Diana Scarwid
Diana Scarwid (born August 27, 1955) is a retired American actress who 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).
Diana Scarwid
- Name
- Diana Scarwid
- Born
- 27 August 1955
- Birthplace
- Savannah, Georgia, U.S
- Occupation
- Actress
- Education
- The American Academy of Dramatic Arts Pace University
- Full name
- Diana Elizabeth Scarwid.
- Nationality
- United States.
- Honours
- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress.
- Languages
- English.
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Diana Scarwid (born August 27, 1955) is a retired American actress who 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).
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Note VALÉORINE
Diana Scarwid (born 1955) is an American actor, actress and film actor, among other activities. The actor was born Diana Elizabeth Scarwid in Savannah. Diana Scarwid studied at American Academy of Dramatic Arts, National Shakespeare Conservatory and Pace University.
Languages used include English. The actor received Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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wikidata · Q242805 · wikipedia · Diana Scarwid
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Diana Scarwid • Born — 27 August 1955 • Birthplace — Savannah, Georgia, U.S • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 1976–2011 • Education — The American Academy of Dramatic Arts Pace University • Children — 2
Early life
Early life
Scarwid was born in Savannah, Georgia, the daughter of Elizabeth (née Frizelle) 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.
1980s
1980s
In 1980, Scarwid appeared in films Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones and Honeysuckle Rose. She co-starred in films Inside Moves (1980), Mommie Dearest (1981), and Brenda Starr (1989). 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).
1990s
1990s
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.
2000s
2000s
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).
2010s
2010s
Scarwid appeared in the TV movie Backyard Wedding (2010) and Sam Levinson's Another Happy Day (2011).
Television
Television
• 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 — 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 — 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 — Elizabeth Halsey — "Trial by Fire" • 1996 — If These Walls Could Talk — Marcia Schulman — Segment: "1996" • 1996 — Critical Choices — Diana — TV movie • 1998 — The — 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 — 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 — Mrs. Geiler — "Split Ends" • 2009 — Criminal Minds — Jane Winmar — "Cradle to Grave" • 2010 — Backyard Wedding — Susan Slauson — TV movie
Film
• 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 — Lucy Bricker • 1986 — Psycho III — Maureen Coyle • 1986 — Extremities — Terry • 1986 — Heat — Cassie • 1989 — Brenda Starr — Libby "Lips" Lipscomb • 1995 — The — Gail • 1995 — The — Sarah • 1995 — Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain — Lynette Salerno • 1996 — Bastard out of Carolina — Raylene • 1996 — The — Annie Feagan • 1999 — Down Will Come Baby — Dorothy Cotton a.k.a Gretchen McIntyre • 2000 — What Lies Beneath — Jody • 2002 — The — Fronia Black • 2003 — A — Sandra Cooper • 2003 — Party Monster — Elke Alig • 2004 — The — 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
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Celebrities: Today's Birthdays. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 8. August 27, 1997.
- 2.Happy Birthday. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. C3. August 27, 2022.
- 3.familysearch.org. May 2022.
- 4.Cinema.com. Diana Scarwid.
- 5.Turner Classic Movies, Inc. Guyana Tragedy: Story of Jim Jones. Turner Classic Movies.
- 6.Turner Classic Movies, Inc. Honeysuckle Rose. Turner Classic Movies.
- 7.Maslin, Janet. 'INSIDE MOVES,' STARRING JOHN SAVAGE. The New York Times. 1980-12-19. 0362-4331.
- 8.Turner Classic Movies, Inc. Mommie Dearest. Turner Classic Movies.
- 9.Turner Classic Movies, Inc. Brenda Starr. Turner Classic Movies.
References
Citations
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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