Biographies

Lindsay Wagner: The Woman Behind Jaime Sommers

From an Emmy-winning TV icon to author, teacher, advocate and a new generation of screen work, Lindsay Wagner’s career has lasted more than five decades.

Blog Mush September 25, 2026

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Lindsay Wagner became one of television’s most familiar faces during the 1970s.

One role changed everything.

As Jaime Sommers in The Bionic Woman, she played a character who could run faster, hear distant sounds and perform feats of superhuman strength. Yet Wagner wanted Jaime to feel human first.

That choice worked.

The part earned her an Emmy, worldwide recognition and a connection with viewers that has lasted for 50 years. She later built a long career across films, television movies, teaching, writing, charity work and even video games.

Quick Facts About Lindsay Wagner

Fact	Detail
Full Name	Lindsay Jean Wagner
Date of Birth	June 22, 1949
Age	77 years old as of September 2026
Birthplace	Los Angeles, California, United States
Nationality	American
Profession	Actress, author and advocate
Career Start	1971
Famous Role	Jaime Sommers in The Bionic Woman
Major Award	1977 Primetime Emmy Award
Golden Globe Nominations	Two
Hollywood Walk of Fame	December 13, 1984
Children	Two sons
Notable Game Work	Death Stranding
Current Status	Active in public appearances in 2026

Her official website describes Wagner as an actress, author and advocate, while the Television Academy confirms her Emmy-winning television career.

Early Life and Childhood

Lindsay Jean Wagner was born on June 22, 1949, in Los Angeles, California.

Her parents were Marilyn Louise and William Nowels Wagner. Her parents separated when she was young, and she later lived in the Eagle Rock area of Los Angeles.

The family eventually moved north.

She spent part of her teenage years in Portland, Oregon, where she attended David Douglas High School. Acting had already started becoming an outlet for her during those years.

School itself was tougher.

Wagner has spoken openly about living with dyslexia, which went undiagnosed during her school years. Reading caused problems, and her grades did not always match what people around her believed she could do.

Acting felt different.

It gave her a direct way to communicate emotions. The University of Michigan’s DyslexiaHelp project reports that Wagner had once considered psychology but eventually turned more seriously toward acting.

College and the Road Toward Acting

Wagner studied at the University of Oregon.

Her path did not turn into a conventional academic career. Acting, modeling and television soon became the bigger part of her life.

Before becoming a major screen name, she worked as a model in Los Angeles.

She also gained early television experience before landing professional acting roles.

Then came Universal Studios.

Her official career timeline places the start of her professional acting career in 1971, when she appeared on Marcus Welby, M.D.

Small parts followed.

But bigger work came fast.

The Paper Chase Put Her on the Map

One of Wagner’s first important film roles arrived in 1973.

She played Susan Fields in The Paper Chase, directed by James Bridges. The role brought her wider attention before the television character that would later make her famous around the world.

She also appeared in Two People during this early film period.

Still, television was about to change her career completely.

How Jaime Sommers Changed Everything

In 1975, Wagner appeared on The Six Million Dollar Man as Jaime Sommers.

Jaime was connected romantically to Steve Austin, played by Lee Majors.

Then disaster hit the character.

A skydiving accident left Jaime seriously injured. She received life-saving bionic replacements, giving her extraordinary physical abilities.

The story was meant to be short.

Jaime’s body later rejected the bionic implants, and the character appeared to die.

Viewers did not like that.

At all.

According to Wagner’s official site, the reaction came from children, parents and even children’s hospitals. Viewers wanted Jaime back.

Universal listened.

The character returned, and the public response eventually helped create a separate series built around her.

The Bionic Woman Arrives

The Bionic Woman became Wagner’s defining television role.

Jaime Sommers was powerful, but she was not written simply as a machine-like action hero. She could teach, care about people, struggle emotionally and still handle dangerous assignments.

That balance mattered to Wagner.

Looking back on the series 50 years later, she explained that she worked closely with creator Kenneth Johnson on the way Jaime was presented. She wanted emotional stories and a believable woman behind the bionic abilities.

Fans noticed.

Decades later, people still tell Wagner that Jaime gave them confidence or made them feel represented during difficult parts of their lives.

Lindsay Wagner’s Emmy Win

The industry noticed too.

In 1977, Wagner won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for The Bionic Woman.

The Television Academy lists her as the winner against nominees including Kate Jackson, Sada Thompson, Angie Dickinson and Michael Learned.

It remains the major acting award of her career.

She also received two Golden Globe nominations for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama.

Those nominations came in 1977 and 1978, both for The Bionic Woman.

Life After The Bionic Woman

Ending one hit series did not end her screen career.

Far from it.

Wagner moved heavily into television films and miniseries. Her official site says she starred in more than 60 films, with many stories built around serious social or family subjects.

Her notable work includes:

The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel
I Want to Live!
Callie & Son
Child’s Cry
The Taking of Flight 847
Evil in Clear River
Shattered Dreams
Fighting for My Daughter
Thicker Than Water
Four Extraordinary Women
Nighthawks
Ricochet
Billy: The Early Years

She also co-produced Shattered Dreams, a project dealing with domestic violence.

The subjects could get heavy.

