Donna Biscoe

Donna Biscoe (born September 30, 1955) is an American actress.

Donna Biscoe
Born (1955-09-30) September 30, 1955
Fort Benning, Georgia, U.S.
Alma materClark Atlanta University
OccupationActress
Years active1987–present
Websitedonnabiscoe.com

Early years

Biscoe was born in Fort Benning, Georgia, the daughter of Mildred Skillern, a retired Carver High School English teacher. Biscoe attended Carver, then graduated from Kendrick High School in Columbus in 1973 and later graduated from Clark Atlanta University with a bachelor's degree in elementary education.[1] Biscoe later went to Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York for six months.

In the 1980s, a casting agent discovered Biscoe while she worked as a flight attendant for Eastern Airlines.[2]

Career

After returning to Atlanta, Biscoe began acting in plays, including playing Martin Luther King Jr.’s mother in A Boy King at the Atlanta Children’s Theater.[1] In late 1980s, Biscoe also began appearing in an supporting roles in film and television, including four appearances in In the Heat of the Night, CBS miniseries Mama Flora's Family (1998), and well as films Love Crimes (1992) and Blue Sky (1994).

Biscoe worked mostly in theatre in 1980s and 1990s. Her stage credits including Doubt, To Kill A Mockingbird, Waiting To Be Invited, Holiday Heart, Homebody Kabul, Our Town and Fences.[3] In 2000s, she began appearing in films playing mostly roles of mothers of grandmothers. Her film credits including Motives 2 and Three Can Play That Game (2007) starring Vivica A. Fox, Mississippi Damned (2009), The Sacrament (2013), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014), and Girls Trip (2017). She played Taraji P. Henson's character mother in the 2016 biographical drama film Hidden Figures, and Kevin Hart's mother in the 2018 comedy Night School.[4]

On television, Biscoe guest-starred in Drop Dead Diva, Nashville and Being Mary Jane. She had a recurring roles in the two Oprah Winfrey Network series: drama Greenleaf as Clara Jackson, and prime time soap opera Ambitions as Robin Givens' character mother. In 2017, she began starring in the Bounce TV prime time soap opera Saints & Sinners playing villainous Lady Leona Byrd.[5]

Other activities

In 2008, Biscoe ran a Pilates studio in downtown Atlanta.[2]

Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Notes
1987 Kids Like These Parent Television film
1987 Dead Aim Denise Long
1988 Case Closed Allison Television film
1992 Grass Roots Lisa Conroy Television film
1992 In the Line of Duty: Street War Mikey's Mom Television film
1992 The Secret Passion of Robert Clayton Heather Television film
1992 Love Crimes Hannah
1993 Silent Victim Beth Thompson Television film
1993 I'll Fly Away: Then and Now Adult Adlaine Television film
1994 Blue Sky Officer's Wife
1994 Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All Maynelle Television film
1998 Mama Flora's Family Jessica Television miniseries
1999 The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn Nurse Television film
1999 The Price of a Broken Heart Phyllis Television film
2000 Freedom Song Mrs. Summer Television film
2000 Trois Ms. Paul
2002 Pandora's Box Donna Paul
2002 Nowhere Road
2004 Trois 3: The Escort Patricia Meyer
2004 Dead Birds Black Woman
2004 Frankenfish Gloria Crankton
2005 The Gospel Reverend Jones
2005 A Message from Pops Mom Short film
2006 Broken Bridges Dr. McVee
2007 Daddy's Little Girls Social Worker
2007 Motives 2
2007 Three Can Play That Game Mrs. Thompson
2008 One Missed Call Coroner
2008 Conjurer Dr. McKenzie
2009 Mississippi Damned Gloria
2010 Blood Done Sign My Name Elizabeth Chavis
2012 The Governor's Daughters Ms. Anderson
2013 The Sacrament Wendy
2014 Comeback Dad Jeannette
2014 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 D8 Old Woman
2014 The Productive Lie Niecy
2015 Red All Over Patricia Wright
2016 The Fundamentals of Caring Caregiving Instructor
2016 Girl from Compton Meme
2016 Confirmation Eleanor Holmes Norton Television film
2016 Hidden Figures Mrs. Joylette Coleman
2017 Girls Trip Delores
2017 A Question of Faith Patricia Newman
2018 Tell Me Your Name Dr. Liles
2018 The Beach House Flo Television film
2018 Night School Gladys Walker
2020 Black Girl Magic Martha

Television
Year Film Role Notes
1990-1993 In the Heat of the Night Laura Ulmer / Mrs. Johnson / Cora Tyler 4 episodes
2008 Army Wives Allison Lyall Episode: "Payback"
2010 One Tree Hill Judge Episode: "Weeks Go by Like Days"
2012 Drop Dead Diva Dr. Colette Willis Episode: "Winning Ugly"
2013 Necessary Roughness Felicia Purnell Episode: "The Fall Guy"
2013 Nashville Elizabeth Episode: "A Picture from Life's Other Side"
2014 Star-Crossed Gloria's Mother Episodes: "Dreamers Often Lie" and "Our Toil Shall Strive to Mend"
2014 Rectify Mrs. Whitman Episode: "Donald the Normal"
2016-2019 Greenleaf Clara Jackson Recurring role, 9 episodes
2017 Being Mary Jane Episode: "Getting Served"
2017 Shots Fired Mabel Episode: "Hour Four: Truth"
2017–present Saints & Sinners Lady Leona Byrd Recurring (season 2), Series regular (season 3-)
2019 Jack Ryan Yvonne Bishop Episode: "Tertia Optio"
2019 Ambitions Irene Carlisle Recurring role, 9 episodes

References
  1. James-Johnson, Alva (January 31, 2017). "'Hidden Figures' actress with Columbus roots wonders what other black stories are missing". Ledger-Enquirer. Archived from the original on March 25, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  2. "Move takes her from flight attendant to stage diva". The Atlanta Constitution. Georgia, Atlanta. July 6, 2008. p. K 1. Retrieved March 25, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Film Biography". donna-biscoe.
  4. Penrice, Ronda Racha (September 26, 2018). "AAFCA REVIEW: 'Night School' Starring Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish". EBONY.
  5. "Saints & Sinners Season Four Finale Airs August 25th". August 25, 2019.
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