Amy Carlson

Amy Carlson was born in Glen Ellyn in Illinois and spent her childhood in Chicago. Amy resided in GlenEllyn, Illinois, until she graduated from junior college. Her family also resided in the Middle East, where her parents, Bob (and Barb) taught at the American School. Amy has two sisters, Betsy and Lori, and a younger brother, Joe. Amy has traveled throughout Europe both on her own and together with her family. Her parents were teachers, so they had the opportunity to spend their summers together in the campfire and travelling across the United States. They've camped in every US state, with the exception of Alaska. Amy traveled to Rwanda in 1994 following the war to assist with the relief efforts. Amy was a skilled actor in school plays and also won writing contests. High school was where she excelled in athletics winning the first ever 3200 meter relay race for girls in Illinois track. After suffering an injury, Amy returned to college and performed in a variety of roles on the stage, beginning with Lanford Wilson's "Fifth Of July” and later directing Wallace Shawn's "Aunt Dan and Lemon”. Amy went to Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois which is where she graduated cum laude with an B.A. East Asian history, with an emphasis on Theater. Following graduation, she moved to Chicago and began studying Improv at the Improv Olympic. She also pursued acting at The Actor's Center. A contract role on the now-defunct soap series Another World (1964) moved her to NYC soon after graduation. She was nominated for the "Outstanding Supporting Actress in Daytime Drama Series" category for the Daytime Emmy Award. The most memorable characters have been those performed by strong women, including Alex Taylor in Third Watch (1999), Maggie Pistone ((2000)), Katie Owen and Tom Berenger in Peacemakers(2003) and Linda Reagan in Blue Bloods(2003). Carlson resides in New York City with husband Syd Butler, the bassist of Les Savy Fav, where she also works in the world of independent music as the co-owner of the independent label "Frenchkiss Records". Amy is continuing to write and search for diverse and distinctive roles in the world of film.