1986–1992: College and early career

Her first acting job was as a background actor in the film Lucas starring Charlie Sheen, Corey Haim, and Winona Ryder. Later she followed her older sister Betsy to Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.^[2] While in college, Carlson was active in the school's theatre department, appearing in Fifth of July, Noises Off, A Lie of the Mind, and The School for Scandal. She directed the play Aunt Dan and Lemon written by Wallace Shawn on her senior year. Carlson graduated cum laude with a degree in East Asian Studies with a concentration in theater.^[4]

After graduating college, Carlson moved to Chicago where she studied improv with Charna Halpern at the Harold ImprovOlympic, and took acting classes at The Actor's Center with Victor D'Altorio and Eileen Vorbach. She also appeared in some small theater productions including Dark City, Revenge of the Cheerleader with Warren Leight and Theater of the Film Noir at the Folio Theater Company. She also appeared in three episodes of The Untouchables starring William Forsythe and Tom Amandes. Carlson also appeared in three episodes of Missing Persons with Daniel J. Travanti. She also played in Legacy of Lies a TV movie with Joe Morton.

1993–2003: Television contracts, films and relief work

Carlson landed the role of Josie Watts and moved to New York in late December 1993 to make her soap opera debut on Another World. During her first year, she traveled with World Vision to Rwanda to work on an awareness campaign after the war.

Later, she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1998^{[citation needed]}. After leaving Another World she appeared in Thanks of a Grateful Nation, about Persian Gulf War syndrome.

Carlson moved to Los Angeles in 1998, where she guest-starred in a number of prime time shows including NYPD Blue, had a recurring role on the show Get Real which starred Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg, and filmed If These Walls Could Talk Part 2 directed by Martha Coolidge. While in LA, she tested against Mariska Hargitay and Angie Harmon for the role that Mariska won in Law and Order: SVU. Soon after, she started acting in the CBS TV Series Falcone as Donny Brasco's wife, shot in Toronto. She later started guest starring in Law and Order: SVU and filming independent films such as Winning Girls Through Psychic Mind Control directed by Barry Alexander Brown where she played a singer, with the voice of Regina Spektor.

Between 2000 and 2003 she starred as Alex Taylor in Third Watch.^[5][6]

2004–2017: Prime time highlights and children

After leaving Third Watch, Carlson went on to star on Peacemakers, a CSI-inspired show set in the late 1800s, starring opposite Tom Berenger and Peter O'Meara. When the show was not renewed, she worked on several TV shows and films including a Law and Order episode on its 15th season entitled "Dead Wives Club". Soon Dick Wolf was calling to sign her to Law & Order: Trial by Jury where she co-starred alongside Bebe Neuwirth, Jerry Orbach, Kirk Acevedo, Fred Thompson, and Scott Cohen. Carlson continued to work on a variety of film and television roles such as Guest Starring roles on Criminal Minds and Fringe. On 2010 she landed the role of Linda Reagan on Blue Bloods. Carlson continued in the role of Linda through the seventh season of Blue Bloods. During her hiatus, she played Erin Callan, working alongside James Woods in Too Big to Fail, directed by Curtis Hanson from the book written by Andrew Ross Sorkin. She was also written for the role of Christina Cassertes, by her friend David Cross in his directorial debut film, Hits. After seven years on Blue Bloods, Carlson's contract came to an end. In the eighth-season premiere episode, which aired on September 29, 2017, it was revealed that Linda—who was a nurse—had died in a helicopter crash while transporting a patient.

2018–present: Current work

Following Blue Bloods, Carlson worked recurring roles on The Society and The Village. She also shot films Sunny Daze, The Incoherents, A Bread Factory Part One, and the indie horror film Know Fear.^[7] Just prior to COVID-19 shutdowns, Carlson co-wrote, directed and starred in a short film, The Letter, co-written by Syd Butler. She cast her friend from Law and Order: Trial by Jury, Scott Cohen, as her co-star. Her work was honored with best director and actor at the Hollywood International Women's Film Festival,^{[citation needed]} as well as awards with the Cannes Indie Film Festival, Hudson Valley Film Festival and Dark Women Film Festival.

During the 2020 pandemic, Carlson and her partner Syd Butler along with his bandmate Seth Jabour (Les Savy Fav, The 8G Band), who together form the band Office Romance, finished and released their second album and first full-length album, Holidays of Love.^[8]

In 2021, Carlson began shooting as a recurring cast member on FBI: Most Wanted, opposite her friend and co-star from Another World, Julian McMahon.^[9]

Film

Television