BORN : 29th August 1953
BORN : Jamaica. She moved to the UK aged 5.
LIVES : Brixton, London.
FAMILY : Her parents are both preachers in the West Indies. Mother, Pearlina, has her own church. They disapprove of Dona’s chosen career, ‘They are very heavily into evangelical black church and think acting is sinful. All they ever wanted was for me to be a preacher. I could not please them in any other way.’
PARTNER : Comedy writer David Marsden, they met 16 years ago, while in panto in East London.
CHILDREN : She has brought up her cousin’s daughter, Charlie, for over 15 years, as her own, ‘At the time I didn’t know how long it was for.. as far as she’s concerned I am her mother now.’
ON CHARACTER ADELE : ‘What I like about Adele is that she can stand up for herself with both patients and staff. That is something women have to find out and I’m still trying personally.’
ON JOINING CASUALTY : ‘I came into Casualty with very long fingernails, elegant flowing hair and everything had to be cut for the part. Now I have to be practical, with no nails, no make up and these ghastly stockings, where is the glamour I came into acting to have ?!’
ON THE CASUALTY CAST : ‘Everyone’s been so helpful. They are all very sensitive to eachother’s moods and characters.’
PREVIOUS CASUALTY APPEARANCE : Dona appeared in CASUALTY before her role as Adele, in S5 E7 she plays a patient called Lucy Watson, who cuts her wrist on broken glass, after drinking out with Charlie. She then made a later appearance after her regular role – in S25 E33 she plays nurse Rachel Culley.
HOLBY CITY APPEARANCES : In S6 E18, she played Paula Richards and in S10 E47, she played Amber. [More Info]
TELEVISION CREDITS : The Boys from the Black Stuff; Nations Health; Come to Mecca; The 6 O’ Clock Show; Black Silk; Ebony; Some Day Man; Eastenders; The Real Eddie English; The Paradise Club; Troublemakers; The Bill; Hallelujah Anyhow; Rides; Surgical Spirit; Desmonds; Us Girls; Between the Lines; Casualty; Birds of a Feather; Chandler & Co; Loving Hazel; Brothers and Sisters; The Bill; Gimme Gimme Gimme; The Murder of Stephen Lawrence; Family Affairs; Treasure; Between Iraq and a Hard Place; Beyon Iraq and a Hard Place; William and Mary; Silent Witness; Holby City; Elmina’s Kitchen; Doctor Who; The Afternoon Play – The Last Will and Testament of Billy Two-Sheds; The Shadow of the North; Little Miss Jocelyn; Doctors;
FILM CREDITS : Tube Tales – Rosebud; How to Make Friends; Elephant Palm Tree; Manderlay; I Could Never Be Your Woman; Eastern Promises; Kill Kill Faster Faster; Mammoth; Stud Life
THEATRE CREDITS : Nine Night; Gin Trap; Jericho; The Old Order; Jelly Roll Soul; It’s a Mad House; Polly; The Relapse; Back to Methuselah; Golden Girls; Gods Second in Command; Basin; Hansel and Gretel; A Mouthful of Birds; Merchant of Venice; Serious Money; Young Writers Festival; Othello; The City Wives Confederacy; Joe Turner’s Come and Gone; Anthony and Cleopatra; Smile Orange; Victor and the Ladies; No Boys Cricket Club; Back Pay; Henry V; Elmina’s Kitchen; The Christ of Coldharbour Lane; Measure for Measure; The Archbishop and the Antichrist; The Riots; The Heresy of Love
BOOKS : Appears in ‘CASUALTY : The Inside Story (Revised & Updated) By Hilary Kingsley.
AGENT : Lou Coulson Associates, 1st Floor, 37 Berwick Street, London W1F 8RS.
DID YOU KNOW?
* Her daughter Charlie had appeared as an extra in CASUALTY, playing a child patient.
* Dona has jumped off an aeroplane for charity.
