Linda Cardellini

Linda Edna Cardellini (born June 25, 1975) is an American television and film actress. She is best known for her roles as high school student Lindsay Weir on Freaks and Geeks, as Velma Dinkley in the live-action Scooby-Doo films, and as Samantha Taggart on ER.

Early life

Cardellini was born in Redwood City, California, the daughter of Lorraine (née Hernan) and Wayne David Cardellini. She made her first public appearance at age 10, when she sang in a school play. After the performance, she acted in several school productions and started attending drama lessons. She graduated from nearby Mountain View's Catholic St. Francis High School in 1993.

Career

Cardellini received her first big break in 1996 when she landed a starring role as Sarah on ABC's Saturday morning live-action children's series, Bone Chillers. Following this, she made guest appearances on prime-time programs such as Step by Step, Clueless, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and Boy Meets World as Lauren, a girl that came between the show's star couple. Cardellini spent the summer of 1999 in Europe as part of a touring production of Lancelot, a 14th century Dutch tragedy.

Cardellini had her first major success when she landed one of the starring roles in the NBC series Freaks and Geeks, which debuted during the 1999–2000 season. As Lindsay Weir, an honor student in the midst of an identity crisis, the actress earned positive response that subsequently catapulted her to fame. In 2002, Cardellini starred in the live-action adaptation of Scooby-Doo, in which she brought to life the cartoon character of Velma Dinkley. She would later reprise the role of Velma in 2004's Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. In 2003, she joined the cast of the hospital drama ER as Samantha Taggart, a free-spirited nurse. Cardellini acted for six seasons on ER, until the series finale, "And in the End...".

Her other film work includes roles in Dead Man on Campus, Legally Blonde, Brokeback Mountain, and a starring role in Happy Madison'sGrandma's Boy as Samantha. She was also the voice of Ursula in the role-playing video game, Gladius. She also plays the voice of Bliss Goode on The Goode Family. In 2007, Cardellini was chosen to play lovelorn Clara in CBS' miniseries Comanche Moon, a prequel to 1989'sLonesome Dove.

Personal life

Cardellini attended Loyola Marymount University's College of Communication and Fine Arts, graduating in 2001 with a degree in theatre arts.

Cardellini dated her Freaks and Geeks co-star Jason Segel for a few years following the show's cancellation. She enjoys art (especially that of Margaret Keane) and takes martial arts classes.

Filmography

Movies

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1997	Good Burger	Heather
1998	Dead Man on Campus	Kelly
1998	Strangeland	Genevieve Gage
1999	The Prince and the Surfer	Melissa
2001	Legally Blonde	Chutney
2001	The Unsaid	Shelly Hunter
2002	Scooby-Doo	Velma Dinkley
2003	Certainly Not a Fairytale	Adelle	Writer
2004	Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed	Velma Dinkley
2004	Jiminy Glick in Lalawood	Natalie Coolidge
2004	LolliLove	Linda
2005	Brokeback Mountain	Cassie
2005	American Gun	Mary Ann Wilk
2006	Grandma's Boy	Samantha
2008	The Lazarus Project	Julie Ingram
2011	The Irishman	Joan Madigan
2011	Super	Pet Store Employee
2011	Return	Kelli	Pre-Production

TV Movies

• Dying to Live (TV movie) (1999)

Television

• Bone Chillers as Sarah (8 episodes, 1996)
• 3rd Rock from the Sun as Lorna (1 episode, 1997)
• Pacific Palisades (TV series) as Sara (2 episodes, 1997)
• Clueless (TV series) as Oddrey (1 episode, 1997)
• Step by Step as Cassie Evans (1 episode, 1997)
• Promised Land as Amber (1 episode, 1998)
• Kenan & Kel as Becky (1 episode, 1998)
• Guys Like Us as Jude (6 episodes, 1998–1999)
• Boy Meets World as Lauren (4 episodes, 1998–1999)
• The Lot as June Parker (1 episode, 1999)
• Freaks and Geeks as Lindsay Weir (18 episodes, 1999–2000)
• The Twilight Zone as Ali Warner (1 episode, 2003)
• Robot Chicken as Various (2 episodes, 2005–2008)
• Human Giant as Melody Richards (1 episode, 2007)
• Comanche Moon as Clara Forsythe (3 episodes, 2008)
• ER as Nurse Samantha Taggart (126 episodes, 2003–2009)
• Cupid as Masseuse (1 episode, 2009)
• The Goode Family as Bliss Goode (13 episodes, 2009)

Video games

• Gladius (2003)
• Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)

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