Donna Mills
Encyclopedia
Donna Mills is an American
actress, most well known for her role as Abby Fairgate Cunningham Ewing Sumner on the primetime soap opera Knots Landing
.
, Illinois
, she attended Garvey Elementary School and Taft High school. After being double-promoted at Garvey, she graduated from Taft at an early age. From there, Mills attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
where she was a member of Delta Gamma sorority. She completed one year of course work and left to pursue an acting career. She gained some early stage experience in the late 1950s.
in 1966. Following this she gained a regular role as ex-nun Laura Donnelly
on the soap Love is a Many Splendored Thing, which she played from 1967 to 1970. Mills appeared on Broadway in Woody Allen
's comedy, Don't Drink the Water, as the Sultan of Bashir's wife.
In 1971, Mills co-starred with Clint Eastwood
in the thriller Play Misty For Me
, which has remained her most prominent movie role to date. Prior to signing up a contract for Universal Studios
in 1972 (much like her future Knots Landing co-stars Joan Van Ark
and Kevin Dobson
did at the same time), Mills spent much of the 1970s appearing as a guest television shows such as The Six Million Dollar Man
, Hawaii Five-O
, The Love Boat
, CHiPs
, The Oregon Trail
, Quincy, M.E.
, Thriller
, Police Woman
, and Fantasy Island
, as well as several made-for-TV movies.
In 1980, she landed her most prominent role — that of scheming, manipulative Abby Cunningham on the long-running primetime soap opera Knots Landing
, a role she played until 1989. After leaving the series, Mills concentrated on TV movies, several of which she co-produced. She returned to Knots Landing for its final episode in 1993, and again for the reunion mini-series Knots Landing: Back To The Cul-De-Sac in 1997. In between, she had a brief recurring guest role as Josie Bissett
's mother on the popular 1990s soap opera Melrose Place. In more recent years, Mills has continued to make TV movies as well as guest appearances in series such as Cold Case (season 4, episode 13 "Blackout") and Nip/Tuck
(in which she guest-starred with fellow Knots Landing star Joan Van Ark
).
In 2005, she reunited with the Knots Landing cast for the reunion, Knots Landing: Together Again, in which the stars reminisced about the show.
Outside of acting, in 1986 Mills released "The Eyes Have It", an instructional video for achieving several different make-up looks. She went on to release her own line of cosmetics of the same name.
Mills appeared in a cover-featured (non-nude) pictorial for the November 1989 edition of Playboy Magazine.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, most well known for her role as Abby Fairgate Cunningham Ewing Sumner on the primetime soap opera Knots Landing
Knots Landing
Knots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle...
.
Early years
Born as Donna Jean Miller in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, she attended Garvey Elementary School and Taft High school. After being double-promoted at Garvey, she graduated from Taft at an early age. From there, Mills attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
where she was a member of Delta Gamma sorority. She completed one year of course work and left to pursue an acting career. She gained some early stage experience in the late 1950s.
Career
Mills began her acting career on television with a guest role on the CBS daytime soap opera The Secret StormThe Secret Storm
The Secret Storm is a soap opera which ran on CBS from February 1, 1954 to February 8, 1974. The series was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas Search for Tomorrow and Love of Life...
in 1966. Following this she gained a regular role as ex-nun Laura Donnelly
Laura Donnelly
Laura Donnelly Elliott is a fictional character in the American soap opera Love is a Many Splendored Thing. She was played by actress Donna Mills, who is closely identified in the role; Laura was also played by Barbara Stanger and Veleka Gray later on....
on the soap Love is a Many Splendored Thing, which she played from 1967 to 1970. Mills appeared on Broadway in Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
's comedy, Don't Drink the Water, as the Sultan of Bashir's wife.
In 1971, Mills co-starred with Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
in the thriller Play Misty For Me
Play Misty for Me
Play Misty for Me is a 1971 American psychological thriller film, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, in his directorial debut. Jessica Walter and Donna Mills co-star. The original music score was composed by Dee Barton.-Plot:...
, which has remained her most prominent movie role to date. Prior to signing up a contract for Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
in 1972 (much like her future Knots Landing co-stars Joan Van Ark
Joan Van Ark
Joan Van Ark is an American actress, most notable for her role as Valene Ewing, which she originated on the CBS series Dallas and continued for thirteen seasons on its spin-off, Knots Landing...
and Kevin Dobson
Kevin Dobson
Kevin Patrick Dobson is an American film and television actor of Irish descent, who is primarily known for his roles on television. His most prominent roles were as Lt. Theo Kojak's trusted partner, Det. Bobby Crocker on the popular 1970s TV crime drama Kojak, and as Karen MacKenzie's second...
did at the same time), Mills spent much of the 1970s appearing as a guest television shows such as The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a former astronaut with bionic implants working for the OSI...
, Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O
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 twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
, The Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
, CHiPs
CHiPs
CHiPs is an American television drama series produced by MGM Studios that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to July 17, 1983. CHiPs followed the lives of two motorcycle police officers of the California Highway Patrol...
