas, the passes and the canyons,' she says. "I find the Valley much more normal than the other side of the hill. Here in the Valley, people understand the real work ethic; they understand much more about what it takes to feed a family. In Beverly Hills the thought is, 'Do I get a new Mercedes or BMW for my birthday?' It's very unrealistic there in terms of what's really important."

The biggest influences in her life have been her marriage to Robert Altman, a Washington, D.C., attorney, and their 11-month-old son, James Clifford. She divides her time between Malibu, her mach in Calabasas and her new home in Washington, D.C. After taking a year off during her pregnancy, Carter is beginning work on several new film and television projects.

She's also busy recording a new Spanish album featuring contemporary love songs for release early next year, and plans to continue performing in Us Vegas and Atlantic City. In addition, this is her eighth year as advertising spokeswoman and beauty and fashion director for Maybelline Cosmetics. She appears in advertisements and consuits in new product development and marketing. She also hosts the $250,000 annual Lynda Carter Maybelline Tennis Challenge in Palm Springs.

"I recently signed a long-term agreement with Maybelline, and I'm happy because I'm not just a spokesperson:' she says. "I go into their Memphis headquarters several times a year to discuss product development and to give my opinion on consistency and colors in new things coming up. I bring in some of my own personal ideas, and my friends and I test many of the products"

Obviously, the Lynda Carter image has been a good one for the company. In the time she has been associated with Maybelline, the firm's sales have tripled, from $70 million to more than $200 million.

"I started in television with my role as 'Wonder Wound 12 years ago," she says. "I'm proud of it but it's like a lifetime ago. I'm planning to go to New York and start studying acting again because whether it's film or theater, it's a new direction for me.

"Creatively, I have a much more serious attitude than I had before. In the beginning of my career, I really wanted to be famous and become a household name. That was very important to me. I felt by doing that it would give me the freedom to do the roles I really wanted. I think now I want to enjoy my life more and I dolt want to be just a working machine. I believe in accomplishing thingsthat is what gives you a real sense of self-worth, a real personal joy."

"I've learned there's a lot more to life than just business;' she says. "You look at your list of credits and it's what you did, not necessarily what you're doing now, and how full your life is at this given moment. My work used to be the only thing that gave me happiness and brought me joy. Now there's mom-them 's my husband and my child"

Lynda Jean Carter, 37, was born the youngest of three children in Phoenix. When her parents divorced, she worked as a waitress and then as a singer in nightclubs and lounges across the country. In 1973, she won the Miss Arizona pageant and two weeks later was crowned Miss USA World. She was ready for Hollywood.

Beauty queen titles can be impressive, but they dolt pay the hills forever. Just as she was about to give up on her dreams for stardom, she landed the role of "Wonder Woman;' which ran for five years.

During the past several years, she has starred in the TV movies "Born To Be Sold;' addressing the issue of children sold for illegal adoption, "The Last Song" and "Rita Hayworth: The Love Goddess:' Her latest film, "Stillwatch," a suspense thriller based on the New York Times best-seller, was produced by her own production company.

"We are in the process of developing several projects for my production company, Potomac Reductions;' Carter says. "We have talked with several studios about the possibility of doing a TV series out of Washington, D.C. I like doing projects through my own company because I have so much more control and can develop the ideas.

"The next step will be developing more projects that I won't necessarily star in, but I'll have the creative input and direction. I'm looking forward to the release of my new album, new film and theater projects, and, of course, my work with Maybelline.”

Carter also starred with her good friend Lori Anderson in the 1984 NBC series, "Partners in Crime." Her Emmywinning TV musical variety specials and personal appearances in Las Vegas and Atlantic City have highlighted her multifaceted singing and dancing talents.

"I've done TV, movies of the week, specials, live performing and series work;' she says. "I've enjoyed all of it. Singing and entertaining used to be my biggest passion, but it's a tremendous amount of work. It means working at night and lots of traveling. Now I'm ready for a new challenge in theater and film. "You always have to prove yourself. Famous people in television have a difficult time making the transition into film because of the 'caste system in the industry. Daytime people have a tough time going into prime time, and I know I'll have to earn my film roles. That's something I really want to do. I'm now at a crossroads in my life. The decisions I make now will affect my entire career"

In January 1984, she married Altman. "I met Robert through my involvement with Maybelline;' she says. "He was their Washington, D.C., counsel, and we met at a dinner party in Memphis. He really thought, as many people do, that he would be meeting another celebrity type who's full of herself. But we sat next to each other that night at dinner and we just clicked. We didn't stop talking the whole night. In fact we were almost rude to the others because we talked so much.

