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Donna Mills Biography
Donna Mills is an American actress and producer. She made her film debut in 1967 in The Incident. Donna began her television career in 1966 with a recurring role on The Secret Storm. In 1967 she appeared on Broadway in the Woody Allen comedy Don’t Drink the Water. Donna then starred for three years in the soap opera Love is a Many Splendored Thing (1967–70), before starring as Tobie Williams, the girlfriend of Clint Eastwood’s character in the 1971 cult film Play Misty for Me.
In 1980 Donna landed the role of Abby Cunningham on the primetime soap opera Knots Landing and was a regular on the show until 1989. Following this role, she won the Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villainess three times, in 1986, 1988, and 1989. Donna has since starred in several TV movies, including False Arrest (1991), In My Daughter’s Name (1992), Dangerous Intentions (1995), The Stepford Husbands (1996), and Ladies of the House (2008).
She joined the cast of long-running daytime soap opera General Hospital in 2014, for which she won a 2015 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Guest Performer in a Drama Series.
Donna Mills Age | How Old Is Donna Mills
Donna was born on December 11, 1940 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. She is 78 years old as of 2018.
Donna Mills Family
Donna was born in Chicago. She is the daughter of Bernice, a dance teacher, and Frank, a market researcher. She went to Garvey Elementary School and Taft High School. After being double-promoted at Garvey, she graduated from Taft at an early age.
From there, Donna went to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she was a member of Delta Gamma sorority. She completed one year of course work, then left to pursue a dancing career, gaining some early stage experience when she danced in summer stock productions. Her first professional acting role was in a production of Come Blow Your Horn at the Drury Lane Theater in Chicago. She later was cast in a touring production of My Fair Lady, which brought her to New York City.
Donna Mills Husband | Donna Mills Daughter | Chloe Mills Donna Mills
Mills has never married. She has one daughter, Chloe, whom she adopted in late 1994 when Chloe was four days old.
Outside of acting, Mills released The Eyes Have It in 1986, an instructional video for achieving several different make-up looks. She went on to release her own line of cosmetics of the same name. She appeared in cover-featured (non-nude) pictorials for the October 1987 and November 1989 editions of Playboy.
Donna Mills Today | Donna Mills Now
Donna was cast in the role of Daisy Werthan in the Colony Theatre’s production of Alfred Uhry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Driving Miss Daisy in 2017.
Donna Mills Feet
Donna Mills House
She shares the nearly 5,000-square-foot home with her longtime boyfriend, Larry.
What makes the gold walls so special?
Each square was applied by hand. There are tiny spaces here and there, and the fact that it isn’t perfect is the artistry of it. We painted the molding gold and the ceiling a dusky rose.
How’s the effect at night?
In candlelight — magical. We don’t need to put the lights on, unless we want to see our food better.
Can you point out some interesting pieces in your dining room?
A large pine cabinet which I bought on Melrose Avenue in the 1970s when I lived in Benedict Canyon. I display different trays in it — some from my family, others are gifts. And antique chairs —I think from the 1800s — that a friend insisted I get. I was starting out in my first house and didn’t want to spend that much. But I’m glad I did.
The table is from Mulligan’s in Los Angeles. It used to be the kitchen table at my old house. I’ve had it almost 30 years. It has a special coating on the surface so you can place anything on it and it won’t stain. I want to put it on everything, but they won’t tell me what’s in it.
And there’s a feeding bin.
It was my boyfriend’s and is what they use on farms to feed the animals. I use it as a serving table.
What’s the story behind the huge mirror?
There used to be a piano store on Santa Monica Boulevard. They were selling this mirror for something like $500.
Do you mostly use the room for entertaining?
We’ve done Thanksgiving here with 20 people. I love setting a beautiful table. It’s like art. I have I don’t know how many sets of dishes. My favorite is a blue and white one that has a country feel. And there was a store next door to the Ivy on Robertson where they sold their hand-painted plates. I have a whole set of those.
Any special party memories?
I do a big party every other Christmas. Every surface is covered with garlands, poinsettias, lights. I built a shed for the decorations. It’s so full that if I get one more thing, I’d have to start building another shed.
Donna Mills Knots Landing
Donna landed her most prominent role that of scheming, manipulative vixen Abby Cunningham on the long-running primetime soap opera Knots Landing in 1980. She portrayed Abby from 1980 to 1989. Prior to being cast in Knots Landing, Donna was primarily known for playing the “damsel in distress” archetype in both film and television media.
