Diana Elizabeth Scarwid was born on August 27, 1955 in Savannah, Georgia. At age 17, she left for New York to become an actress and in 1975 graduated simultaneously from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Pace University, completing the dual program as an honor student. By the new decade, after distinguishing herself with bit-parts in less than mediocre projects, she’d arrive at her breakthrough role- Louise, John Savage’s barmaid girlfriend in Inside Moves (1980). Diana’s performance was described by critics as “quietly effective” and earned an Academy Award nomination
Diana went on to appear in her most talked-about screen role: the portrayal of Christina Crawford in Mommie Dearest (1981). The performance was massacred by critics and earned a Golden Razzie for Worst Supporting Actress, and Diana became the first actress to receive an Oscar nominee to “winning” a Razzie in just one year. Ironically, Diana’s intensity in her performance would eventually garner newfound appreciation, solely among cult and camp film genre audiences. Aside from receiving positive reviews for her performance in Silkwood (1983), in which she plays Angela (Cher’s lesbian lover), Diana overcompensated with her talent for a decade of drab roles in menial projects. It was years into Diana’s career that directors regularly sought out her charming idiosyncrasies for worthwhile projects, particularly J.F.K.: Reckless Youth (1993), Truman (1995), Bastard Out of Carolina (1996) and What Lies Beneath (2000). These opportunities allowed for Diana to showcase her wide range of personality and affect.
