Biography
Linda Edna Cardellini (born June 25, 1975) is an American actress. In television, she is known for her starring roles in the teen drama Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000), the medical drama ER (2003–2009), and the thriller Bloodline (2015–2017), as well as for her guest role as Sylvia Rosen on AMC's Mad Men (2013–2015). Her starring role in the Netflix dark comedy series Dead to Me (2019–2022) earned her a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress.
In film, Cardellini became known for playing Velma Dinkley in Scooby-Doo (2002) and its 2004 sequel. Her other credits include Legally Blonde (2001), Brokeback Mountain (2005), Daddy's Home (2015) and its sequel Daddy's Home 2 (2017), The Founder (2016), Green Book (2018), A Simple Favor (2018), and The Curse of La Llorona (2019). She also played Laura Barton and voiced Lylla in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She received critical acclaim for her leading performance in the miniseries DTF St. Louis (2026), including a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
== Early life and education ==
Cardellini was born on June 25, 1975, in Redwood City, California, United States. Her father, Wayne David Cardellini, was a businessman, and her mother, Lorraine (née Hernan), a homemaker.
