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Diana Scarwid

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Diana Scarwid
Scarwid in Mommie Dearest (1981)
Born (1955-08-27) August 27, 1955 (age 69)[1][2]
NationalityAmerican
EducationThe American Academy of Dramatic Arts
Pace University
OccupationActress
Years active1976–2011
Spouse
Eric Scheinbart
(m. 1978; div. 1995)
Children2

Diana Scarwid (born August 27, 1955) is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Christina Crawford in Mommie Dearest (1981). She received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Inside Moves (1980), and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for Truman (1995).

Scarwid has more than 70 film and television credits, including Pretty Baby (1978), Rumble Fish (1983), Silkwood (1983), Psycho III (1986), Extremities (1986), The Neon Bible (1995), What Lies Beneath (2000), Party Monster (2003), The Clearing (2004), and Another Happy Day (2011).

Early life

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Scarwid was born in Savannah, Georgia, the daughter of Elizabeth (née Frizelle)[3] and Anthony John Scarwid. She has three brothers. Diana moved to New York City at 17 to become an actress. She graduated from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Pace University simultaneously, completing the dual program as an honor student.[4]

Career

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The 1980s

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In 1980, Scarwid appeared in films Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones and Honeysuckle Rose.[5][6] She co-starred in films Inside Moves (1980), Mommie Dearest (1981), and Brenda Starr (1989).[7][8][9] Scarwid earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Inside Moves and a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress in Mommie Dearest.

In television movies, Scarwid had performances in Desperate Lives (1982), Strange Invaders, Rumble Fish (1983), Silkwood (1983), The Ladies Club, Psycho III (1986), Extremities (1986), and After the Promise (1987).

The 1990s

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In 1991, Scarwid appeared in Night of the Hunter (1991). She portrayed Rose Kennedy in JFK: Reckless Youth (1993). In 1995, Scarwid appeared in films The Cure, The Neon Bible, Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain and Heat, and she portrayed Bess Truman in Truman.

In 1996, Scarwid had roles in Trial By Fire and Bastard Out of Carolina, If These Walls Could Talk, Critical Choices, The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue and The Outer Limits.

In 1998, Scarwid appeared in The X-Files ( episode "Kitsunegari"), Ruby Bridges, From the Earth to the Moon, A Will of Their Own, and Down Will Come Baby.

The 2000s

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Scarwid started the new century with the portrayal of Dianne Barrie in the TV movie Dirty Pictures (2000). The same year, she appeared as Michelle Pfeiffer's character's kooky friend in Robert Zemeckis's What Lies Beneath. In 2001, she guest-starred in Law & Order as a fingerprint analyst accused of manslaughter, and in 2003, she appeared as a prying mother in A Guy Thing. The same year, she portrayed Elke Alig, Michael Alig's enabling and neglectful German immigrant mother in Party Monster, the adaptation of James St. James's memoir Disco Bloodbath. The following year, she starred as Karen Tyler, a smothering mother in Wonderfalls. She returned to the Law and Order franchise with an appearance as a mother on the warpath after finding out her son is a victim of pedophilia in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in the episode titled "Head".

In the mid-2000s, she had roles in Read Thread (2005), Valley of the Heart's Delight (2006); and Local Color (2006). The same year, she guest-starred as Jeanette Owens in Prison Break, following which she assumed the role of Isabel, a mysterious sheriff and island inhabitant in the TV series Lost. Consecutively, she assumed roles in episodes of other TV series, including Cold Case, Pushing Daisies, and Heroes. Nearing the end of the decade, she had roles on The Cleaner (2009) and Criminal Minds (2009).

The 2010s

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Scarwid appeared in the TV movie Backyard Wedding (2010) and Sam Levinson's Another Happy Day (2011).

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1978 Pretty Baby Frieda
1980 Honeysuckle Rose Jeanne
1980 Inside Moves Louise
1981 Mommie Dearest Christina Crawford
1983 Strange Invaders Margaret Newman
1983 Rumble Fish Cassandra
1983 Silkwood Angela
1986 The Ladies Club Lucy Bricker
1986 Psycho III Maureen Coyle
1986 Extremities Terry
1986 Heat Cassie
1989 Brenda Starr Libby "Lips" Lipscomb
1995 The Cure Gail
1995 The Neon Bible Sarah
1995 Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain Lynette Salerno
1996 Bastard out of Carolina Raylene
1996 The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue Annie Feagan
2000 What Lies Beneath Jody
2002 The Angel Doll Fronia Black
2003 A Guy Thing Sandra Cooper
2003 Party Monster Elke Alig
2004 The Clearing Eva Finch
2005 Red Thread Miss Johnson
2006 Valley of the Heart's Delight Natalie Walsh
2006 Local Color Edith Talia
2006 Swimming with the Virgin Mother Short film
2008 And Then She Was Gone Woman in Disguise Short film
2008 Dream Boy Vivian Davies
2011 Another Happy Day Donna

