How old was Laura Linney in Ozark? Details explored

Laura Linney played the role of Wendy Byrde in Ozark. Born in 1964, Linney was 53 years old when she joined the cast of the show, which starred Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde, her husband. Ozark ran for 4 seasons, and the final installment came out in 2022, meaning Linney was 58 years old when the show ended.

Wendy’s character was complex in Ozark, and her transition through the four seasons of the show saw her embrace her antagonistic qualities, which made her and Marty not stop at anything or anyone till they had their freedom from a life they did not actively want.

Laura Linney portrayed Wendy Bydre for four seasons in Ozark

In Ozark Season 1, Wendy’s character does not have a great start as a person, as she is shown to be cheating on her husband, Marty. He finds out about the affair through a private investigator, but the couple decides not to go for a divorce since they have two kids together.

However, things take an even worse turn as Marty, a financial advisor in Chicago, realizes that he has to flee town and settle in Ozark because of a deal gone wrong with the Navarro cartel.

The cartel business used to be Marty’s side hustle, and because of a mistake from his partner, he ended up at Ozark with his family to launder money for the cartel boss. This was the only way to keep himself and his family safe, and despite the situation that Wendy and Marty were going through, she helped her husband to pack up and leave overnight.

As they start their new life, the kids find it difficult to adjust, and Marty and Wendy keep falling out about various parenting decisions. However, she gradually starts proving herself quite important in her husband’s criminal activities and eventually gets fully involved in it, often taking shuddering and ruthless decisions.

Wendy’s ruthless side becomes even more prominent with her decision to give up her own brother Ben to Helen, which ultimately leads to his death. Ben’s arrival in Ozark caused trouble for Wendy and Marty since he had been suffering from bipolar disorder and often went off his medication and ran his mouth around.

While Wendy’s first instinct was not to kill Ben, eventually she realizes that she cannot deal with him as he is a serious threat to the family. This leads to her giving Ben’s whereabouts to Helen, who kills her. This decision of Wendy's not only pushes her into depression but also causes major chaos that the final installment of the show dealt with.

As Wendy’s character went through some significant transformations through the curse of the four seasons of Ozark, Linney’s portrayal added the depth that was needed for her story.

A veteran actress, she has also been part of widely acclaimed projects like The Trueman Show, Nocturnal Animals, Mr. Holmes, The Savages, etc. She has won multiple awards, including two Golden Globes and four Primetime Emmys.

Ozark can be streamed on Netflix.

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