Diane Venora

Diane Venora is an American stage, television, and film actress. She graduated from the Juilliard School in 1977 and made her film debut in 1981 alongside Albert Finney in Wolfen. Venora received critical acclaim for her role in Bird (1988), winning the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her notable film credits include The Cotton Club (1984), Heat (1995), Romeo + Juliet (1996), The Jackal (1997), The Insider (1999), and Hamlet (2000). Born to Marie and Robert P. Venora, she grew up in East Hartford and actively participated in musicals and plays during her time at East Hartford High School. Venora studied at the Boston Conservatory of Music before earning a scholarship to Juilliard, where she graduated as a member of the drama department's Group 6.