Biography
Though sharp-eyed Game Show Channel fanatics may recall her from her fireplace-winning stint on
The Price Is Right or her appearance on
Family Feud, pretty actress Linda Cardellini may be most affectionately known among her fans for her memorable early role as conflicted high school student Lindsay Weir on the short-lived television series
Freaks and Geeks.
Born in June of 1975 in Redwood, CA, Cardellini became fascinated with acting when asked to sing in a school play at the age of ten. Soon dedicating all of her spare time to stage productions and acting classes during her tenure at Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, CA, the young actress received her first television role when she was cast as a student at the ominously named Edgar Allen Poe High School in the creepy kids show
Bone Chillers (1996). Feature roles followed shortly thereafter, with Cardellini appearing in such films as
Good Burger the following year, and alongside future
Freaks and Geeks cast mate (and future love interest)
Jason Segel in
Dead Man on Campus (1998). Later turning up as a teen tormented by a sadistic Dee Snyder in
Strangeland, Cardellini appeared in small roles in a few other small-screen productions before finding herself in the studious but free-thinking shoes of her
Freaks and Geeks alter-ego. Examining the flip side of the
Beverly Hills 90210 beautiful and privileged teen set, the smart show had a solid cast, insightful writing, and a dedicated following. Unfortunately, it was canceled after less than 20 episodes. Following with supporting roles in
The Prince and the Surfer (1999),
Legally Blonde, and
The Unsaid (both 2001), Cardellini's rising popularity contributed to her largest feature, that of the brainy super sleuth Velma in the live-action adaptation of the beloved animated mainstay
Scooby-Doo. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide