Born: 1966 in Anoka, where her father and uncle co-owned a car dealership and her grandfather was a Lutheran pastor.
Early musical accomplishments: Soloed on violin with the Minnesota Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and was concertmaster of the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies.
Schooling: Valedictorian at Anoka High School in 1984.
Pageant queen: Crowned Miss Minnesota in 1988 and Miss America in 1989.
College: Graduated in 1990 with a B.A. in sociology from Stanford University.
Family: Married Casey Close, a pro sports agent whose clients have included Derek Jeter, in 1997. They have two children, Kaia and Christian, and live in Greenwich, Conn.
Broadcasting career: She got her first reporting job covering politics for a TV station in Richmond, Va. She joined CBS News in 2000 and later co-anchored "The Early Show," moving to Fox in 2005. From 2006-13, she co-hosted the morning show "Fox & Friends" with Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade. Since 2013, she has anchored the daytime news hour "The Real Story With Gretchen Carlson."
On Fox head Roger Ailes: Calls him "the most accessible boss I've ever worked for," someone who "always has the capacity to surprise."
"Most nervous" moment on air: "When my mom came on the show for a segment on preparing traditional Swedish Christmas foods."
Doesn't mind taking flak for: "Talking about the war on Christmas. I can't think of a single other religion whose holy day is treated like a joke."
Isn't peeved with Vanessa Bayer: The comic who lampoons her on "Saturday Night Live" sometimes uses the same makeup artists as Carlson. "She asks if I'm mad at her, and I always say, 'Tell her absolutely not. She's hilarious.' "
Kristin Tillotson
