Amy Carlson Bio
Amy Lynn Carlson, born on July 7, 1968, is an American actress whose career spans stage, television, and film over more than three decades. She is widely recognized for playing Linda Reagan in the CBS police procedural Blue Bloods, Alex Taylor on the NBC drama Third Watch, and Josie Watts on the NBC daytime soap opera Another World. Across her career, she has taken on leading roles, recurring parts, and guest appearances in a wide range of network and cable productions. Her body of work reflects versatility across soap operas, prime-time dramas, independent films, and short-form projects.
Born in Elmhurst, Illinois, Carlson grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago before pursuing theatre training in college and later studying improv in the city. She eventually moved to New York to build her television career and later expanded into independent film and short-form directing. In addition to acting, she has co-written and directed her own short films and is a published songwriter through her band Office Romance.
Early Life and Background
Amy Lynn Carlson was born on July 7, 1968, in Elmhurst, DuPage County, Illinois, a suburb near Chicago. She was raised in the nearby community of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, where her family was rooted in the local school system. She is the daughter of schoolteacher parents, Barbara Jane Hultman and Robert Eugene Carlson, and she has an older sister, Betsy, who helped shape her early interests. Carlson is of Swedish descent, with family roots tracing back to the Småland region of Sweden.
Growing up in suburban Chicago gave Carlson steady access to schools and community activities, but her clearest early spark for performance came through film sets and local productions. Her very first acting job was as a background actor in the 1986 film Lucas, which starred Charlie Sheen, Corey Haim, and Winona Ryder. That small on-set experience, combined with the influence of her older sister, encouraged her to take her interest in acting more seriously.
Carlson later followed her sister Betsy to Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where she became deeply involved in the campus theatre scene. While at Knox, she appeared in productions including Fifth of July, Noises Off, A Lie of the Mind, and The School for Scandal. She also directed Aunt Dan and Lemon by Wallace Shawn during her senior year. She graduated cum laude with a degree in East Asian Studies and a concentration in theatre.
Path to Acting
After graduating from Knox College, Carlson moved to Chicago to sharpen her craft through formal training and small stage work. She studied improv with Charna Halpern at the Harold ImprovOlympic and took acting classes at The Actor’s Center with instructors Victor D’Altorio and Eileen Vorbach. She also appeared in small Chicago theatre productions, including Dark City, Revenge of the Cheerleader with writer Warren Leight, and Theater of the Film Noir at the Folio Theater Company.
Her early on-camera credits in Chicago included three episodes of The Untouchables starring William Forsythe and Tom Amandes, three episodes of Missing Persons with Daniel J. Travanti, and the television movie Legacy of Lies with Joe Morton. These roles introduced her to the rhythm of professional television production and helped her build a résumé strong enough to pursue work in New York.
Carlson’s move to New York City in late December 1993 marked her transition from regional stage and Chicago television into the national television market. Her first major network job was the role of Josie Watts on the NBC daytime soap opera Another World, which opened the door to a long career in serialized television.
Amy Carlson Career
Early Career (1993-1999)
Carlson made her soap opera debut on Another World in early 1994 in the role of Josie Watts, quickly becoming a familiar face to daytime audiences. During her first year on the show, she traveled with the humanitarian organization World Vision to Rwanda to participate in an awareness campaign following the war there. Her performance on Another World earned her a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1998.
After leaving Another World, she appeared in the television film Thanks of a Grateful Nation, which addressed Persian Gulf War syndrome. She later relocated to Los Angeles, where she took on a recurring role on the series Get Real, which starred Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg, and filmed If These Walls Could Talk Part 2, directed by Martha Coolidge. During this period, she also tested for the lead role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a part ultimately won by Mariska Hargitay, and guest-starred in NYPD Blue.
Breakthrough (2000-2017)
Between 2000 and 2003, Carlson starred as Alex Taylor in the NBC drama Third Watch, a role that elevated her profile in prime-time television and remains one of her most recognized performances. After Third Watch ended, she starred opposite Tom Berenger and Peter O’Meara in the western-set series Peacemakers, and when that show was not renewed, she shifted into a run of guest spots and recurring parts across network television.
Her credits during this period included a Law & Order episode titled Dead Wives Club in the show’s 15th season, followed by a regular role as bureau chief ADA Kelly Gaffney on Law & Order: Trial by Jury, where she co-starred alongside Bebe Neuwirth, Jerry Orbach, Kirk Acevedo, Fred Thompson, and Scott Cohen. She also took on guest roles in Criminal Minds and Fringe, and worked on the independent film Winning Girls Through Psychic Mind Control directed by Barry Alexander Brown.
In 2010, Carlson landed the role of Linda Reagan on the CBS police drama Blue Bloods, a part she would play for seven seasons. She continued her film work during breaks from Blue Bloods, playing Erin Callan alongside James Woods in Too Big to Fail, directed by Curtis Hanson and adapted from Andrew Ross Sorkin’s book. She was also cast by her friend David Cross in his directorial debut film Hits. Carlson’s run on Blue Bloods ended with the eighth-season premiere on September 29, 2017, in which her character, a nurse, was killed in a helicopter crash while transporting a patient.
Notable Works and Milestones
Carlson’s signature work remains her seven-year portrayal of Linda Reagan on Blue Bloods, paired with earlier defining turns as Alex Taylor on Third Watch and Josie Watts on Another World. Beyond acting, she has expanded into writing and directing, co-writing and starring in the short film The Letter with her husband Syd Butler, in which she also served as director. That short received recognition including best director and best actor honors at the Hollywood International Women’s Women’s Film Festival, along with selections at the Cannes Indie Film Festival, Hudson Valley Film Festival, and Dark Women Film Festival.
Amy Carlson Award Nominations
Amy Carlson has received recognition from both the television industry and humanitarian organizations across her career. Her earliest verified nomination came in 1998, when she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her work on Another World. Additional nominations from independent film festivals accompanied her short film work in later years.
Amy Carlson Awards Won
In 2018, Amy Carlson was presented with the Muhammad Ali Award for Gender Equality, recognizing her advocacy and humanitarian work. In 2021, she received the Knox College Alumni Achievement Award, honoring her professional accomplishments and continued connection to her alma mater.
Amy Carlson Family
Amy Carlson was born to schoolteacher parents, Barbara Jane Hultman and Robert Eugene Carlson, and grew up alongside her older sister, Betsy, who introduced her to Knox College. She is of Swedish descent, with family roots in the Småland region of Sweden. Her sister Betsy remained an important influence during her college years and beyond.
Personal Life
Amy Carlson married musician and producer Syd Butler in 2004, and the couple resides in New York City. Together they have two children. During the 2020 pandemic, Carlson and Butler, along with his bandmate Seth Jabour of Les Savy Fav and The 8G Band, formed the band Office Romance and released their first full-length album, Holidays of Love.