Amy Carlson

Amy Carlson was born in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and spent most of her early life in the Chicago area. During her junior high years, she and her family lived in the Middle East, where her parents, Bob and Barb, taught at the American School. Amy has three siblings: sisters Betsy and Lori, and brother Joe. She has backpacked throughout Europe, both with her family and independently. Because her parents were teachers, they were able to spend every summer traveling and camping across the United States; they have camped in every state except Alaska. Amy also traveled to Rwanda in 1994 to aid relief efforts following the war. From an early age, she demonstrated artistic talent, acting in school productions and winning contests for writing. In high school, she was a promising athlete, placing in the first-ever 3200-meter relay in Illinois girls' track. After an injury in college, she returned to theater, taking on many stage roles beginning with Lanford Wilson's *Fifth of July* and directing Wallace Shawn's *Aunt Dan and Lemon*. Amy attended Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where she graduated cum laude with a B.A. in East Asian history and a concentration in Theater. After college, she moved to Chicago and studied improv at the Improv Olympic and acting at The Actor's Center. A contract job on the now-defunct soap opera *Another World* (1964) brought her to New York City soon after graduation. She has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in the category of "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series." Among her most memorable roles are strong female characters such as Alex Taylor in *Third Watch* (1999), Maggie Pistone in *Falcone* (2000), Katie Owen alongside Tom Berenger in *Peacemakers* (2003), and Linda Reagan in *Blue Bloods*. Carlson resides in New York City with her husband, Syd Butler, bassist of Les Savy Fav, where she also works in the independent music business as part-owner of the label "Frenchkiss Records." Amy continues to write and pursue diverse and unique roles in the film industry.