Donna became famous for playing these roles, often leading to unwanted typecasting. In an interview with Jerry Buck for the Toledo Blade, Donna said: “I got tired of playing the victim. It’s a more active role. Abby keeps things stirred up, and I like that.”According to Jacobs, Abby was not planned when the show began. He knew that he wanted a female J.R. Ewing-esque character. However, he had a different sense of the character and who would wind up in the role. With Mills’s reputation of playing the victim, he initially did not choose her for the part.
She was listed in the category “10 Primetime Stars We Love to Hate”by Josh Mapes of The Biography Channel . He said, “Any great soap opera needs a great villain. While viewers may identify more with the protagonist, the villains in a serial drama always spice things up, cause trouble, and make it more fun to watch. From tongue lashings to catfights, underhanded tricks to boldface lies, the characters we love to hate have each brought a fair share of great moments to primetime soaps.
While Larry Hagman played the bad guy on Dallas, Donna Mills played bad girl on its spin-off, Knots Landing. Unapologetically going after what she wanted, Mills’s character engaged in affairs with two of the husbands on the Knots Landing cul-de-sac, but like most vixens on primetime soaps, she was only out for money, not love.”In 1989, Mills announced her intention to leave the long-running nighttime soap after nine years as Abby. According to Mills, she wanted to take a break from acting for a while, and from Abby, as well.
During an interview with The Cedartown Standard, Mills explained: “I’m tired of the show. It’s been too long. I’m not particularly happy with the way they’ve been writing Abby lately. She’s too soft. I’d like Abby to get back to her old self.” For this role, she won the Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villainess on three occasions, in 1986, 1988, and 1989.
Donna Mills Movies And Tv Shows
From Year 2013 to 2019
- Turnover 2019
- Best Mom 2018
- Light as a Feather 2018
- Hilton Head Island 2017
- Sharknado: The 4th Awakens 2016
- 12 Gifts of Christmas 2015
- Joy 2015
- General Hospital 2014-2015, 2018
- Deadly Revenge 2014
- When Life Keeps Getting In The Way 2014
- GCB 2012
From Year 2000 to 2009
- Dirty Sexy Money 2009
- Nip/Tuck 2008-2010
- Ladies of the House 2008
- Cold Case 2007
- Love Is a Four Letter Word 2007
- Jane Doe: Yes, I Remember It Well 2006
- A Very Cool Christmas 2004
- Rude Awakening 2000
From year 1991 to 1998
- Moonlight Becomes You 1998
- Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac 1997
- Melrose Place 1996-1997
- The Stepford Husbands 1996
- Dangerous Intentions 1995
- An Element of Truth 1995
- My Name Is Kate 1994
- Dream On 1994
- Remember 1993
- In My Daughter’s Name 1992
- The President’s Child 1992
- Runaway Father 1991
- False Arrest 1991
From Year 1980 to 1990
- The World’s Oldest Living Bridesmaid 1990
- The Lady Forgets 1989
- Outback Bound 1988
- Intimate Encounters 1986
- Alice in Wonderland 1985
- He’s Not Your Son 1984
- Bare Essence 1982
- Knots Landing 1980-1989, 1993
- Waikiki 1980
From 1976 to 1979
- Hanging by a Thread 1979
- Fantasy Island 1979
- Young Maverick 1979
- Superdome 1978
- Doctors’ Private Lives 1978
- The Love Boat 1978
- Bunco 1977
- Fire! 1977
- Curse of the Black Widow 1977
- The Hunted Lady 1977
- The Oregon Trail 1977
- Police Woman 1976
- Quincy, M.E. 1976
- Look What’s Happened to Rosemary’s Baby 1976
From 1973 to 1976
- Smash-Up on Interstate 5 1976
- The Six Million Dollar Man 1975
- Who Is the Black Dahlia? 1975
- Live A Little, Steal A Lot 1975
- Hawaii Five-O 1975
- Beyond the Bermuda Triangle 1975
- Thriller 1975
- Cannon 1975
- Live Again, Die Again 1974
- Thriller (UK TV series) 1974
- Marcus Welby, M.D. 1974
- McMillan & Wife 1974
- Gunsmoke 1973
- The Bait 1973
- Thriller (UK TV series) 1973
From Year 1966 1972
- Haunts of the Very Rich 1972
- Rolling Man 1972
- Night of Terror 1972
- The Good Life 1971-1972
- Play Misty for Me 1971Love, American Style 1970
- Lancer 1970
- Love Is a Many Splendored Thing 1967-1970
- The Incident 1967
- The Secret Storm 1966
Donna Mills Net Worth
Donna has an estimated net worth of $7 million.