Donna Mills is a Hollywood icon. The actress’s impressive career spans over five decades. Her television career started in the '60s. The rising star appeared in several hit series such as "The Secret Storm" and "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing." In 1967, Donna made her film debut in "The Incident," in which she starred alongside Martin Sheen, Beau Bridges, Ed McMahon and Thelma Ritter.
For decades, the rising star was typecast as the damsel in distress. However, her longing to break away from this led her to the most memorable role of her career. Now, the award-winning actress is best known for her role as Abby Cunningham on the prime-time soap opera "Knots Landing.”
Donna starred in the series from 1980 to 1989. She won the Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villainess three times for her stunning portrayal of the cunning and manipulative Cunningham. Donna was also named one of the "5 Prime Time Soap Opera Villains We Love To Hate" by Everythingzoomer.
Donna continued to star in television films and movies following her breakout role. After leaving “Knots Landing,” she concentrated more on film acting, with parts in television movies “In My Daughter's Name” and “My Name Is Kate.” The Chicago native has over 100 acting credits to her name and a net worth of about $9 million.
Surprisingly, Donna left her career while it was at its peak, only to return to it years later after becoming a mother in her 50s, for which she received flak. Donna has since been enjoying gracefully aging as she still wears outfits that prove that she’s still young at heart. Keep on reading to learn more about Donna, her journey toward motherhood, and her foray into still living and dressing young!
Donna had spent most of her life focused on her career, but by the time she reached her 50s, she had a revelation. She once had a long-term relationship with Richard Holland, but Orange Coast Magazine revealed that she was “happily unmarried.” She later found love with "M*A*S*H” star Larry Gilman in 2001.
In an interview with People Magazine, Donna explained how her life didn't feel complete at the time she was in her 50s, which is what led her to consider adopting a child.
"I was very concentrated on my career, but at a certain point, I realized there was something missing — it was a child," she said. "So I went after it. I adopted her when she was four days old."
Donna added that at 54, many thought she was too old to be a mother to an infant child and feared that she wouldn’t have the energy to enter motherhood in her 50s. However, the Daytime Emmy-award-winning actress felt that her age was only a number.
"By that time, I was 54 and people said, 'You're going to be so old (to) have a little toddler running around.' I never felt that," she recalled. "I never felt older than the other mothers who were probably in their 20s."
Donna told People she enjoyed being a mother later in her life so much that she would encourage other women to do the same, especially women who want to have both a successful career and a family.
"If you want to give to your career, I say having a child later in life is better than having a child early," she told the outlet.
After adopting her daughter, Donna decided that her career would have to wait – at least temporarily.
Admitting that motherhood was a full-time job for her, Donna said she became a mother for a reason and was not going to miss raising her child.
"I took off 18 years. I didn't work," she told People Magazine. "Well, the first couple of years, I did work. I did some movies for television and stuff like that, because I could take her wherever I went. But then when she started school, I wasn't going to go out of town for two months at a time. And I didn't become a mother to give her to a nanny."
Although Chloe Mills is 28 now, the mother-daughter duo still has a close-knit relationship. Donna told the publication that she and her daughter text constantly throughout the day and even make time once a week to see each other.
While some people chastised Donna for stepping away from her career to focus on motherhood, the actress couldn’t be happier with how her life turned out. According to The Daily Mail, Donna “fell in love” with Chloe the moment she saw her, and she knew that they were meant to be in each other’s lives.
“She was mine and that's all there was to it. I do believe the right child comes to you, and she was meant to be with me,” Donna said.
Nowadays, Donna is still a big-name star. Donna returned triumphantly to screen for the Lifetime series “Dawn,” based on the best-selling book by V.C. Andrews, alongside Fran Drescher and Joey McIntyre. Donna portrayed the wicked grandmother Lillian Cutler, and by the looks of it, totally killed it in the part.
Donna took to Instagram to show off her nefarious look, comprised of a sharp blue jacket and statement brooch. However, what garnered the most attention was her transformed hairstyle. She switched out the honey blond locks she had been recognized as having for a shoulder-sweeping head of wavy silver-white hair.
“They say blondes have more fun…but I’m loving this white, what do you think?” Mills asked her followers in the caption.
Fans were tickled by Donna’s new look. “Love it. You look beautiful no matter what colour your hair is,” one user wrote, while another commented, “It makes your beautiful eyes pop even more than they usually do!”
This was not the first time that Donna was praised for her ravishing and youthful good looks. In an Instagram post she shared on Aug. 8, 2023, she stunned everyone after wearing a black brassiere under a sheer laced dress, all while confidently wearing her flowing blonde hair as she attended a godson’s wedding in Orcas Island in Washington with her daughter Chloe.
Fans raved about Donna’s beauty in the comment section.
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Doesn’t Donna Mills look beautiful? What do you think about her decision to take the time off to become a mother? Let us know your thoughts, and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones.