Christine Lahti Biography

Early life and Education

Christine Lahti was born Christine Ann Lahti on April 4, 1950, in Birmingham, Michigan, U.S. She is American and belongs to Caucasian ethnicity. Her mother was of Austro-Hungarian ancestry, and her father was of Finnish descent. Lahti has a literal meaning bay or cove in Finish.

Lahti was born to Paul Theodore Lahti (1919–2001) and Elizabeth Margaret Lahti (1920–1995). Her father was a surgeon whereas her mother was a painter, homemaker, and nurse. She was raised in Lutheran Church, along with her siblings, Carol Lahti, Catherine Lahti, Linda Lahti, Paul Jr. Lahti and James Lahti.

She went to the Florida State University and studied Fine Arts. She then attended the University of Michigan from where she earned her bachelor's degree in Drama in 1972.

While Lahti was at Michigan University, she joined Delta Gamma sorority. She also studied drama at the HB Studio in Greenwich Village in New York City.

Before venturing into the acting field, Christine Lahti worked as a mime in New York City's Central Park and as a waitress in a restaurant. She also worked in commercials in New York. 

Career

Christine Lahti debuted with the 1978 American sitcom, The Harvey Korman Show. The same year, she was cast in two short television movies, The Last Tenant, and Dr. Scorpion.

She then made her appearances in 1979 courtroom drama film, ...And Justice for All as Gail Packer, followed by a role in a short television movie, The Henderson Monster in 1980. The same year she performed Susan in theatrical play Loose Ends and as Dianah in Division Street.

In 1981, Christine Lahti worked in two movies, Whose Life Is It Anyway? as Dr. Clare Scott and Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains as Aunt Linda. She also starred in a 1982 made-for-television film, The Executioner's Song, alongside Tommy Lee Jones, Rosanna Arquette, and Eli Wallach.

'Swing Shift' is a 1984 American romantic drama war film, where Christine Lahti worked with Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Fred Ward and Ed Harris. Her performances in the movie won her New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress along with nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.

In 1987, Lahti appeared in two episodes of American television miniseries, ‘Amerika’ as Alethea Milford. She was nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. 

The same year, she was cast in Stacking as Kathleen Morgan and Housekeeping as Sylvie. After that, Lahti was featured in 1988 drama film, Running on Empty, and won Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress and also nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. 

In 1989, Lahti worked in two movies, Miss Firecracker as Clara Archer and Gross Anatomy as Dr. Rachel Woodruff. She also starred in Television movie, No Place Like Home and won Golden Globe Award for Best Actress and a nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress.

From 1989 to 1990, Lahti worked as Heidi Holland in a theatrical play, The Heidi Chronicles, in Plymouth Theatre. The play was directed by Daniel Sullivan. In 1990, she starred in an American romantic comedy film, Funny About Love, along with Gene Wilder, and Mary Stuart Masterson. He

From 1995 to 1999 she worked in American medical drama television series, Chicago Hope, which won her three awards, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, Primetime Emmy Award, and Satellite Award as well as nominations for five awards, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble, and Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Actress.

In 1995, Lahti directed the short film ‘Lieberman in Love’ and won Academy Award for Live Action Short Film. The same year, she got featured in 'The Four Diamonds' and 'Hideaway'. Lahti’s performances in 2000 Lifetime Television film, An American Daughter; won her a nomination for Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. 

Between 2001 and 2006, Christine Lahti was cast in the number of movies and television series like, 'Ally McBeal', 'The Pilot's Wife', 'Out of the Ashes', 'Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman', 'Jack & Bobby', and 'My First Mister'. From 2009 to 2011, she acted in American police procedural, legal, crime drama television series, ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ as Sonya Paxton.

'God of Carnage; is theatrical play by Yasmina Reza. In the play, she worked as Veronica. After this, she joined the cast of 2010 American action police procedural television series, ‘Hawaii Five-0’, along with Scott Caan, Taryn Manning, Masi Oka, Lauren German and others. She then appeared in the movies ‘Hateship, Loveship’ and ‘Mania Days’ in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

From 2015 to 2016, Lahti was cast as Laurel Hitchin in American legal and political drama television series, ‘The Blacklist’. She then was featured in 2016 American comedy-drama film, 'Operator'.

In 2017, she worked in American legal and political drama television series, 'The Good Fight', and in a theatrical play, 'Fucking A'.

Net worth

Christine Lahti has worked in numbers of movies and television series, accumulating an estimated net worth around $14 million.

Some of her movies that made a good collection at the box office include:

 ...And Justice for All (1979) - $33,300,000

Just Between Friends (1986) - $6,408,791

Miss Firecracker (1989) - $1,852,655

Gross Anatomy (1989) - $11,604,598

Funny About Love (1990) - $1.8

The Doctor (1991) - $38,120,905

Leaving Normal (1992) - $1,514,114

My First Mister (2001) - $595,005

Smart People (2008) - $11,839,695

Obsessed (2009) - $73.8

Touched with Fire (2015) - $146,487

Lahti owned a mansion in LA which stands on 1/3+ acre and has 5 bedrooms, a study hall, full family room and an upstairs den. It also features artistically designed doors and windows and verandas off of most of the bedrooms. She bought the stunning Hamptons-style mansion for $5,225,000. Later she sold the mansion for $6,395,000, in May 2002.

Personal life

Christine Lahti is happily married to Thomas Schlamme with whom she tied the knot on September 4, 1983. Schlamme is an American television director as well as a producer, known particularly for his collaboration with Aaron Sorkin.

The couple is blessed with three children, Wilson Lahti Schlamme (1988), Emma Schlamme (1993), and Joseph Schlamme (1993). Her first son, Wilson Lahti Schlamme is also an actor.

According to some online sources, Lahti and Schlamme first met in the course of her reel life itself and began dating from 1982. The couple is currently residing in Los Angeles with their children.

According to the sources,

They might renew their wedding vows if the time favors,” revealed the gossip monger.

Both the husband and wife are free at the moment and they are thinking of walking down the aisle for the second time. But I am not sure about this news as nothing has been confirmed yet.

In 1998, when Lahti was announced as the winner of the Golden Globe, she was in the bathroom since then whenever she receives an award her previous incident creates a headline. In 1999, she intentionally attached toilet paper on her shoe at the Golden Globes.

In February 2004, Lahti protested against Mexican government to re-investigate the slayings of hundreds of women in Mexico-Texas border along with actresses Sally Field & Jane Fonda and playwright Eve Ensler.

Lahti is active in the film industry for 25 years and she never posed nude for movies or magazines. She shares a good bond with Pamela Martin. 

Lahti said in an interview with National Public Radio that her role as A.D.A. Paxton in Law & Order: SVU is one of her most rewarding roles on television. She even said she loved the character so much that they could write it back in as a ghost, in flashback.