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Diana Scarwid

Diana Scarwid

Actor · Born August 27, 1955 (71) · Savannah, Georgia, USA

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.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 27, 1955 (71)
From
Savannah, Georgia, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
49 on MovieCove · 68 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 63 days to Oct 26Down 26% in 30 days

What are Diana Scarwid's films like?

Across their 34 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Biography5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Horror3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 21st percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
22%
Morality
21%
Survival
18%
Self
16%
Society
13%
Power
6%
Ideas
5%
Family bonds9 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 34 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 8 · Serious 4 · Dark 22

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 22 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 3

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 15 · Intense 16

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 14 · Shifting 17 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 24 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 19 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 12 · Engaged 17 · Full focus 5

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 12 · Heavy 17

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 21 · Open-ended 10 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

17 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 8 of 17 analyzed roles.

Ally
8 of 17
Shadow
6 of 17
Shapeshifter
1 of 17
Hero
1 of 17
Mentor
1 of 17
Show the 17 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
25
Melancholic
16
Dread
13
Hopeful
6
Contemplative
5
Other
24

How their films linger

Haunting11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy10
  • Bittersweet15
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous5

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Diana Scarwid's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 36 of their 49 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (18).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Diana Scarwid's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

68 credits, 49 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Another Happy Day(2011)

    as Donna

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Backyard Wedding(2010)

    as Susan Slauson

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Tribute(2009)

    as Cathy Morrow

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Dream Boy(2008)

    as Vivian Davies

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Pushing Daisies(2007)

    Show 4 episodes · as Mother Superior

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Heroes(2006)

    Show 1 episode · as Alice Shaw

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Mommie Dearest: Joan Lives On (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Actor

  • Mommie Dearest: Life with Joan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Actor

  • Mommie Dearest: The Revival of Joan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Actor

  • Valley of the Heart's Delight(2006)

    as Natalie Walsh

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Local Color(2006)

    as Edith Talia

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Criminal Minds(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Jane Winmar

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Prison Break(2005)

    Show 3 episodes · as Jeanette Owens

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Lost(2004)

    Show 1 episode · as Isabel

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • The Clearing(2004)

    as Eva Finch

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Wonderfalls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 13 episodes · as Karen Tyler

  • Path to War(2002)

    as Marny Clifford

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Cold Case (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Rayanne Leland

  • Party Monster(2003)

    as Elke

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • A Guy Thing(2003)

    as Sandra Cooper

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Angel Doll (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Fronia Black

  • What Lies Beneath(2000)

    as Jody

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Dirty Pictures(2000)

    as Dianne Barrie

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Jackie Madden

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Down Will Come Baby(1999)

    as Dorothy McIntyre

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Before He Wakes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Joanne Michaels

  • A Will of their Own (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 2 episodes · as Crystal Eastman

  • From the Earth to the Moon(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Joan Aldrin

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Ruby Bridges(1998)

    as Miss Woodmere

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Bastard Out of Carolina(1996)

    as Aunt Raylene

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue(1996)

    as Mrs. Annie Feagan

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Critical Choices (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Diana Johnson

  • If These Walls Could Talk(1996)

    as Marcia Schulman

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain(1995)

    as Lynette Salerno

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Truman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Bess Truman

  • The Neon Bible(1995)

    as Sarah

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Cure(1995)

    as Gail

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Outer Limits(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Elizabeth Halsey

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • The X-Files(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Linda Bowman

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Labor of Love: The Arlette Schweitzer Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Darlene

  • Night of the Hunter(1991)

    as Willa Harper

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Lisa Russo

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Brenda Starr(1989)

    as Libby 'Lips' Lipscomb

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • After the Promise(1987)

    as Anna Jackson

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Heat(1986)

    as Cassie

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Extremities(1986)

    as Terry

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Psycho III(1986)

    as Maureen Coyle

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Ladies Club(1985)

    as Lucy Bricker

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • A Bunny's Tale(1985)

    as Toby

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Silkwood(1983)

    as Angela

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Rumble Fish(1983)

    as Cassandra

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Strange Invaders(1983)

    as Margaret Bigelow

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Thou Shalt Not Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Susan Masters

  • Desperate Lives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Eileen Phillips

  • Mommie Dearest(1981)

    as Christina Crawford

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Inside Moves(1980)

    as Louise

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Honeysuckle Rose(1980)

    as Jeanne

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 2 episodes · as Sheila Langtree

  • Studs Lonigan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 3 episodes · as Catherine Banahan

  • Battered (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Doris Thompson

  • Pretty Baby(1978)

    as Frieda

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Forever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Sybil Davidson

  • The Possessed(1977)

    as Lane

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Kingston: Confidential (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • In the Glitter Palace(1977)

    as Casey Walker

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Gibbsville (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Starsky and Hutch(1975)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Hawaii Five-O(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Carole Walker

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 67 titles from 1968 to 2011; peak year 1982.

Biggest box office

What Lies Beneath (2000)

$291M worldwide

Highest rated

The Cure (1995)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Rumble Fish (1983)

Film career

19682011

Peak 1982 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 3 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting67 of 67: 67 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score55th

By decade

1960s1 · acting1970s9 · acting1980s16 · acting1990s19 · acting2000s20 · acting2010s2 · acting

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 0% of 23 roles
789303

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Diana Scarwid's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 48th percentile, the median of all 37; across their 34 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 46th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Approval · how many liked their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Reach · how many have seen their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Midcredits score across 49 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up19
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th13
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

20 of their 49 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved10
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser20
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed15

Most divisive · actor

In the Glitter Palace (1977)

78th percentile spread · 30% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Cure (1995)

Midcredits 97th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the acting 68/100 in their films, across 33 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 44. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Diana Scarwid's work okay for kids?

Across up to 14 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore10 titles43–95 · median 64 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity14 titles18–68 · median 45 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity11 titles42–78 · median 52 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs9 titles21–70 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense10 titles47–86 · median 73 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Diana Scarwid work with?

People who share at least 2 of Diana Scarwid's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Robert Ellis Miller shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors

Cinematographers

Producers