Lindsay Wagner, best known for her role as Jaime Sommers in The Bionic Woman, rose to fame in the 1970s as an icon of strength and grace. The series, a cultural phenomenon, redefined women’s roles on television. “Anybody over the age of 34 still tells me how I was such a big part of their childhood,” Wagner shared in 2018.
Despite her success, Wagner’s life behind the scenes was far from glamorous. By the show’s end in 1978, she was burnt out. Reflecting on writing the final episode, she admitted, “How Jaime Sommers was feeling—not like a woman but like a kind of robot—was the way I was feeling about the series.” Battling long hours, stress, and health issues, she turned to alcohol and drugs, later acknowledging, “I knew I had to make some changes.”
Her personal life also struggled. Three marriages ended in divorce, and health challenges, including chronic urticaria, pushed her to the brink. Turning inward, she credited her renewed faith and spirituality for helping her heal: “Every commitment…is an expression of God. You must do it with love and faith.”
Wagner embraced holistic healing, overcoming severe health problems through alternative methods and sharing her insights in workshops. In 2018, she returned to acting, saying, “The heart wants what the heart wants.”
Now 75, Wagner inspires others through her journey of resilience and wellness, proving it’s never too late to redefine success and find true happiness. “Lindsay, wow, you’re still so beautiful,” one fan wrote, a sentiment echoed by many.