Linda Lavin: Hardworking Woman Linda Lavin was born on October 15, 1937, in Portland, Maine. She took to singing almost from birth, but her love of music couldn't mask the insecurity she felt as a child. Fortunately, she found confidence during her teenage years, when she began performing in community theater. After high school, Lavin headed to the prestigious College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, to study acting. In 1959, she followed her dreams to New York City, and it wasn't long before she scored a part in the Broadway play ""Family Affair."" She continued working on Broadway and in 1969, she earned her first Tony Award nomination for Neil Simon's ""The Last of the Red Hot Lovers."" She blossomed personally, too, finding love with fellow actor Ron Leibman. The couple married in 1968 and eventually moved to Los Angeles. There, Lavin was repeatedly told she didn't have the ""leading lady look""; bigger acting roles — especially on TV — were scarce. But Lavin's dry spell d
