The Devastating Death Of TV's Linda Carlson
Linda Carlson, an actress famous for gracing our screens on several popular programs of the 1970s — including "Westside Medical," "Kaz," "Newhart," and "Murder One," — passed away on October 26 in Gaylordsville, Connecticut at the age of 76, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Carlson's family noted that the cause of death was complications from ALS, a degenerative disease that Carlson had been diagnosed with several years ago.
Carlson was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, but moved to the East Coast to attend NYU's renowned Tisch School of Dramatic Arts in the late 1960s. By the early '70s she was acting in Off-Broadway productions like "The Harangues," and debuted on Broadway in 1973 in a revival of "Full Circle." She left the theater scene when she landed a leading TV role as Dr. Janett Cottrell on the ABC series "Westside Medical," which unfortunately only ran for 13 episodes. During her time on Broadway she actually taught classes at NYU to make extra income as a young actress. She is undoubtedly best remembered for her 1970s TV work.
Linda Carlson was all over TV screens in the '70s
After "Westside Medical" failed to resonate with audiences, Carlson proceeded to land multiple guest roles in shows like "Kaz" and even on "Newhart," where she appeared for three seasons as the manager of a Vermont radio station alongside Bob Newhart's character of Dick Loudon. In the early '90s, Carlson guest starred in a few movies as well, including "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid," the second film in the Rick Moranis-starring "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" series. She also played Aunt Pearl in 1993's "The Beverly Hillbillies."
In the death announcement, Carlson's family also noted that she helped fund scholarships for the Village for Children & Families in Connecticut and at the Virginia Avenue Project in Los Angeles, where she was also a board member and president. Carlson is survived by her husband James, sister Janet, brother James Hale, and four nieces and nephews.