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Diana Scarwid (born August 27, 1955) is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal ofChristina Crawford inMommie Dearest (1981). She received nominations for theAcademy Award forBest Supporting Actress forInside Moves (1980), and thePrimetime Emmy Award forOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie forTruman (1995).

Scarwid has more than 70 film and television credits, includingPretty 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), andAnother Happy Day (2011).

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 TheAmerican Academy of Dramatic Arts andPace University simultaneously, completing the dual program as an honor student.^[4]

In 1980, Scarwid appeared in filmsGuyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones andHoneysuckle Rose.^[5][6] She co-starred in filmsInside Moves (1980),Mommie Dearest (1981), andBrenda Starr (1989).^[7][8][9] Scarwid earned an Academy Award nomination forBest Supporting Actress for her role inInside Moves and aRazzie Award forWorst Supporting Actress inMommie Dearest.

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

In 1991, Scarwid appeared inNight of the Hunter (1991). She portrayedRose Kennedy inJFK: Reckless Youth (1993). In 1995, Scarwid appeared in filmsThe Cure,The Neon Bible,Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain andHeat, and she portrayedBess Truman inTruman.

In 1996, Scarwid had roles inTrial By Fire andBastard Out of Carolina,If These Walls Could Talk, Critical Choices,The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue andThe Outer Limits.

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

Scarwid started the new century with the portrayal of Dianne Barrie in the TV movieDirty Pictures (2000). The same year, she appeared asMichelle Pfeiffer's character's kooky friend inRobert Zemeckis'sWhat Lies Beneath. In 2001, she guest-starred inLaw & Order as a fingerprint analyst accused of manslaughter, and in 2003, she appeared as a prying mother inA Guy Thing. The same year, she portrayed Elke Alig,Michael Alig's enabling and neglectful German immigrant mother inParty Monster, the adaptation ofJames St. James's memoirDisco Bloodbath. The following year, she starred as Karen Tyler, a smothering mother inWonderfalls. 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 inLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit in the episode titled "Head".

In the mid-2000s, she had roles inRead Thread (2005),Valley of the Heart's Delight (2006); andLocal Color (2006). The same year, she guest-starred as Jeanette Owens inPrison Break, following which she assumed the role of Isabel, a mysterious sheriff and island inhabitant in the TV seriesLost. Consecutively, she assumed roles in episodes of other TV series, includingCold Case,Pushing Daisies, andHeroes. Nearing the end of the decade, she had roles onThe Cleaner (2009) andCriminal Minds (2009).

Scarwid appeared in the TV movieBackyard Wedding (2010) andSam Levinson'sAnother Happy Day (2011).

• Diana Scarwid atIMDb
• Brief bio atRed ThreadArchived June 22, 2007, at theWayback Machine

• 1955 births
• 20th-century American actresses
• 21st-century American actresses
• Actresses from Savannah, Georgia
• American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni
• American film actresses
• American Shakespearean actresses
• American stage actresses
• American television actresses
• Living people
• Pace University alumni

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