Linda Cardellini was born on June 25, 1975 in Redwood City, California. Through her exposure on the critically adored NBC series Freaks and Geeks, Linda Cardellini was singled out by dozens of major publications as one of the most extraordinary young actors in Hollywood, with good reason. As early as age 10, when she was first asked to sing in a school play, Cardellini knew what her future would be. She immersed herself in school productions and drama classes, getting her big break with a starring role in the television series Bone Chillers. She has also appeared in the films Dead Man on Campus, with Tom Everett Scott and Good Burger.
After breaking into the scene in Freaks and Geeks in the fall of 1999, she starred that season in American Movie Classics’ original four-part dramedy The Lot, set in a film studio during the 1930’s. The multi-plot story revolved around her character, June Parker, an innocent young Midwesterner who goes to Hollywood to become a star. When AMC opted to continue the multi-part series, Linda re-joined her original castmates for several guest-star appearances, winning repeat rave reviews each time.
Since finishing the series, Linda has worked non-stop in both feature films and theatre. She recently starred in The Unsaid, opposite Andy Garcia and was seen in 2001’s Legally Blonde, with Reese Witherspoon. Of course, the role that might be considered her breakthrough is that of Velma Dinkey in the film adaptation of Scooby-Doo. She is due to reprise the character in the 2004 sequel. Meanwhile, she will also appear in Lollilove and La La Wood, with Martin Short.
Linda is also genuinely committed to her first love, theater. She has performed in Europe, starring in the Dutch tragedy Lancelot, a 14th century secular feminist play and only recently translated into English and also appeared in the West Coast premiere of Adam Rapp’s award-winning Ghosts in the Cottonwoods.