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Linda Cardellini is heading to Crystal Lake with an Emmy on her résumé! The actress won her first Emmy on September 6, 2026, for her supporting role in DTF St. Louis. Now, she’s taking on Pam Voorhees, the mother of infamous Friday the 13th killer Jason Voorhees. Fans already know Linda from Freaks and Geeks, Scooby-Doo and Dead to Me, but there’s plenty more to learn about her beyond the screen.
From her breakout role to her family life and longtime romance with Steven Rodriguez, Tampascoop has rounded up five things to know about Linda below.
Linda Cardellini Was Born and Raised in California
Linda was born on June 25, 1975, in Redwood City, California, and is the youngest of four children. She began performing in local theater as a child and continued acting while attending St. Francis High School in Mountain View. She later earned a theater degree from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and completed a summer study program at London’s National Theatre.
She Had Her Breakout Role in ‘Freaks and Geeks’
Linda rose to prominence as Lindsay Weir on Freaks and Geeks, which premiered in 1999. She played an academically gifted teenager who begins spending time with a group of outsiders while questioning her identity. Although the series lasted only one season, it developed a devoted following. Linda also dated her costar Jason Segel, who played Lindsay’s love interest Nick Andopolis, for five years.
She went on to play Velma Dinkley in the live-action Scooby-Doo films and nurse Samantha Taggart on ER. Her other credits include Brokeback Mountain, Legally Blonde and Bloodline, as well as her role as Laura Barton, Hawkeye’s wife, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Linda Earned Emmy Nominations for ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Dead to Me’
Linda earned a 2013 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Sylvia Rosen, Don Draper’s married mistress, on Mad Men. In 2020, she received an Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series nomination for playing Judy Hale on Dead to Me. She also worked behind the camera as a co-executive producer, sharing the Netflix show’s Outstanding Comedy Series nomination that year.
She Welcomed Her Daughter Lilah Rose in 2012
Linda and Steven welcomed their first child, daughter Lilah Rose, on February 29, 2012. Born on Leap Day, Lilah has a birthday that appears on the calendar only once every four years. Before her daughter’s arrival, Linda spoke about the anticipation and responsibility of becoming a parent. “It’s a wonderful, thrilling event,” she told PEOPLE in December 2011, while acknowledging that the experience also brought some understandable nerves.
Linda Got Engaged to Steven Rodriguez in 2013
Linda’s love story with Steven goes back to grade school. She was 10 when they met, and she later recalled being impressed by the 11-year-old’s bike tricks. The longtime friends reconnected romantically years later, and Steven proposed in New York City in June 2013. Linda announced the news on The View, revealing that her sister, cousins and friend Maura Tierney were there for the special moment. “It was very beautiful,” she said of the proposal.
