Donna Mills Leads The 'Queens Of Drama'

Donna Mills leads a group of soap actresses in the new reality show, 'Queens Of Drama.' on thisweek's show, Donna introduces the group to a long-time friend who's also a soap legend.

Fun facts about Donna Mills (Source: Wikipedia)

Mills began her acting career on television with a six-month stint on the CBS daytime soap operaThe Secret Storm in 1966, playing the character of "Rocket." Following this, she made her film debutin The Incident (1967), co-starring alongside Martin Sheen, Beau Bridges, Ed McMahon, and ThelmaRitter. She appeared on Broadway in Woody Allen's comedy, Don't Drink the Water, as the Sultan ofBashir's wife.

In the fall of 1967, she gained a regular role as ex-nun Laura Donnelly on the soap Love is a ManySplendored Thing. She was a cast member for three years, until she left the series in 1970 andmoved to California. In 1971, Mills co-starred in the popular thriller Play Misty for Me, with ClintEastwood and Jessica Walter.

During 1971-72, she starred in the short-lived sitcom The Good Life with Larry Hagman who laterguest-starred on Knots Landing as J. R. Ewing from the show's sister series Dallas. Prior to signingup a contract for Universal Studios in 1972, she spent much of the 1970s appearing as a guest ontop-rated television shows such as The Six Million Dollar Man, Hawaii Five-O, The Love Boat, CHiPs,The F.B.I., Quincy, M.E., the UK's Thriller series, Police Woman and Fantasy Island, as well as manymade-for-TV movies.

In 1980 Mills landed her most prominent role -- that of scheming, manipulative vixen AbbyCunningham on the long-running primetime soap opera Knots Landing. Mills portrayed Abby from1980-1989. Prior to being cast in Knots Landing, Mills was primarily known for playing the "damselin distress" archetype in both film and television media. The actress became somewhat famous forplaying these roles, often leading to unwanted typecasting. In an interview with Jerry Buck for theToledo Blade, Mills said: "I got tired of playing the victim. It's a more active role. Abby keeps thingsstirred up, and I like that." According to Jacobs, Abby was not planned when the show began. Heknew that he wanted a female J.R. Ewing-esque character. However, he had a different sense of thecharacter and who would wind up in the role. With Mills' reputation of playing the victim, he initiallydidn't choose her for the part.

Josh Mapes of The Biography Channel listed her in the category "10 Primetime Stars We Love toHate". He said, "Any great soap opera needs a great villain. While viewers may identify more withthe protagonist, the villains in a serial drama always spice things up, cause trouble, and make itmore fun to watch. From tongue lashings to catfights, underhanded tricks to boldface lies, thecharacters 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, KnotsLanding. Unapologetically going after what she wanted, Mills' character engaged in affairs with twoof the husbands on the Knots Landing cul-de-sac. But, like most vixens on primetime soaps, she wasonly out for money, not love."

In 1989, Mills announced her intention to leave the long-running nighttime soap after nine years asAbby. According to Mills, she wanted to take a break from acting for a while, and from Abby as well.

In an interview with The Cedartown Standard, Mills explained: "I'm tired of the show. It's been toolong. I'm not particularly happy with the way they've been writing Abby lately. She's too soft. I'd likeAbby to get back to her old self." For this role, she won the Soap Opera Digest Award forOutstanding Villainess on three occasions, in 1986, 1988 and 1989.

1990-present[edit]After Knots Landing, Mills concentrated on television movies, four of which sheco-produced: The World's Oldest Living Bridesmaid (1990), Runaway Father (1991), In MyDaughter's Name (1992) and My Name Is Kate (1994). She returned to Knots Landing for its finalepisode in 1993, and again for the reunion miniseries Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac in1997. In between she had a brief recurring guest role as Jane Mancini (played by Josie Bissett)'smother on Melrose Place.

Mills continued to appear on television in TV movies and guest roles. In 2005 she reunited with theKnots Landing cast for the non-fiction special, Knots Landing Reunion: Together Again, in which thestars reminisced about the show. In more recent years, Mills has appeared in various televisionmovies such as Love Is A Four Letter Word in 2007, and Ladies of the House in 2008, as well asguest appearances in series such as Cold Case (in a provocative role as a woman who seduces hergrandson) and Nip/Tuck (guest-starring with fellow Knots Landing starJoan Van Ark). In 2012, shemade a guest appearance on GCB as Bitsy Lourd and appeared as a guest judge on the reality seriesRuPaul's Drag U.

In 2014, Mills made her return to daytime soap operas, for the first time since 1970. She was cast ina major recurring guest starring role in the ABC soap opera General Hospital. She debuted in midMarch and recurred to May. Later in that year, she returned for another multiple episodes-arc. Atthe 42nd Daytime Emmy Awards, Mills won Outstanding Special Guest Performer in a Drama Seriesfor her performance in General Hospital, in a three-way tie with Fred Willard and Ray Wise.

On October 7, 2014, it was announced that Mills will star in the POP reality series Queens of Dramaabout a group of former stars who now produce a new primetime serial drama to star in. The ladieswill be required to work together in front of and behind the cameras as they develop, pitch, andproduce their steamy series with the hopes of landing a pilot deal by the end of the season.

In April, 2015, Mills revealed that she was cast in the David O. Russell film Joy, due for release inDecember 2015.

'Queens Of Drama' airs Wednesday night at 8:00pm on 'Pop' which is the new name of the old TVGuide Network.

Follow Donna Mills on Twitter: @TheDonnaMills

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