"We then started seeing each other, and I must admit I was crazy about him from the beginning. Then, about a year and a half later we got married. I think the biggest adjustment for us has been our private lives being so public. For him, losing that privacy has been an adjustment.

"Robert is very supportive of my career and wants what makes me happy. He has said the fact that I work and have my own successful career has been great. He makes an effort to fly to wherever I am on weekends, even if it's only for the day, and to me that's an effort I respect. He's there to help me with what I want to accomplish. I have a real security with him that I've never had before with a man."

Perhaps the most profound change in her fife has been having a child. "Taking a year off and having my son was like a sabbatical for me;' she says. "I remember I canceled my summer tour as soon as I found out I was pregnant because I didn't want to be jumping around on stage and risk losing the baby. I didn't want any stress on myself, and besides, I couldn't fit into any of my gowns for the tour!

"Everyone said a baby would change my life. My older sister and brother each have two children and I've always enjoyed them. But the way my son has changed my life has been that I'm more aware of my mortality. I didn't miss working, but after I had Jamie I was worried I'd never work again. But you know, giving myself that time off was a great gift.”

Carter takes health and fitness seriously. She says she is in better shape now than ever before and loves all sports including water- and snow-skiing, as well as tennis and racquetball. "I had started an exercise program with trainer Mike Abrams while working on a film. He then put a gym together for me with all the equipment I needed. When I got pregnant, I modified the program and added walking four miles a day, which I did throughout my pregnancy. 1 gained an enormous amount of weight, but it was a great time in my fife, and for the first time I was able to eat whatever I wanted. But I really had to work very hard to get back in shape.

"Martina Navratilova, who is a good friend, had told me about the Versaclimber, an exercise climbing machine, which I began using two hours a day about three weeks after I had Jamie. I became very disciplined in walking, swimming and lifting weights. I thought of it as my job, and I've kept it up. I worked with a nutritionist and was on a well-balanced, no fat, no sweets, no meat diet. I'm no longer on the diet, but I do watch what I eat. The older you get you realize in order to feel as good as you want to, you have to make an effort.”

With the holidays approaching, Carter mentions her faith and how she will celebrate with her family and friends. "My faith is an intensely private thing,' she says. "Them was a time when I put out to the public my private Christian beliefs, but 1 feel it's a personal commitment. With me, my faith is very important to my fife and very personal to me. I'm looking forward to Christmas because it's my favorite time of year. We all decorate the house with bows, mistletoe and my collection of Christmas omaments, which I've been collecting for the last 12 years. Every Christmas I buy lots of new ones, and receive many as gifts. I'm really very into Christmas, especially this year since it's Jamie's first.

"I'm very happy because my family and Robert's family all will join us. I miss my friends when I'm in Washington, D.C., but then I've made many new friends there, too. I find I warm up to those who are down-to-earth, everyday people. That's one reason why Lori Anderson and I are such good friends. We're both very down-to-earth. I just saw her last week, and we talked nonstop for hours. It's friendships like that which mean so much, that you have to work at, and keep in contact with because they're so infrequent in your lifetime."

Carter is involved with many charities and foundations across the country. "I get so many requests for my time that now I concentrate on charities involving children:' she says. "I work with Ronald McDonald House, Arts for the Handicapped, Yes I Can Program and Walk for the Children. Anything to do with children is where I'm focused. I've also done lobbying in Washington, D.C., for many different things, such as mammograms being included in health insurance programs for women, which I'm very concerned about.”

As she bounces Jamie on her lap, she looks out toward the ocean and reflects on her life. "Success is not just money, or fame, it's putting yourself on the line and taking chances. I work wherever work takes me. I enjoy the freedom to travel, and still be with my family. People who work and love what they do have a real sense of accomplishment, and that's exactly how I feel about my fife."