2024-09-19 02:35:09
Donna Wilkes is an American actress best known for her performances in Angel (1983), Jaws 2 (1978), and My Step Brother Is a Vampire!?! (2013). She also appeared in several television shows, including Hello, Larry (1979) and Days of Our Lives (1982 to 1983).
Donna is now in her 60s, and although she doesn’t appear in movies and TV shows as much as she did in her youth, she takes on minor roles from time to time.
Her most recent role was in Tarantino’s 2024 murder mystery Once Upon a Time in Hollyweird, where she was a studio manager.
Early Life
Donna Consuelo Wilkes was born on November 11, 1959, to a Dominican mother and an Irish American father. Her father, Wayman Otis Wilkes, was a doctor, and her mother was a nightclub singer.
However, their union was short-lived, as her parents divorced when she was three months old. Raised mostly by her mother, she is fluent in both English and Spanish.
Donna’s acting career began when she was six years old, appearing in a Keds sneaker campaign. She attended the Dominica Theater of American Performing Arts during her early years to improve her acting skills but later stopped her training at the age of 11 to focus on her regular schooling.
When Donna turned 12, she was sent to live with her uncle in the Dominican Republic. It is not clear whether this decision was due to her mother having financial problems or something else.
After graduating from Collegio Santo Domingo at 14, Donna moved to Los Angeles, California, to start a new life.
In a newspaper interview in 1984 with The Newsthe actress revealed that she had to convince employers that she was 18 and married because no one wanted to hire a 15-year-old, regardless of her qualifications.
She managed to get a job as an ambulance operator and later as an administrative assistant, working up to 16 hours a day.
Occupation
Donna Wilkes in Angel (1983)
Donna appeared in her first significant role when she was 17 in the 1978 film “Jaws 2”, where she played Jackie Peters, the main character’s love interest.
Donna’s portrayal of the classic damsel in distress, screaming and panicking when a Great White Shark attacks the group caught the attention of famous directors.
She was heart-wrenching screams of terror She cemented her reputation as the “Original Scream Queen.” That same year, Donna starred in Almost Summer, her second most notable role after Jaws.
Since then, Donna has taken on several other roles, but her most notable performance was in the 1983 sexploitation film Angel, which became a cult classic. Donna played the role of Molly “Angel” Stewart, a 15-year-old prostitute.
Donna was 22 when filming took place, and to prepare for the role, she spent time in rehabilitation centers and halfway houses.
The franchise made three more Angel movies after the 1983 version, but many agree that Donna’s portrayal of Molly was the best.
Angel was the push Donna needed to advance her acting career. She later starred in several horror films, including Schizoid (1980) and Blood Song (1982).
Personal Life
Rory Calhoun and Donna Wilkes in Angel (1983)
Donna keeps her personal life private, so we don’t know much about how she is doing these days.
We know that she married when she was 18 years old Billy Gray39-year-old actor known for his role in the TV series Father Knows Best. They got divorced four years later in 1981.
In 1990, Donna left the entertainment industry to give birth to her daughter. Her daughter’s father is unknown, and we don’t know much about her daughter, either.
She resumed acting in the mid-2010s, appearing in My Stepbrother Is a Vampire!?! (2014) and 90210 Shark Attack (2014).
Final Thoughts
Donna Wilkes may not be as famous as other New Hollywood actresses of the time, but her roles earned her the highest awards and praise in the industry.
Maybe if she hadn’t taken a break at the height of her career, she would be a more famous actress today. Still, many look back fondly on her roles, especially in Jaws 2 and Angel, which are cult classics today.
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