Child abuse, domestic violence, terrorism, capital punishment, family pressure and illness appeared in different projects she chose over the years.

That became a clear pattern in her work.

She Returned as Jaime Sommers

Jaime Sommers never fully disappeared.

Wagner returned to the character in reunion productions connected with The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman.

These included:

The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman
Bionic Showdown
Bionic Ever After?

The reunion stories brought Wagner back together with Lee Majors and kept the Steve Austin–Jaime Sommers story alive for longtime viewers.

Later TV Roles

Wagner kept working long after the original bionic era.

Her later television appearances include Warehouse 13, Fuller House and Grey’s Anatomy. Her official television archive lists her Warehouse 13, Fuller House and Grey’s Anatomy work.

On Grey’s Anatomy, she played Helen Karev, the mother of Alex Karev.

San Bernardino Valley College highlighted the casting while discussing its former faculty member’s continuing acting career.

She also appeared in Hallmark productions such as Eat, Play, Love and Mingle All the Way.

Five decades in entertainment is a long run.

She kept finding new formats.

Lindsay Wagner in Death Stranding

Then came something very different.

Video games.

Wagner joined Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding after Kojima personally sought her participation.

Her official site says she supplied motion capture, vocal performance and images, while characters in the game were created using her likeness.

It was her first major move into video-game performance.

The original Death Stranding was released in 2019.

For younger audiences, this introduced Wagner in a completely different setting from the television world of the 1970s.

Teaching Acting and Directing

She also spent time teaching.

In 2013, Wagner joined the Radio, Television, Video and Film department at San Bernardino Valley College.

She worked there as an adjunct faculty member, teaching acting and directing.

The college now lists her as a former faculty member.

That role made sense.

By then, she had decades of on-camera experience to share.

Books and Writing

Wagner also became a published author.

Her books include work connected with wellness, food and personal care.

Documented titles include Lindsay Wagner’s New Beauty: The Acupressure Facelift and the vegetarian cookbook The High Road to Health.

Hallmark also notes her work as a co-author and her release of the meditation recording Open to Oneness.

Her interest in these subjects existed alongside her acting work for many years.

Wellness and Personal Development Work

Away from cameras, Wagner has spent decades studying and teaching practices tied to mind-body wellness and personal reflection.

She created workshops known as Quiet the Mind & Open the Heart.

These sessions grew from her own interest in Western and Eastern wellness practices.

There is an important distinction here.

These programs represent Wagner’s personal wellness and teaching work. They should not be presented as replacements for medical care or scientifically established treatment.

Charity and Advocacy Work

Her public work also includes long-term involvement with child protection and family issues.

Wagner joined ICAN Associates, connected with the Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect, in 1984.

She later served as president and now holds an emeritus leadership role.

ICAN currently identifies her as Chair Emeritus, while its organizational history also describes her as President Emeritus.

Her advocacy has included work connected with family violence, human rights, animal welfare and environmental issues.

From 2003 to 2006, her official profile says she also worked with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in support-group work involving families dealing with domestic violence.

Lindsay Wagner’s Children

Wagner is a mother of two sons, Dorian Kingi and Alex Kingi, whom she shares with stunt performer Henry Kingi.

Both sons went into entertainment-related work.

Dorian became known for acting, stunt and creature-performance work, while Alex also built screen stunt credits.

Wagner herself has occasionally discussed Dorian’s stunt work in interviews.

Private family matters beyond established public records are best left alone.

Hollywood Walk of Fame

Wagner received another lasting Hollywood honor in 1984.

Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was dedicated on December 13, 1984.

It sits at 6767 Hollywood Boulevard and belongs to the Television category.

The date came less than a decade after Jaime Sommers first appeared on television.

How Old Is Lindsay Wagner Now?

Lindsay Wagner was born on June 22, 1949.

That makes her 77 years old as of September 2026.

And yes, she is still appearing publicly.

Her official events page lists several fan appearances during 2026, including Mississippi Comic Con, Central Carolina Comic Con and conventions in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.

On September 26 and 27, 2026, she is scheduled to appear at Comic Con North East in Newcastle, England.

The Bionic Woman at 50

The year 2026 carries extra meaning.

It marks 50 years since The Bionic Woman began airing in 1976.

Wagner has taken part in anniversary interviews and fan events marking that milestone.

In a 2026 interview, she spoke about hearing from people who watched the show as children and still remember the way Jaime Sommers made them feel. Some saw strength. Others found comfort.

That response has lasted far longer than the original run.

What Makes Lindsay Wagner’s Career Different?

There is the obvious answer.

Jaime Sommers.

But that only covers part of it.

Wagner won an Emmy for the character, then spent decades taking television-film roles, returning for guest appearances, writing books, teaching actors, supporting charitable work and entering the gaming world.

She kept working.

She also kept meeting fans.

Her official site remains active in 2026 and continues to list public appearances, interviews and events.

Final Thought

Lindsay Wagner will always be linked with The Bionic Woman. That part is unavoidable.

But her career did not stop there.

She moved from 1970s television into films, TV movies, teaching, books, charity work and video games. Her 1977 Emmy remains a major career marker, while Jaime Sommers still brings new and longtime fans together half a century later.

At 77, she remains publicly active.

That is quite a run.