Donna Biscoe

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. 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.

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. In late 1980s, Biscoe also began appearing in supporting roles in film and television, including four appearances in In the Heat of the Night, CBS miniseries Mama Flora's Family (1998), as 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. In 2000s, she began appearing in films playing mostly roles of mothers or grandmothers. Her film credits include 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's mother in the 2016 biographical drama film Hidden Figures, and Kevin Hart's mother in the 2018 comedy Night School.

On television, Biscoe guest-starred in Drop Dead Diva, Nashville and Being Mary Jane. She had recurring roles in the two Oprah Winfrey Network series: drama Greenleaf as Clara Jackson, and prime time soap opera Ambitions as Robin Givens' character's mother.

In 2017, she began starring in the Bounce TV prime time soap opera Saints & Sinners playing villainous Lady Leona Byrd. The series ended in 2022 after six seasons. She later had recurring roles in All the Queen's Men, All Rise and Reasonable Doubt.

In 2024 she starred alongside Garcelle Beauvais, Lela Rochon and Loretta Devine in the Lifetime television movie Terry McMillan Presents: Tempted By Love. She also appeared in the comedy-drama film The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat and played Emma Derriecott in the war drama film, The Six Triple Eight.

Other activities:

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