Linda Thorson
Linda Thorson is a Canadian actress best known for her role as Tara King in the iconic British television series, *The Avengers*, where she replaced Diana Rigg in the show's final season. Born on June 18, 1947, in Toronto, Ontario, Thorson pursued her passion for the performing arts by moving to England as a teenager to study dance and voice, eventually graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1967. While *The Avengers* marked a significant point in her career, her portrayal of Tara King sparked mixed reactions regarding the character's emotional depth compared to previous leads.
Beyond television, Thorson has had an extensive career in theater, receiving recognition on Broadway and performing in various prestigious theater companies in the UK and North America. Her notable works include roles in productions such as *Steaming*, *Noises Off*, and *City of Angels*. Additionally, she has appeared in films throughout the 1980s and 2000s, as well as in soap operas like *One Life to Live* and series such as *Star Trek: The Next Generation* and *Law & Order*.
Thorson has been married four times and has a son, Trevor. She maintains a diverse career that showcases her talent across multiple mediums, continuing to engage in theatrical productions and television roles.
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Subject Terms
Linda Thorson
Actor
- Born: June 18, 1947
- Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario
Contribution: Linda Thorson is a Canadian actress best known for playing Tara King in the hit 1960s television series The Avengers, which aired on British television. Thorson later appeared in numerous character roles in television and in film, and has also performed on the stage.
Early Life & Education
Thorson was born Linda Robinson in Toronto, Ontario, on June 18, 1947, the second of four children of parents who were both teachers. As a teenager, Thorson moved to England to study dance and voice in 1965. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London in 1967.
Acting Career
Thorson’s acting career was unexpectedly launched in 1967 when she was chosen to replace Diana Rigg as the female lead for the final season of the long-running spy series The Avengers. Instead of taking over Rigg’s lead role as Emma Peel, she was cast as a new lead character, Tara King. Although she became known primarily for this role, some viewers and critics felt that Thorson’s performance was too emotional and that her character lacked a certain degree of toughness that had marked the show’s other female leads. At the same time, her character introduced a stronger note of romance and even hints of a sexual past with the series protagonist, John Steed, played by Patrick Macnee. In 2000, Thorson won a special BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award, shared with her costars, for this role.
When The Avengers ended, Thorson returned to the theater, where she became a frequent performer in the United States, Canada, and Britain. In 1980, Thorson starred in the Manitoba Theatre Centre’s production of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull. On Broadway, she won a Theatre World Award for her work in Steaming in 1982 and starred in the title role in Zoya’s Apartment (1990). Her other Broadway credits include roles in Noises Off (1983–85), City of Angels (1989), and Getting Married (1991). She later performed with the Old Vic and Royal Shakespeare theater companies in the United Kingdom.
Although she was the only female lead of the Avengers cast not to have appeared in the James Bond films, Thorson appeared in several films in the late 1980s, including Walls of Glass (1985), Sweet Liberty (1986), The Other Sister (1999), and Half Past Dead (2002). She played Julia Medina on the American soap opera One Life to Live from 1989 to 1992. Thorson also had a number of other television roles, including on the American series St. Elsewhere (1985), The Bronx Zoo (1987), Star Trek: The Next Generation (1993), Law & Order (2001), Saving Hope (2012), and Rookie Blue (2013). She had recurring roles on Marblehead Manor (1987–88), Emily of New Moon (1998–99), and The Hoop Life (1999–2000). From 2006 to 2007, she had a recurring role as Rosemary King on the series Emmerdale.
In addition to television and film roles, Thorson continued to appear in theatrical productions, including the Chichester Festival production of the Stephen Sondheim musical Putting It Together (2001); The Constant Wife (2002) at the Apollo Theater in London; the Manitoba Theatre Centre’s production of Humble Boy (2004); and the Lerner and Loewe play Gigi (2008) at the Open Air Theatre at Regent’s Park in London.
Personal Life
Thorson once dated Frank Sinatra and was married four times. After marriages to Cyril Smith and Barry Bergthorson (from whom she took her stage name), Thorson married Bill Boggs, an American news anchorman and producer. The couple had a son, Trevor, and later divorced. Thorson married Canadian filmmaker Gavin Mitchell on November 20, 2005.
Principal Works
Television
The Avengers, 1968–69
Marblehead Manor, 1987–88
One Life to Live, 1989–92
Emmerdale, 2006–7
Film
Valentino, 1977
The Great Tycoon, 1979
Walls of Glass (also known as Flanagan), 1985
Sweet Liberty, 1986
The Other Sister, 1999
Half Past Dead, 2002
Theater
The Seagull, 1980
Steaming, 1982
Noises Off, 1983–85
City of Angels, 1989
Zoya’s Apartment, 1990
Getting Married, 1991
Amy’s View, 2000
Putting It Together, 2001
The Constant Wife, 2002
Humble Boy, 2004
Gigi, 2008
August: Osage County, 2013
Bibliography
Boehm, Mike. “Her Art Imitates Her Life: Ex-Avenger Linda Thorson Revisits Trying Times in SCR Role.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2000. Web. 26 Aug. 2013.
Erickson, Hal. “Linda Thorson.” New York Times. New York Times Co., 2010. Web. 26 Aug. 2013.
Gans, Andrew. “Stage Views: Stage and Screen Star Linda Thorson, Now Appearing in Everyman’s August: Osage County.” Playbill. Playbill, 9 Feb. 2013. Web. 26 Aug. 2013.
Johnson, Sharon. “‘Sisters’ Actress Returns to First Love: Theater.” Patriot News [Harrisburg, PA] 26 Feb. 1995: Arts/Leisure n.pag. Print.
Lisanti, Tom and Louis Paul. Film Fatales: Women in Espionage Films and Television, 1962–1973. Jefferson: McFarland, 2002. Print.
Martindale, David. “Linda Thorson.” Biography Magazine Jan. 2003: 28. Print.
“Medea M’Dear: Steed’s Ex on FX.” Toronto Star 27 Sept. 1996: C2. Print.
O’Rourke, Lynn. “Q & A with Linda Thorson.” Scotland on Sunday 10 Feb. 2008: n.pag. Print.
Pressley, Nelson. “‘August: Osage County’ Is Fitting Opener for Everyman Theatre’s New Space.” Washington Post. Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2013. Web. 26 Aug. 2013.
Wolf, Matt. Rev. of The Constant Wife. Variety 13–19 May 2002: 33. Print.