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).

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.

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

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes1978Pretty BabyFrieda1980Honeysuckle RoseJeanne1980Inside MovesLouise1981Mommie DearestChristina Crawford1983Strange InvadersMargaret Newman1983Rumble FishCassandra1983SilkwoodAngela1986Lucy Bricker1986Psycho IIIMaureen Coyle1986ExtremitiesTerry1986HeatCassie1989Brenda StarrLibby "Lips" Lipscomb1995Gail1995Sarah1995Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear MountainLynette Salerno1996Bastard out of CarolinaRaylene1996Annie Feagan1999Down Will Come BabyDorothy Cotton a.k.a Gretchen McIntyre2000What Lies BeneathJody2002Fronia Black2003Sandra Cooper2003Party MonsterElke Alig2004Eva Finch2005Red ThreadMiss Johnson2006Valley of the Heart's DelightNatalie Walsh2006Local ColorEdith Talia2006Swimming with the VirginMotherShort film2008And Then She Was GoneWoman in DisguiseShort film2008Dream BoyVivian Davies2011Another Happy DayDonna

Television Year Title Role Notes1976Police WomanIrene"Sara Who?"1976Starsky & HutchLisa Graham"Nightmare"1976GibbsvilleKathleen"Andrea"1977In the Glitter PalaceCasey WalkerTV movie1977LaneTV movie1977Kingston: ConfidentialErica"Golden Girl"1977BuncoLollyTV movie1978ForeverSybil DavidsonTV movie1978BatteredDoris ThompsonTV movie1979Hawaii Five-OCarole Walker"The Spirit Is Willie"1979Studs LoniganCatherine BanahanTV miniseries1980Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim JonesSheila LangtreeTV movie1982Desperate LivesEileen PhillipsTV movie1982Thou Shalt Not KillSusan MastersTV movie1985TobyTV movie1987After the PromiseAnna JacksonTV movie1991Night of the HunterWilla HarperTV movie1993American ExperienceLouisa Holt"Simple Justice"1993Labor of Love: The Arlette Schweitzer StoryDarleneTV movie1993J.F.K.: Reckless YouthRose KennedyTV movie1995TrumanBess TrumanTV movie1996Elizabeth Halsey"Trial by Fire"1996If These Walls Could TalkMarcia SchulmanSegment: "1996"1996Critical ChoicesDianaTV movie1998Linda Bowman"Kitsunegari"1998Ruby BridgesMiss WoodmereTV movie1998From the Earth to the MoonJoan Aldrin"Mare Tranquilitatis"1998Before He WakesJoanne MichaelsTV movie1998Crystal Eastman"1.1"1999Down Will Come BabyDorothy McIntyreTV movie2000Dirty PicturesDianne BarrieTV movie2001Law & OrderLisa Russo"Myth of Fingerprints"2002Path to WarMarny CliffordTV movie2004WonderfallsKaren TylerMain role2004Law & Order: Special Victims UnitJackie Madden"Head"2006Prison BreakJeanette Owens"Subdivision", "Buried", "Dead Fall"2007LostIsabel"Stranger in a Strange Land"2008Cold CaseRayanne Leland"Spiders"2008-2009Pushing DaisiesMother SuperiorRecurring role2009TributeCathy MorrowTV movie2009HeroesAlice Shaw"1961"2009Mrs. Geiler"Split Ends"2009Criminal MindsJane Winmar"Cradle to Grave"2010Backyard WeddingSusan SlausonTV movie

References

External links

Brief bio at Red Thread