Donna Consuelos Wilkes was born in the vibrant neighborhood of Spanish Harlem in New York City, to a mother of Spanish and French descent and an Irish father. Her father, Wayman Otis Wilkes, was a dedicated doctor, and her mother, a talented nightclub singer, unfortunately divorced when Donna was just three months old.
Donna's journey in the world of acting began at the tender age of four, when her mother enrolled her in the renowned Meglin Kiddies School in New York City. During her time at the Meglin School, she starred in several productions, including "Peter Pan" and the school's adaptation of "Singin' in the Rain." At the age of six, she landed her first commercial, promoting Keds tennis shoes. Throughout her childhood, Donna continued to take acting lessons, as well as classes in jazz dance, ballet, and gymnastics, until the age of eleven, when she decided to focus on her education and become a "normal student."
At the age of twelve, Donna moved to the Dominican Republic to live with her aunt and uncle, where she graduated from high school at the prestigious Collegio Santo Domingo at the young age of fourteen. By the time she turned fifteen, Donna had made the bold decision to leave home and start a new life in Los Angeles. However, she soon discovered that there were limited job opportunities for a girl her age. Undeterred, she convinced two employers that she was eighteen years old and married, and for the next year, she worked tirelessly, putting in up to sixteen hours a day, five days a week, as a computer operator for an ambulance service and as a secretary for a large corporation in Culver City.
At the age of seventeen, Donna decided to pursue her passion for acting once again. Her first role was a small part in the Universal Pictures release "Almost Summer" (1978),which earned her a SAG card and later led to her role in Universal's "Jaws 2" (1978). She went on to appear in a string of feature films, including "Schizoid" (1980) with Klaus Kinski, "Blood Song" (1982) with Richard Jaeckel and Frankie Avalon, and "Hard Knocks" (1979) with Keenan Wynn.
In 1979, Donna was signed to a contract with Norman Lear's company, resulting in a co-starring role on the NBC series "Hello, Larry" (1979) alongside McLean Stevenson. Her impressive television credits also include roles on "Father Murphy" (1981),"House Calls" (1979),"T.J. Hooker" (1982),and "The Incredible Hulk" (1977).
Donna also had a recurring role on the NBC daytime series "Days of Our Lives" (1965) from 1982-1983, where she played the character of "Pamela," a drug addict. She has appeared in several movies of the week, including "The Courage and the Passion" (1978) and "Born to Be Sold" (1981).
