Linda Hamilton was born on September 26, 1956 in Salisbury, Maryland, USA.  She has an identical twin and an older sister and younger brother.  Linda started acting at a very young age.  She never thought she would make a career out of it and instead wanted to be an archaeologist.  However, once she started working in children's theater she realized she loved acting. Once she was in high school, she was an assistant to the drama coach and also directed a play.  After finishing college she went to New York to go to acting school.  She appeared in many student stage productions.

After this she started appearing on television.  She got small parts in T.V. movies such as in 1980 she appeared in "Reunion" and "Rape and Marriage: The Rideout Case."  Then in 1982, she starred in "Tag: The Assassination Game" where she met her first husband Bruce Abbott.  They ended up getting married on December 19, 1982.

Her biggest break was in 1984, when she got picked to play the part of Sarah Connor in James Cameron's blockbuster "Terminator."  Her good luck continued, and from 1987 - 1989 she starred in the TV show Beauty and Beast.  By the end of 1989, Hamilton had a baby boy and had also gotten a divorce from her husband.

In 1990, she got offered a role in Terminator 2, which was also a great success.  She eventually got together with director James Cameron and they ended up having a daughter in 1993 after two miscarriages.  They got married in July 1997 during the shooting of James Cameron's blockbuster Titanic.  Unfortunately the marriage did not last and they ended up getting a divorce in 1999.

In 1999, Hamilton received a Golden Satellite Award for her role as Anna Sipes in "The Colour of Courage" which was a TV movie.  Currently she lives with her two children in Malibu.  Recently she has starred in "Bailey's Mistake" in 2001.  She says she likes to spend time at home with her children and wants to give them a life free of all the Hollywood stuff.