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1976 Police Woman Irene "Sara Who?"
1976 Starsky & Hutch Lisa Graham "Nightmare"
1976 Gibbsville Kathleen "Andrea"
1977 In the Glitter Palace Casey Walker TV movie
1977 The Possessed Lane TV movie
1977 Kingston: Confidential Erica "Golden Girl"
1977 Bunco Lolly TV movie
1978 Forever Sybil Davidson TV movie
1978 Battered Doris Thompson TV movie
1979 Hawaii Five-O Carole Walker "The Spirit Is Willie"
1979 Studs Lonigan Catherine Banahan TV miniseries
1980 Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones Sheila Langtree TV movie
1982 Desperate Lives Eileen Phillips TV movie
1982 Thou Shalt Not Kill Susan Masters TV movie
1985 A Bunny's Tale Toby TV movie
1987 After the Promise Anna Jackson TV movie
1991 Night of the Hunter Willa Harper TV movie
1993 American Experience Louisa Holt "Simple Justice"
1993 Labor of Love: The Arlette Schweitzer Story Darlene TV movie
1993 J.F.K.: Reckless Youth Rose Kennedy TV movie
1995 Truman Bess Truman TV movie
1996 The Outer Limits Elizabeth Halsey "Trial by Fire"
1996 If These Walls Could Talk Marcia Schulman Segment: "1996"
1996 Critical Choices Diana TV movie
1998 The X-Files Linda Bowman "Kitsunegari"
1998 Ruby Bridges Miss Woodmere TV movie
1998 From the Earth to the Moon Joan Aldrin "Mare Tranquilitatis"
1998 Before He Wakes Joanne Michaels TV movie
1998 A Will of Their Own Crystal Eastman "1.1"
1999 Down Will Come Baby Dorothy McIntyre TV movie
2000 Dirty Pictures Dianne Barrie TV movie
2001 Law & Order Lisa Russo "Myth of Fingerprints"
2002 Path to War Marny Clifford TV movie
2004 Wonderfalls Karen Tyler Main role
2004 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Jackie Madden "Head"
2006 Prison Break Jeanette Owens "Subdivision", "Buried", "Dead Fall"
2007 Lost Isabel "Stranger in a Strange Land"
2008 Cold Case Rayanne Leland "Spiders"
2008-2009 Pushing Daisies Mother Superior Recurring role
2009 Tribute Cathy Morrow TV movie
2009 Heroes Alice Shaw "1961"
2009 The Cleaner Mrs. Geiler "Split Ends"
2009 Criminal Minds Jane Winmar "Cradle to Grave"
2010 Backyard Wedding Susan Slauson TV movie

References

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  1. ^ "Celebrities: Today's Birthdays". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. August 27, 1997. p. 8. ProQuest 260578020. Actress Barbara Bach is 50. Actor Paul Reubens is 45. Rock musician Alex Lifeson (Rush) is 44. Actress Diana Scarwid is 42. Rap musician Bobo (Cypress Hill) is 29.
  2. ^ "Happy Birthday". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. August 27, 2022. pp. C3. ProQuest 2707161500. Country musician Jeff Cook is 73. Actor Peter Stormare is 69. Actor Diana Scarwid is 67. Gospel singer Yolanda Adams is 61.
  3. ^ familysearch.org https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K131-N9S. Retrieved February 12, 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[title missing]
  4. ^ "Diana Scarwid". Cinema.com. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
  5. ^ "Guyana Tragedy: Story of Jim Jones". www.tcm.com. Turner Classic Movies, Inc. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  6. ^ "Honeysuckle Rose". www.tcm.com. Turner Classic Movies, Inc. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  7. ^ Maslin, Janet (December 19, 1980). "'INSIDE MOVES,' STARRING JOHN SAVAGE". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  8. ^ "Mommie Dearest". www.tcm.com. Turner Classic Movies, Inc. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  9. ^ "Brenda Starr". www.tcm.com. Turner Classic Movies, Inc. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
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