Acting
Aug 26, 1955
Savannah, Georgia, USA
Diana Scarwid
Acting
Biography
Diana Elizabeth Scarwid (born August 27, 1955) is a retired American actress, best known for her portrayal of adult Christina Crawford in Mommie Dearest (1980). She received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Inside Moves (1980), and for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for Truman (1995). She has over 70 film and television credits to her name. Her films include Pretty Baby (1978), Honeysuckle Rose (1980), Rumble Fish, Silkwood (both 1983), Psycho III, Heat, Extremities (all 3 in 1986), The Neon Bible (1995), Bastard Out of Carolina (1996), What Lies Beneath (2000), A Guy Thing (2003), Party Monster (2003), The Clearing (2004), and Another Happy Day (2011). She's had roles in numerous TV movies including Truman (1995) as Bess Truman, The Possessed (1977), Desperate Lives (1982), A Bunny's Tale (1985), Night of the Hunter (1991), Ruby Bridges (1998), Before He Wakes (1998), Down Will Come Baby (1999), Path to War (2002), Tribute (2009), and more. She had a main role as Karen Tyler on the series Wonderfalls, and recurring role as Mother Superior on the TV series Pushing Daisies. She has also guest starred on several TV series including Starsky & Hutch, the original Hawaii Five-O, The X-Files, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Prison Break, Lost, Cold Case, Heroes, and Criminal Minds.
Feature Films (50)
Absent-minded street thug Rusty James struggles to live up to his legendary older brother's reputation, and longs for the days of gang warfare.
Rumble Fish
The New York club scene of the 80s and 90s was a world like no other. Into this candy-colored, mirror ball playground stepped Michael Alig, a wannabe from nowhere special. Under the watchful eye of veteran club kid James St. James, Alig quickly rose to the top... and there was no place to go but down.
Party Monster
Documentary which delves a bit deeper into the story of the film in which the cast and crew discuss some of the narrative beats, the performances in some of the scenes, how true-to-life the depictions were and more.
Mommie Dearest: Life with Joan
A documentary in which the creative team discuss the process of adapting the material, the challenge of bringing an icon to life, bringing Frank Perry on to direct, trying to bring authenticity to the casting process and more.
Mommie Dearest: The Revival of Joan
Documentary which focuses more on the impact of the film upon its release and how it has seeped into the culture since that time. It is always fun to hear John Waters speak on a subject he is passionate about.
Mommie Dearest: Joan Lives On
Norman and Claire Spencer are a seemingly happily married couple who uncover a terrible secret… a secret so disturbing it threatens to destroy them.
What Lies Beneath
Television & Series (19)
Streetwise Detective David Starsky partners up with a more intellectual partner, Kenneth 'Hutch' Hutchinson, to protect citizens and patrol the streets of Bay City.
Starsky & Hutch
Common people discover that they have super powers. Their lives intertwine as a devastating event must be prevented.
Heroes
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for 12 seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. Jack Lord portrayed Detective Lieutenant Steve McGarrett, the head of a special state police task force which was based on an actual unit that existed under martial law in the 1940s. The theme music composed by Morton Stevens became especially popular. Many episodes would end with McGarrett instructing his subordinate to "Book 'em, Danno!", sometimes specifying a charge such as "murder one".
Hawaii Five-O
The Philadelphia homicide squad's lone female detective finds her calling when she is assigned cases that have never been solved. Detective Lilly Rush combines her natural instincts with the updated technology available today to bring about justice for all the victims she can.
Cold Case
Jaye Tyler, a recent Brown University graduate with a philosophy degree, holds a dead-end job as a sales clerk at a Niagara Falls gift shop. Jaye is the reluctant participant in conversations with various animal figurines — a wax lion, brass monkey, stuffed bear, and mounted fish, among others — which direct her via oblique instructions to help people in need.
