On April 3, 2023, a Facebook page commemorated Linda Hunt’s 78th birthday, which had occurred the day before. The page posted a current photo of the “NCIS: Los Angeles” star as well as a picture of her wife, Karen Klein, in the comments section.
Fans of the actress who played Henrietta “Hetty” Lange on “NCIS” were quick to congratulate her and express their admiration for her talent and acting abilities. Linda’s acting had always appealed to a page follower.
Another person wished the actress a happy birthday, wishing her a “wonderful, terrific, and safe special day.” Another fan described her as a “beautiful lady and actress,” while another described her as a “sweet lady” who hoped she would return to “NCIS.”
Someone else remarked on Linda’s “wonderful actress,” while another expressed gratitude for “all the hours of entertainment.” A Facebook user wished the “young lady” a happy birthday and wished her a “fantastic day.”
Elsie and Raymond Hunt gave birth to the celebrity in New Jersey in 1945, and he was raised in Connecticut. Her parents became concerned at six months because their daughter was not developing motor skills at the expected rate, and it was predicted that she would require institutionalization.
Elsie, on the other hand, wanted to help her, so she and Raymond went to the theater and used books to help Linda grow. When the future star started school, her motor skills were nearly average, but she still struggled.
Because the actress’s parents wanted her to have every opportunity, they hired an acting coach and sent her to a reputable boarding school. Linda has previously expressed gratitude for having parents who supported her on all levels.
Her learning disabilities and small stature made her childhood difficult, and she felt “completely alienated” at school almost from the start. A teacher made her feel stupid, and the other students were cruel to her.
Linda discovered that people either wanted to bully her or take care of her, and she was frequently teased. The celebrity once stated that she knew she was different by the age of ten, and that the other children had growth spurts except for her during the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades, but the bullying gave her a new goal, with her stating:
“I was a determined child… This occurs in children who are different in any way.”
Linda realized she could “feel taller” on stage after her parents took her to her first Broadway show. Raymond’s daughter saw a “Peter Pan” production that was larger than life and wished to be the same because she felt she wasn’t.
The celebrity compensated for her voice by sounding more authoritative than she appeared. By the age of 16, she realized no one spoke or sounded like her, and she became “big,” first appearing on stage and then on film.
She was unhappy during puberty and her adolescent years because of the meanness and teasing she endured, and in order to get others to take her seriously, the future star came at things with great strength. Linda emphasized her uniqueness, claiming to be one in a million.
When Elsie’s daughter graduated from high school, she was diagnosed with hypopituitary dwarfism, a condition that prevented the body from producing the normal amount of growth hormones. Despite all odds, Linda established a successful career and met the love of her life.
Linda’s Wife: Who Is She, and How Did They Meet?
Klein revealed that it was Linda’s corduroys, not her height, that “struck” her during their first meeting. The couple married in 2008, with the psychotherapist being younger than the star, who joked:
“Karen is six years my junior, but I forgive her on a daily basis.” “When I wake up in the morning, I say to myself, ‘I forgive you for being younger.’”
Linda, who was “quite retiring” and private, gave only a few interviews and spent her free time with Klein. The actress once admitted that she had no idea what it meant to be “legally” married because it only applied in California.
Raymond’s daughter has lived with her wife since 1987, according to her IMDb profile, and the couple had been together for approximately 36 years in 2023. The celebrity planned to retire one day and looked forward to not having to work.
Linda and Klein lived in Los Angeles with their three dogs in a home that had recently been renovated. Their house appeared ordinary from the outside, but a look inside revealed a pleasant surprise.
What Is the Couple’s “Jewel-Box Home” Like?
Linda and Klein’s house was built in 1919 and stood out in their neighborhood for its unique blend of old and new elements. The one-story home appeared to be a traditional Craftsman house from the outside, but the interiors were modern and colorful.
It was described as a “jewel-box home,” with antique door pulls, lavender-colored walls, and graphic wallcoverings in purple and green. The Oscar winner described her home as “welcoming,” with “whimsy and a special kind of elegance.”
To open up the floor plan and bring in natural light, a 200-square-foot sunroom was added.
The interior was brightly lit, setting it apart from the others in the neighborhood. Klein laughed and admitted that they’d stayed in a Craftsman home down the street for six months, but when they bought their two-bedroom house, they planned to make better use of the floor plan.
The retired therapist and the actress desired free movement from room to room for themselves, their dogs, and visitors. Linda Brettler, an architect, relocated the hallway to the south and added three feet to the corridor, allowing for storage closets and a washer and dryer.
A colorful stained-glass skylight and mural-like stretch of wallpaper illuminated the previously dark hallway. A bedroom was converted into a library, den, and guest room.
In the den, black-and-white cabinets were installed, purple walls were painted, and graphic sunflower wallcoverings were hung. Linda’s collection of New Yorker magazine covers from the 1960s and 1970s covered the en-suite bathroom in the den.
A 200-square-foot sunroom was added to the floor plan to add natural light. Sliding barn doors were installed between the sunroom and the kitchen so that the room could be left open or closed off to give it an outdoor feel.
The exterior of the sunroom featured a saltbox-pitched roof and grayboard-and-batten siding. The house was their fourth in the neighborhood, and Linda admitted that she frequently practiced her lines in the guesthouse and would look out the sunroom window and “think how pretty it is.”