Donna Mills facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Donna Mills
Mills at a film festival in 2018
Born	Donna Jean Miller (1940-12-11) December 11, 1940 (age 84) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Education	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1966–present
Partner(s)	Richard Holland (1979–1999) Larry Gilman (2001–present)
Children	1

Donna Mills (born Donna Jean Miller on December 11, 1940) is an American actress. She started her career in 1966 on the TV show The Secret Storm. That same year, she also performed on Broadway in a comedy by Woody Allen called Don't Drink the Water. Her first movie was The Incident in 1967.

For three years, she starred in the soap opera Love Is a Many Splendored Thing. In 1971, she played the girlfriend of Clint Eastwood's character in the thriller movie Play Misty for Me. She also starred in many popular TV movies during the 1970s.

In 1980, Mills became famous for playing Abby Cunningham on the TV show Knots Landing. She played the role until 1989 and won three awards for being an "Outstanding Villainess." Since then, she has appeared in many TV movies and shows. In 2014, she won a Daytime Emmy Award for her role on the soap opera General Hospital. More recently, she has appeared in movies like Joy (2015), Nope (2022), and Origin (2023).

Early Life and Education

Donna Jean Miller was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her mother, Bernice, was a housewife, and her father, Ambrose, was a computer analyst. She has an older brother named Donald. Donna grew up in the Norwood Park neighborhood of Chicago. She went to Garvy Elementary School and Taft High School. A classmate of hers, Jim Jacobs, later co-created the musical Grease and said he based the character Sandy on her.

After high school, Mills attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for one year. She left college to become a dancer and acted in local theater shows. Her first professional acting job was in a play in Chicago. Later, a tour of the musical My Fair Lady brought her to New York City.

Acting Career

Mills in Love is a Many Splendored Thing (1967)

Starting on TV and in Movies

Mills began her career in 1966 on the TV soap opera The Secret Storm. Soon after, she acted on Broadway and made her first movie, The Incident. From 1967 to 1970, she had a main role on the soap opera Love is a Many Splendored Thing.

In 1971, she starred with Clint Eastwood in the popular thriller Play Misty for Me. This role led to her often being cast as a character in danger in TV movies. Throughout the 1970s, she was a guest star on many famous TV shows, including Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-O, and Fantasy Island. She also played the lead in many TV movies during this time.

Stardom on Knots Landing

Mills in 1981

In 1980, Mills got her most famous role as the clever and sometimes tricky Abby Cunningham on the TV show Knots Landing. The show was a spin-off of the popular series Dallas. Mills said she enjoyed playing a more active character who "keeps things stirred up."

Her character, Abby, became one of television's most well-known villains. She was known for causing drama and trying to get what she wanted, which was usually money. Mills played the role for nine years and left the show in 1989. For her performance, she won the Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villainess three times.

Career from the 1990s to Today

Mills at a movie premiere in 1990

After leaving Knots Landing, Mills focused on TV movies. She even produced some of them herself. She returned for the final episode of Knots Landing in 1993 and for a reunion special in 1997. From 1996 to 1997, she had a recurring role on the show Melrose Place.

In the 2000s, Mills continued to act in TV movies and guest-starred on shows like Cold Case and Nip/Tuck. In 2014, she returned to daytime television with a role on General Hospital. Her performance earned her a Daytime Emmy Award.

Mills with her daughter Chloe in 2009

More recently, Mills has appeared in major films like Joy (2015) and the horror movie Nope (2022). In 2023, she starred in the TV series V.C. Andrews' Dawn and the Christmas movie Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas. In 2025, she joined her Knots Landing co-stars for a podcast called We're Knot Done Yet.

Personal Life

Mills has never been married. In 1994, she adopted a baby girl named Chloe. Since 2001, she has been in a relationship with Larry Gilman.

Selected Film and TV Shows

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Mills in Police Story (1975)

See also

In Spanish: Donna Mills para niños