Carey Lowell
A former model who traded the runway for gritty courtroom drama, becoming one of television's most grounded and compelling assistant district attorneys.
Born 1961 (age 65)·American actress·Birthday: February 11·Baby Boomers
Biography
Carey Lowell's career is a study in graceful reinvention. She first captured attention in the glossy pages of fashion magazines as a sought-after model in the 1980s, her face synonymous with a classic, all-American beauty. Hollywood came calling, leading to roles that often leveraged that look, most notably as the resourceful flight attendant and love interest Pam Bouvier in the James Bond film 'Licence to Kill.' Yet it was on the small screen where she found a character with lasting depth. As Assistant District Attorney Jamie Ross on 'Law & Order,' Lowell brought a steely, nuanced intelligence to the role. Her Jamie was a single mother and a formidable legal mind, projecting a weary authenticity that felt miles away from her glamorous origins. After stepping back from acting, she pursued passions in jewelry design and environmental activism, demonstrating a life lived with intention both in front of the camera and far away from it.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Carey was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Carey Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Carey's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Portrayed Assistant District Attorney Jamie Ross for multiple seasons on the long-running NBC drama 'Law & Order.'
- Played the Bond girl Pam Bouvier in the 1989 James Bond film 'Licence to Kill,' starring opposite Timothy Dalton.
- Had a recurring role as Kate Ford on the Showtime series 'Rude Awakening.'
- Worked as a successful fashion model, appearing in campaigns for major brands and on the covers of magazines like *Glamour* and *Vogue*.
Did You Know?
She is a certified scuba diver and worked for a time as a dive instructor in the Caribbean.
She designed and sold her own line of jewelry called "Carey Lowell Designs."
She was married to actor Griffin Dunne and later to actor Richard Gere.
She studied art history at the University of Colorado at Boulder before modeling.
“I never wanted to be just the pretty face; I wanted the part where you get to be clever.”
