Linda Hunt became popular after her role as a man in the notable movie The Year of Living Dangerously. Hunt is known for her small body size which she put into good use by standing out as one of the most unique actresses of all time. Her love for the performing arts started from a very young age and she didn’t hesitate to live out her passion.
For her remarkable role in The Year of Living Dangerously, the talented actress won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and was also established herself as the first person to win the award at the Academy for playing a character of the opposite sex. She rose to high prominence after playing the unique role and has had a blossoming career ever since. Here are lesser known facts about the veteran actress.
Linda Hunt Bio
She was born Lydia Susanna Hunt on April 2, 1945, in Morristown, New Jersey to her parents; Raymond Davy Hunt, her father and Elsie Doying Hunt her mother. She was raised in Westport, Connecticut where her mother, a piano teacher taught. Linda Hunt did not come from a large family; she has only one sibling, a sister named Marcia.
When Linda Hunt was a teenager she was diagnosed with hypopituitary dwarfism meaning that she was not going to grow any taller. This did not deter the 4feet 9inch Hunt to pursue her dreams of becoming an actress. She enrolled at the Interlochen Arts Academy and also attended the Goodman School of Drama located in Chicago. After an episode of scouting for roles, Hunt started out with theatre making her Broadway debut in 1975 in the production Ah, Wilderness.
Her most remarkable work was in the 1984 play End of the World which earned her a Tony Award for Best Actress. She joined the Long Wharf Theatre Company in Connecticut and appeared in a lot of plays including Hamlet. She appeared in Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht, as the lead character.
Linda Hunt made her film debut in 1980 in the musical comedy, Popeye. Only two years later the talented actress landed her breakthrough role of Billy Kwan in the notable The Year of Living Dangerously. The movie directed by Peter Weir was an adaptation of the novel of the same name. Hunt portrayed the role of a male Chinese-Australian photographer in the movie. After starring as a man and earning great popularity for it, she went on to appear in other movies.
She starred in She-Devil in 1990 and also starred opposite the legendary in Kindergaeten Cop (1990) and many other notable movies. Hunt also had her presence felt in TV. She starred in the legal drama The Practice as Judge Zoey Hiller. Linda Hunt is a co-star on the CBS show NCIS: Los Angeles where she appears alongside LL Cool J, Chris O’Donnell, Eric Christian Olsen, and others.
The talented actress is also known for her distinctive and uniquely coarse voice which she has put to good use by voicing several documentaries and programmes. She voiced the character of Grandmother Willow in the animation Pocahontas as well as its direct-to-video sequel Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World. She hosts a radio program, City Arts $ Lectures recorded at Nourse Theatre in San Francisco.
Her Net Worth
There have been conflicting reports regarding the net worth of the veteran actress. While some sources have estimated it to be $3 million others have maintained it is $6 million. But regardless, Linda Hunt enjoys a comfortable life in these latter days and is still a reputable figure in the industry.
Personal Life – Married, Wife?
Linda Hunt is in a same-sex marriage with her wife, Karen Kline. The couple whose relationship started since 1978 tied the knot in 2008 and have been together since. She resides with her wife Karen Kilne and their lovely pet dogs in Hollywood, California.
Where Is She Now, Is She Retiring Soon?
Linda Hunt is no longer active on-screen as she used to be in her vibrant days. Apart from the popular NCIS Los Angeles, the veteran actress has not been in any recent production.
Hunt was involved in a car accident in the summer of 2018 but did not sustain severe injuries. The traumatic experience caused the actress who stars as Henrietta “Hetty” Lange, to take a little break from filming the CBS drama.
Many have wondered if Linda Hunt’s rest would turn out to be a retirement from the screen. But she has not made such assertions. She rather spoke about her return to the show on some platforms.
