Linda Carroll Hamilton is an American actress. Known for portraying tough, resilient characters, she made her film debut in 1979 before achieving fame with her starring role as Sarah Connor in The Terminator (1984) and two of its sequels, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and Terminator: Dark Fate (2019). She is the recipient of various accolades, including two Saturn Awards, two MTV Movie Awards, a Satellite Award and a Romy Award, as well as nominations for three Golden Globes and one Primetime Emmy.
Hamilton's other film credits include Children of the Corn (1984), Black Moon Rising (1986), King Kong Lives (1986), Mr. Destiny (1990), Dante's Peak (1997), and The Kid & I (2005). Her television roles include Catherine Chandler in Beauty and the Beast (1987–1989), Mary Elizabeth Bartowski in Chuck (2010–2012), and Dr. Kay in the fifth and final season of Stranger Things (2025). She has also appeared in plays such as Laura (Tiffany Theater, 2000) and The Night of the Iguana (Berkshire Theatre, 2006). She is divorced from actor Bruce Abbott and filmmaker James Cameron, with one child from each marriage.