Diana Scarwid

Scarwid was born in Savannah, Georgia, the daughter of Elizabeth (née Frizelle){{cite web |url=https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K131-N9S |title= |website=familysearch.org |access-date=February 12, 2015}}{{title missing|date=May 2022}} 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.{{cite web|title=Diana Scarwid|url=http://cinema.com/people/001/442/diana-scarwid/|publisher=Cinema.com|access-date=2 May 2014}}

In 1980, Scarwid appeared in films Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones and Honeysuckle Rose.{{Cite web |title=Guyana Tragedy: Story of Jim Jones |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/415888/guyana-tragedy-story-of-jim-jones |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=Turner Classic Movies |publisher=Turner Classic Movies, Inc. |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Honeysuckle Rose |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/16814/honeysuckle-rose |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=Turner Classic Movies |publisher=Turner Classic Movies, Inc. |language=en}} She co-starred in films Inside Moves (1980), Mommie Dearest (1981), and Brenda Starr (1989).{{Cite news |last=Maslin |first=Janet |date=1980-12-19 |title='INSIDE MOVES,' STARRING JOHN SAVAGE |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1980/12/19/archives/inside-moves-starring-john-savage.html |access-date=2023-07-03 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |title=Mommie Dearest |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/4714/mommie-dearest |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=Turner Classic Movies |publisher=Turner Classic Movies, Inc. |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Brenda Starr |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/69644/brenda-starr |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=Turner Classic Movies |publisher=Turner Classic Movies, Inc. |language=en}} 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).

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.

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).

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

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|0769311}}
• [http://www.redthreadthemovie.com/Diana-Scarwid.htm Brief bio at Red Thread] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070622143913/http://www.redthreadthemovie.com/Diana-Scarwid.htm |date=June 22, 2007 }}

{{Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scarwid, Diana}}

Category:1955 births

Category:20th-century American actresses

Category:21st-century American actresses

Category:Actresses from Savannah, Georgia

Category:American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni

Category:American film actresses

Category:American Shakespearean actresses

Category:American stage actresses

Category:American television actresses

Category:Living people

Category:Pace University alumni