Bionic Woman Keeps Balance

BY LYDIA LANE

When I first met Lindsay Wagner, "The Paper Chase" had just been released to great critical acclaim both for the film and for her. It was predicted that Lindsay was on her way to the top. But when we met for lunch she was not elated. Was it because she was fearful of being thrust
so prominently in the public eye?

No, she told me, her prob­lems stemmed further back than that. Her childhood had been an unhappy one and there were unhealed psychic scars.

But when we met the other day at Universal there was no doubt that she was enjoying her starring role in ABC's new TV series, The Bionic Woman.

"Since this is science fic­tion I can play a wide span of roles--anything from a schoolteacher to Mata Hari. This was appealing because in most series you get locked into one type."

What about meeting the energy demands of a daily grind? "I'm working on that." Lindsay scanned the menu and ordered a substantial lunch, explaining that when she comes home at night she's too tired for dinner. "But I'm trying to conserve my energy and avoid overfatigue. I'm training myself to become aware of the first signs of ten­sion."

We remarked that she seemed much more relaxed than when we first met. "I am, and I'm indebted to the Arica Institute in New York. I had a friend who was an instruc­tor there who introduced me to it. Their ultimate goal is to help one handle problems. I learned how to take a good inward look and to see with perspective what traits and habits I had acquired that were retarding my develop­ment."

Lydia Lane, The Los Angeles Times