Amy Carlson

Born in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, Amy Carlson spent most of her childhood in the Chicago region. However, at the time Amy was in high school her family also resided in the Middle East where her parents, Bob and Barb, taught at the American School. Amy is the older sister of Betsy, Lori, and brother Joe. Amy has traveled across Europe with her family as well as alone. Her parents were teachers so they had the opportunity to spend their summers camping together and travel all across the United States. They've camped in every US state, with the exception of Alaska. Amy traveled to Rwanda to help in efforts to aid in the aftermath of the 1994 war. Early on, Amy showed artistic talent acting in school productions and winning contests for writing. She was a talented athlete at high school and took part in the first ever 3200-meter relay at the Illinois girls track. After sustaining an injury, she was able to go back to theater and perform a variety of roles in plays, including Lanford Wilson's "Fifth of July" and Wallace Shawn's directorial "Aunt Dan and Lemon". Amy was an Knox College student from Galesburg, Illinois. She graduated with an B.A. East Asian history, with a specialization in Theater. She moved to Chicago shortly after and then studied Improv at the Improv Olympic and then acting at The Actor's Center. Following graduation, she took on a contract as an actress on the soap opera Another World (1964). She was nominated for the "Outstanding Supporting Actress in Daytime Drama Series" category for the Daytime Emmy Award. Her most memorable roles were those of strong women, such as Alex Taylor (1999), Maggie Pistone (2000), Katie Owen (2003), and Linda Reagan (2003). Carlson resides in New York City with husband Syd Butler, bassist of Les Savy Fav, where she is also employed in the world of independent music as part-owner of the independent label "Frenchkiss Records". Amy continues to pursue her passions in the field of film and writing.