, The Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail (TV series)
The Oregon Trail is a 14-episode NBC western television series starring Rod Taylor as the widower Evan Thorpe, who leaves his Illinois farm in 1842 to take the Oregon Trail to the Pacific Northwest. The show also starred Andrew Stevens, Tony Becker, and Gina Marie Smika as Thorpe's children...
, Quincy, M.E.
Quincy, M.E.
Quincy, M.E., also called Quincy, is a United States television series from Universal Studios that aired from October 3, 1976, to September 5, 1983, on NBC...
, Thriller
Thriller (UK TV series)
Thriller is a British television series, originally broadcast in the UK from 1973 to 1976. It is an anthology series: each episode has a self-contained story and its own cast...
, Police Woman
Police Woman (TV series)
Police Woman is an American television police drama starring Angie Dickinson that ran on NBC for four seasons, from September 13, 1974, to March 29, 1978.-Synopsis:...
, and Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island is the title of two separate but related American fantasy television series, both originally airing on the ABC television network.-Original series:...
, as well as several made-for-TV movies.
Knots Landing
Knots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle...
, a role she played until 1989. After leaving the series, Mills concentrated on TV movies, several of which she co-produced. She returned to Knots Landing for its final episode in 1993, and again for the reunion mini-series Knots Landing: Back To The Cul-De-Sac in 1997. In between, she had a brief recurring guest role as Josie Bissett
Josie Bissett
Josie Bissett is the stage name of Jolyn Christine Heutmaker , an American actress best known for her role as Jane Mancini on the television series Melrose Place.-Early life :...
's mother on the popular 1990s soap opera Melrose Place. In more recent years, Mills has continued to make TV movies as well as guest appearances in series such as Cold Case (season 4, episode 13 "Blackout") and Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
(in which she guest-starred with fellow Knots Landing star Joan Van Ark
Joan Van Ark
Joan Van Ark is an American actress, most notable for her role as Valene Ewing, which she originated on the CBS series Dallas and continued for thirteen seasons on its spin-off, Knots Landing...
).
In 2005, she reunited with the Knots Landing cast for the reunion, Knots Landing: Together Again, in which the stars reminisced about the show.
Outside of acting, in 1986 Mills released "The Eyes Have It", an instructional video for achieving several different make-up looks. She went on to release her own line of cosmetics of the same name.
Mills appeared in a cover-featured (non-nude) pictorial for the November 1989 edition of Playboy Magazine.
Personal life
Mills has never married. She has one adopted daughter, Chloe (born 1995). She currently lives in Los Angeles, California.Partial filmography
- The Incident (1967)
- Play Misty For MePlay Misty for MePlay Misty for Me is a 1971 American psychological thriller film, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, in his directorial debut. Jessica Walter and Donna Mills co-star. The original music score was composed by Dee Barton.-Plot:...
(1971) - Haunts of the Very Rich (1972)
- The BaitThe BaitThe Bait is a television crime thriller movie about police officer Tracy Fleming, who is out to catch a serial killer preying on women in Los Angeles. Filmed in 1971 and made in 1973, it stars Donna Mills. The film was based on a novel by former police officer Dorothy Uhnak, who was embarrassed...
(1973) - Live Again, Die Again (1974)
- Look What's Happened to Rosemary's BabyLook What's Happened to Rosemary's BabyLook What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby is a 1976 TV movie, and a sequel to the 1968 film Rosemary's Baby. It has little connection to the novel by Ira Levin on which the first film was based.-The Book of Rosemary:...
(1976) - Curse of the Black Widow (1977)
- Bare EssenceBare EssenceBare Essence is an American television soap opera which aired on the NBC network during the 1982-1983 season.Bare Essence starred popular daytime soap actress Genie Francis and dealt with the intrigues of the perfume industry...
(1982) - Alice in WonderlandAlice in Wonderland (1985 film)Alice in Wonderland is a two-part film adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice books. An Irwin Allen production, it was a special made for television and used a huge all-star cast of notable actors and actresses. The title role was played by 10-year-old Natalie Gregory, who wore a blonde wig for this...
(1985) - In My Daughter's Name (1992)
- Dangerous Intentions (1995)
- The Stepford HusbandsThe Stepford HusbandsThe Stepford Husbands is a 1996 made-for-television sci-fi/horror film inspired by the Ira Levin novel The Stepford Wives. It was directed by Fred Walton with a screenplay by brothers Ken Wheat and Jim Wheat. Donna Mills, Michael Ontkean, Cindy Williams, Sarah Douglas, and Louise Fletcher all...
(1996) - An Element of Truth (1997)
- Ladies of the HouseLadies of the HouseLadies of the House is a television movie made-for-tv movie that aired on Hallmark Channel in October 2008. It stars Florence Henderson, Pam Grier, and Donna Mills.-Plot:...
(2008)